Frankenstein Director Guillermo del Toro Raves About James Gunn's Superman and a DC Universe Powered by Goodness

Guillermo del Toro, king of moody monsters, took a break from the shadows to gush about a bright, earnest superhero movie. Yes, really. He just gave James Gunn and his new Superman some serious love.

"I really enjoy the way James Gunn is viewing the universe," del Toro said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. "When I saw Superman, you feel the healing power of goodness from someone that believes in it."

That tracks. Gunn kicked off his DCU: Chapter One with a Superman that leans into sincerity, not snark. It is not an origin story, but it is very much a who-am-I story. The curveball: Clark discovers his Kryptonian parents did not send him to Earth to protect anyone. Their plan was for him to nudge humanity into submission. That revelation detonates his worldview and forces him to decide what kind of person he wants to be. Bold swing, especially for a character this mythic.

With the Kents and a few Earth pals in his corner, Clark lands on a simple idea: your past does not lock in your future. Choose to do good. That clarity becomes his superpower every bit as much as the flying and heat vision, and it is what ultimately helps him take down Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor.

The movie even wears its heart on its sleeve. Pa Kent essentially tells Clark that who you are is built from what you do. Later, when Luthor tries to reduce him to 'alien,' Clark answers by embracing the messy human stuff: he loves, he gets scared, he screws up, and he keeps going. That stubborn, imperfect hope is the point.

Audiences clearly felt it. The film landed an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and pulled in over $616 million worldwide. Gunn is not wasting time, either: the sequel is set, and it is taking a surprising team-up route.

What is next

• Sequel title: 'Man of Tomorrow'
• Premise: Superman and Lex Luthor put their differences aside to take on a new threat, Brainiac
• Release date: July 9, 2027

So, yes, del Toro praising a bright, optimistic Superman sounds unexpected on paper, but the movie makes a strong case for decency as a superpower. Hard to argue with the guy who made Pan's Labyrinth when he says he felt the healing power of goodness.