Superman is officially on the rise. With a massive film headed into theaters in July and publisher DC declaring 2025 the 'Summer of Superman,' there's a general air of excitement about the Man of Steel building. I've felt it - my Superman bookshelf has grown significantly in the last few months, and some new Superman action figures have begun to grace my collection - and I've seen it across the wider fan community, even seeping into the mainstream.
But what is it that has propelled the historical most popular western superhero in the world back into the public consciousness in such a big way, even beyond the movie hype? There's something special about Superman that sets him apart from other superheroes that makes him the perfect hero for the current moment in time.
Writer Mark Waid knows Superman just about as well as anyone alive, having written the Man of Steel numerous times over the decades, including writing his own take on Superman's origins and early days in Superman: Birthright, as well as the current Batman/Superman: World's Finest title, and the ongoing Justice League Unlimited series. And to him, it's no mystery why Superman is the biggest hero of 2025.
"I think with all the turmoil going on, I think that there is a sense of dread that is an undercurrent to every moment of our lives, even whether we realize it or not," Waid tells Newsarama. "And Superman is always the symbol of hope. Superman is always the symbol of what we can accomplish if we pull together, what we can do if we have empathy. What we can do if we make kindness a virtue rather than a weakness. And I think that speaks to a lot of people right now. It certainly speaks to me."
Indeed, the idea of Superman as a symbol of the strength that comes from empathy and kindness also speaks to me as a reader and a fan. It's often been said that the core fantasy of Superman is the idea that someone with such great strength uses it for selfless good, and that's something that rings true now more than ever.
It's not a new invention either. Superman began his adventures largely by taking on corrupt executives, union busters, brutal slumlords, and other enemies of the common folk. It's that core populism that quickly led to becoming a symbol of universal goodness, only a threat to those who would do harm to others. And over the years, his famous S-shield has even been redefined as a specific symbol of hope on his homeworld of Krypton.
"There's an optimism to Superman that translates on the comic page to being able to do the impossible," Waid told Newsarama previously. "The first time we ever saw Superman, he was lifting a car over his head, which in 1938 was quite the sight. That kind of science fiction material wasn't really a thing in pop culture at the time."
"He was created by two teenage boys out of Cleveland to do impossible things, and that is one of my guiding stars," Waid continued at the time. "When I write Superman, in every story, I really want to see him do something that seems impossible and still manage to pull it off. That, to me, is what his purpose is. And that is one of the things that makes him unique."
We could all certainly use a bit of the impossible right now, and a bit of Superman too.
Superman will hit theaters on July 11. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows for everything else the DCU has in store.
