2025 has been the best summer for superhero movies and shows in years. And though Superman and Fantastic Four, the two biggest releases of the year, didn't quite go mega-gangbusters at the box office, the reception to both films from fans and critics alike has been overwhelmingly positive.
While things like a return to practical sets and stunts and a focus on more closely resembling their comic book subject matter have been key aspects of the love for this summer's superhero movies, the real revolution of films and shows like Thunderbolts*, Fantastic Four, Superman, and Peacemaker is a rejection of cynicism and an embrace of compassion for ourselves and others.
Sincerity is strength
That may all seem like par for the course for superhero media, but far too many movies and shows rely simply on the idea of physical strength as a source of hope, and existential answers to existential problems - things that feel like a response to the cynical reality in which we live, but which offer very little in the way of actual, tangible parables.
Those qualities make it hard to take real lessons from many superhero movies. Even Avengers: Endgame, a story about overcoming an impossible problem, tells a tale of cooperation, but there's very little human element in the film, aside from the mostly anonymous backdrop of a traumatized world.
In 2025 however, superhero media has largely moved forward from these kinds of strongman stories, in which the greatest virtue a person can have is supernatural combat ability or mega-genius science.
Instead, we're being treated to stories that, while they incorporate superpowers and hero-villain fights, are far more about seeking forgiveness, bringing people together, and rejecting the idea of sarcastic, insincere responses to problems that can't be solved by punching.
More compassionate heroes
It's that sincerity that feels like the greatest gift of 2025's superhero media. Thunderbolts* ends with the realization that self-harm can never alleviate self-hatred, and that we're better together when we choose to take the radical action of forgiving not just others, but ourselves, and reckoning with what it means to move forward.
Likewise, Fantastic Four centers largely on the idea that huge, world-threatening crises should inspire us to work together, to bridge our disagreements, and to focus on fixing the solvable problems that are currently barreling down on us in the real world.
Superman is about the rejection of narratives that tell us who we're supposed to be in the face of an incongruous world, and about recognizing the humanity in people who are as different from oneself as they can be. Superman's strength is his compassion and his willingness to seek solutions that do the least harm.
Even Peacemaker season 2, which remains as gory and crass as ever, is a tale of self-realization and actualization leading to atonement for our transgressions, and of finding real connections with those around us in order to become better, more conscientious people.
In our modern political environment, where compassion is seen as weakness and sincerity is poison, these stories have felt like a cool balm, a reminder that the very concept of superheroes should elevate us as people - not trap us in a mindset of vengeful violence.
A new hope
For me, 2025's embrace of real, human connections, forgiveness, and social evolution have struck a particularly personal chord. I'm part of what might be called the South Park generation - a population who grew up in the midst of a cultural rejection of the projected kumbaya vibes of the '90s and a drive towards an inherent skepticism of people who care too much (or sometimes at all).
Frankly, I'm sick of that kind of nihilistic, self-serving, outwardly hostile approach to understanding and relating to our world. I'm ready for us to be reminded that we're all in this together, that there are indeed existential crises facing us, but they require real hands-on progress accomplished by people working as one rather than waiting on someone to fly in and punch climate change or economic instability.
Now, James Gunn has announced the title of Superman 2 - Man of Tomorrow - along with concept art that hints at Superman teaming up with his greatest enemy, Lex Luthor, presumably to take on a threat so big that even Luthor decides to try some level of heroism.
That's got me incredibly excited about the possibilities for the film. Yes, there's the visceral thrill of seeing Lex Luthor in his vaunted battle armor, but there's also a continued theme of Superman seeing the humanity and potential in everyone around him. It's not a theme of ignoring our disagreements, but attempting to resolve them by embracing ideals that benefit us all.
I'm a punkrocker, yes I am
So maybe, in 2025, kindness actually is the real punk rock - a rejection of the beatdown establishments that tear us apart and make us feel divided, skittish, and sad. Maybe it's beyond time to stop attempting to base our politics on might-makes-right stories of anger and revenge, and to instead take some social lessons about how we might connect through these films and shows.
To coin a phrase, the superhero in me recognizes the superhero in you. We're all possessed of incredible strength and determination that multiply exponentially the more we work together, the more we accept ourselves and each other for all our faults.
Perhaps there will be some readers who see this entire piece as sanctimonious, bleeding heart nonsense. But I'm personally comfortable with that - that's the entire point. That's Superman. That's the Fantastic Four. Those are my heroes, and their stories are giving me some much-needed hope.
There are plenty more superhero stories on the horizon, so stay up to date on all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows and all the DC movies and shows that are currently in the works.
