The highly anticipated “Superman” movie is set to hit theaters this weekend, and the first audience reactions are already creating a buzz online. Following the Los Angeles premiere on Monday night, the social media embargo lifted, allowing critics and influencers to share their initial thoughts.

While official reviews are still under wraps until tomorrow, early social media reactions from those who’ve seen the film are largely positive. Erik Davis from Fandango described it as “A terrific start for the new DC Studios,” setting an optimistic tone. Perri Nemiroff of Collider added, “The movie is loaded with exhilarating action set pieces and well-placed humor and levity.”

Directed by James Gunn, the film stars David Corenswet as the iconic Man of Steel. Rachel Brosnahan takes on the role of Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult plays the villainous Lex Luthor. The impressive cast also includes Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Isabela Mercad as Hawkgirl, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.

In a February interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn shared his vision for the movie: “People are looking for heroes right now. They are looking for values of goodness, looking for people who are good and decent human beings. And Superman is that.”

This film marks Gunn’s first DC entry since he and producer Peter Safran took over Warner Bros’ superhero division in October 2022. Upcoming DC Studios projects include the HBO Green Lantern series “Lanterns” and a “Supergirl” movie, slated for 2026. Safran highlighted the previous state of the DC brand, stating, “The DC brand was being defined by different creative teams at the company, each was pursuing their own distinct vision of the characters, the story — the result was not one DCU but many. This fracture proved very challenging to consumers and it chipped away at the identity of the brand.”

Check out more first reactions from “Superman” below:

Ash Crossan praises “Superman” as beautiful, hopeful, and a solid comic book movie.

Perri Nemiroff highlights the film’s action, humor, and focus on Superman’s core humanity.

Courtney Howard calls “Superman” an “awesome achievement” that honors the past while charting a new course, praising the cast and Krypto.

Dan Casey calls the film his “most anticipated movie of the year” and praises its hopeful core.

Joseph Deckelmeier describes the film as capturing “classic Superman magic” and feeling like a comic book brought to life.

Brandon Davis calls “Superman” a “triumph for the new DC Universe,” full of hope and fulfillment, noting Corenswet’s perfect casting.

Germain Lussier calls the movie a “non-stop joyride” with spectacle, optimism, and unpredictable humor, signaling a new era for DC.

Erik Davis hails “Superman” as the “perfect superhero movie” and a “terrific start,” describing it as big, bright, and hopeful.