As a fan of superhero movies, I awaited July 2025 with eager anticipation. Two major films were scheduled for release just a couple weeks apart. On July 11, DC Studios released Superman, directed by James Gunn. This was followed on July 25, with the Marvel Studios film The Fantastic Four: First Steps, directed by Matt Shakman. Both movies have been well-reviewed by most critics, have proven popular with general audiences, and are currently on track to be financially successful.
Many observers have noted similarities between these two films. Both feature iconic characters with long histories. Superman made his comic book debut in 1938, helping launch the so-called Golden Age of Comics, which was dominated by what is now DC Comics. The Fantastic Four first appeared in 1961, inaugurating the Silver Age of Comics, where Marvel became DC’s chief rival. Both films also represent fresh directions for their respective franchises. Superman is a full-on reboot of DC’s film franchise while The Fantastic Four: First Steps represents a recalibration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Not surprisingly, both films also have a lot riding on them. DC’s previous franchise, the DC Extended Universe, ended with a whimper amid mixed reviews and uneven box office receipts. The MCU, while more popular, has lost some of its momentum over the past five years. Both studios, and their respective parent companies, Warner Bros. (DC) and Disney (Marvel), need these films to be unqualified successes, both critically and commercially.
I enjoyed watching both movies with my family the weekends that each was released. In my subsequent discussions with my wife and children, we have noted another similarity between the two films. This resemblance has received less attention in the media, even though it stood out to us and many other Christians with whom we’ve talked. Simply put, both Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps emphasize the value of traditional families and the value of human life, including the preborn and infants. Both films are surprising socially conservative, marking a welcome departure from most superhero movies.
In Superman, the titular character reveres his biological parents, who sent him into space as an infant to escape their dying planet, Krypton. 30 years later, he is a superhero because he believes that honors their parting instructions to him. When Superman discovers that their intentions for him were less noble, he becomes disillusioned. At a particularly low point, Superman’s adoptive father, a Kansas farmer named Jonathan Kent, reminds him that his heroic deeds are rooted in his good character, regardless of what his biological parents intended. By the end of the film, Superman is thankful that he is Clark Kent, the adopted son of Jonathan and Martha. They remain his moral compass and the most important influences in his life.
Click Here to Read More (Originally Published at World Magazine )
Nathan is a professor of faith and culture and directs the Institute for Faith and Culture at North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C. He is the senior fellow for religious liberty for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, is a senior fellow for the Land Center for Cultural Engagement, and is a senior editor for Integration: A Journal of Faith and Learning. He also serves as teaching pastor at the First Baptist Church of Taylors, S.C.