Superman
NZ release: 10 July 2025
Violence Rated on: 09 July 2025
Superman (2025)
What’s it about?
Superman must come to terms with his Kryptonian origins while staying true to his human upbringing as reporter Clark Kent. As a symbol of truth, justice, and the human spirit, he faces a world that increasingly sees those values as outdated.
The facts
- Directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy)
- Stars David Corenswet (Twisters), Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu), Edi Gathegi (For All Mankind), Anthony Carrigan (Death of a Unicorn), Nathan Fillion (The Rookie), Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
- English language
- Runtime: 129 minutes
- Based on the DC Comics superhero Superman.
Why did it get this rating?
This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.
Violence
Superman contains lots of intense fighting and action, with large-scale destruction and some characters killed. The strongest moments include:
- A villain kidnaps someone and shoots an innocent person at close range during a disturbing game of Russian Roulette meant to scare a witness.
- Civilians are implied to be hurt or killed, especially when a huge rift tears through a city, putting many people at risk.
- Characters fight each other with a lot of punching, kicking, and choking.
- A powerful dog attacks enemies by biting and knocking them over.
- Superman rescues people at the last second, often saving them from deadly situations.
- A character infected with ‘nano bots’ is able to shapeshift and turns their hands into spinning blades that can be thrown. This results in damage and destruction to characters.
- A baby is shown in danger more than once.
- Superman faces several serious injuries where he is bleeding and in pain. In one scene, he vomits up streams of creepy nanotech.
Content that may upset or disturb
- A dog is overwhelmed by nanobots and we don’t see it again until much later when it is shown in captivity. There are references to the dog being tortured.
- Superman is infected with the nanobots and we see him suffocating and the bots going into his eyes so his entire head is covered.
- There are references to war and threats of violence against civilians that look very realistic.
- These scenes may be disturbing for people impacted by real world war.
- There are a several disturbing characters with alien-like appearance, similar to what you may see in a horror film by Guillermo del Toro.
Coarse language
There is some coarse language, including “sh*t,” “bitch,” “as*hole,” “piss” and “crap.”
When content stays with you:
We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.
