Superman (2025) generated far too much discussion for us to contain it in a single episode. In part 2 we return to the series. We discuss the Justice Gang, what we think of the individual members, and why an unkind person doing good is a great thing to showcase. We also talk about the themes of winning versus saving and how that was modeled throughout the series. We also get into Jimmy weirdness, canine implications, and Gunn violence.
As this is the second part of a two-part episode there is no five-minute controversy this week.
This week Ryan, Shaun, Nate, and Cammie join the cast.
Show Notes:
Shaun’s Business – Popcycled Baubles
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Superman is the first full entry into James Gunn’s DCU. Facing backlash from those who wished the DCEU to continue, the film had a lot riding on it to prove the narrative vision of this new version of the DC universe across multiples forms of media. In this episode we have part one of our examination of this film. We discuss how it works as an initial outting for the DCU. We talk about some of the themes inherent within the character of Superman and shown in this film. We also dive into several of the controversies in the movie and give our takes on them. 
Superman month concludes this week, but we couldn’t leave without talking about the last iteration of The Man of Steel. In this episode we look at the entirety of the DCEU – from a franchise of franchises overseen by Zack Snyder to a disjointed dying gasp of poorly performing films and ones pulled before they could see the light of day – we go over the ins and outs of the series. We talk about the merits of the films and what we feel lead to its downfall. Along the way we also discuss our favorite and least favorite movies of them all. 
Superman is high in the public consciousness today, so we’re taking a step back and looking at the movie series that many still site as the quintessential version of the character. In this episode we discuss all four of the Superman movies that starred Christopher Reeve as well as Superman Returns, a movie intended to be a sequel to those earlier films. We talk about Reeves in the roles of both Clark Kent and Superman. We discuss his co-stars from each film as well as how they either added to or detracted from the movies. We also get into the various film plots and how we feel that they showcased the character. Before we wrap up we explain what’s in each of the versions of the first two films and we debate the merits of Superman Returns. We also give our rankings for these movies. 
Superman & Lois was the final DC series produced by the CW. Originally meant to be part of the Arrowverse, the series blazed its own path once it was determined that crossovers wouldn’t be possible with Covid production restrictions. In this episode we talk about the fourth and final season of the series. We discuss the comic origins of the series. We talk about the use of Lex Luthor and Doomsday and how they added to the overall series. We also get into the various production restrictions for this scaled back season and how we felt that effected the story and our enjoyment. We also give our opinions on the ending of the series and how we felt about the various resolutions. 
My Adventures with Superman is an animated take on the man of Steel that airs on the Cartoon Network and HBO Max. The series provides a slightly different take on Superman, following his adventures as a young intern at the Daily Planet and featuring an anime inspired style. In this episode we review about both seasons of the series. We talk about the characters and how the different lens of the series reimagines characters who are typically part of Superman’s supporting cast and ones who aren’t. We discuss the art style and what we like and don’t like about the anime-inspired take. We also get into performances and what we want to see from the series in season three. 
Superman and Lois season 4 has already premiered, so we have some catching up to do with our review of season 3! In this action-packed episode we discuss the introduction of Bruno Manheim and Intergang into the narrative. We also talk about the very real plotline around cancer and how Superman faces an enemy that he can’t defeat. We also debate the merits of a tougher, less intellectual Lex Luthor. Along the way we discuss teenagers with powers, family dynamics, dealing with physical illness and it’s effect on mental health, how scary a Superman at the end of his tether can be, and giving people their space. 
The 42cast has reached 200 episodes! We’d like to thank our audience for making this possible. As a treat for this episode we’ve invited back our most prolific guests. We discuss what has been going on in the geeskisphere since Episode 100, and we give our opinions on what has been the good; the bad; and the ugly. We also talk a little about what goes on behind the scenes on The 42cast. Watch out as Nathan goes on not 1, not, but 3 rants in this episode. It is not to be missed!
The Flash film was announced back in 2014. Originally slated to release early in 2018 many were impressed at DC’s confidence in announcing so many films so far in the future. Over the the intervening decade, The Flash production would be placed on hold multiple times as the script faced an almost infinite amount of rewrites, directors came and went, and various reshoots occurred. Eventually, the film finally saw the light of day in June of 2023. In this episode we take a deep dive on the Flash film. We discuss the plot, the adaptation of Flashpoint, and how it uses the established DCEU mythology and the Batman ’89 legacy. We also talk about the controversies around Ezra Miller and how that was juxtaposed against hype for Michael Keaton. We also get into how all this stacked against the upcoming DCU and why we think this movie flopped as greatly as it did. 
Superman and Lois was a surprise hit in season 1 and we had overwhelmingly positive things to say about this show. This time we cover season 2. We do a deep dive and discuss the nature of the relationships in the show. We talk about Superman as a geopolitical figure and how that can make his heroicWe s complicated. We also get into the Bizarro universe and how it’s different from previous iterations that we may have seen. We also can’t leave without getting into the controversial divorcing of Superman & Lois from the Arrowverse. We also ask if the case was ever made for why merging was bad. Along the way we also get into the plot, the acting, and what we want out of season 3.