James Gunn‘s DC Universe reboot, “Superman,” is making a serious play for awards season recognition.

In a surprise twist, Variety has learned exclusively that Warner Bros. has submitted the summer blockbuster into the drama categories at the Golden Globes, signaling the filmmaker’s intention to position the iconic superhero as more than just escapist entertainment.

The studio submitted “Superman” for best motion picture (drama), along with acting categories for David Corenswet in best actor (drama), Rachel Brosnahan for supporting actress and Nicholas Hoult for supporting actor. Additional submissions include Gunn for directing and screenplay, plus original song for “The Mighty Crabjoy’s Theme,” penned by Gunn, Eric Nally and Devin Williams. The film has also earned enough box office receipts for consideration for Outstanding Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, which recognizes films that have grossed more than $150 million globally. Currently, “Superman” ranks as 2025’s third-highest domestic grosser behind Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and Warner Bros.’ own “A Minecraft Movie.”

The drama category positioning underscores Gunn’s ambition to present the Man of Steel — traditionally associated with truth, justice and the American way — as a vehicle for weighty themes. Many critics and fans of the film have noted how the narrative portrays both Clark Kent’s alienness and humanity, sparking considerable online discourse.

Early in the movie, the fictional Eastern European nation of Boravia, a U.S. ally, invades the impoverished country of Jarhanpur. Social media users have drawn what many call “obvious” parallels to the Israel-Gaza conflict, though the studio has never officially commented on the geopolitical subtext.

Beyond the Globes, “Superman” is generating some Oscar buzz within the artisan branches of the Academy. According to AMPAS members and sources, the film is said to be among the early favorites for visual effects, with Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé and Guy Williams leading the team — though the hotly anticipated “Avatar: Fire and Ash” looms as formidable competition. The production could also factor prominently in the sound race discussions, with Lee Orloff, David Acord, Katy Wood, Chris Boyes and Tim Leblanc’s work drawing aural praise, along with makeup and hairstyling by Alexei Dmitirew, Peter Swords King and Shane Mahan.

But there will be one notable omission, regardless of the outcome. John Murphy and David Fleming’s infectious, reinvented music score won’t be eligible for consideration due to its extensive callbacks to John Williams’ iconic Oscar-nominated 1978 “Superman” theme, which fails to meet the Academy’s 35% criteria for original composition.

DC-character films have found Golden Globe success before. Todd Phillips’ “Joker” (2019) won best actor for Joaquin Phoenix and best original score, with both victories translating to Oscar wins. Even Gunn’s own track record includes awards recognition for his “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (2024) received a nomination for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement at the Globes, before nabbing an Oscar nom for visual effects. Gunn’s 2014 original “Guardians” earned Oscar nods for makeup and hairstyling and visual effects, which was followed by the 2017 sequel “Vol. 2,” which also scored a mention for visual effects.

The Golden Globe nominations will be revealed on Dec. 8. This week’s Golden Globe updates are below.

Top 3 projected Golden Globe nomination leaders (films): “One Battle After Another” (9); “Sinners” (7); “Hamnet” (6)

Top 3 projected Golden Globe nomination leaders (TV): “Adolescence” (5); “Severance” (4); “The Pitt” (3)

Top 3 projected Golden Globe nomination leaders (film studios): Warner Bros (20); Neon (15); Netflix (13)

Top 3 projected Golden Globe nomination leaders (TV networks): Netflix (22); HBO Max (17); Apple TV (13)

Golden Globes Predictions Tracking

(Nov. 5, 2025)

Film

**Best Picture (Drama) **“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios) “Frankenstein” (Netflix) “Hamnet” (Focus Features) *** “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon) “Sentimental Value” (Neon) “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

Alternates: “The Secret Agent” (Neon); “Train Dreams” (Netflix); “Weapons” (Warner Bros.)

Best Picture (Comedy or Musical) “Bugonia” (Focus Features) “Jay Kelly” (Netflix) “Marty Supreme” (A24) “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) *** “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story” (Netflix) “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Alternates: “No Other Choice” (Neon); “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features); “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures)

Actor (Drama) Colin Farrell, “Ballad of a Small Player” (Netflix) Oscar Isaac, “Frankenstein” (Netflix) Dwayne Johnson, “The Smashing Machine” (A24) Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent” (Neon) *** Jeremy Allen White, “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” (20th Century Studios)

Alternates: Will Arnett, “Is This Thing On?” (Searchlight Pictures); Daniel Day-Lewis, “Anemone” (Focus Features); Joel Edgerton, “Train Dreams” (Netflix)

Actor (Comedy or Musical) Lee Byung-hun, “No Other Choice” (Neon) Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme” (A24) *** Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics) Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia” (Focus Features) Channing Tatum, “Roofman” (Paramount Pictures)

Alternates: George Clooney, “Jay Kelly” (Netflix); Hugh Jackman, “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features); Josh O’Connor, “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story” (Netflix)

Actress (Drama) Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet” (Focus Features) *** Laura Dern, “Is This Thing On?” (Searchlight Pictures) Jennifer Lawrence, “Die My Love” (Mubi) Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value” (Neon) Sydney Sweeney, “Christy” (Black Bear Pictures) Tessa Thompson, “Hedda” (Amazon MGM Studios)

Alternates: Lucy Lui, “Rosemead” (Vertical); Julia Roberts, “After the Hunt” (Amazon MGM Studios); June Squibb, “Eleanor the Great” (Sony Pictures Classics)

**Actress (Comedy or Musical) **Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24) Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) *** Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features) Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) Amanda Seyfried, “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures) Emma Stone, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)

Alternates: Pamela Anderson, “The Naked Gun” (Paramount Pictures); Olivia Colman, “The Roses” (Searchlight Pictures); Jodie Foster, “A Private Life” (Sony Pictures Classics)

**Supporting Actor**Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein” (Netflix) Paul Mescal, “Hamnet” (Focus Features) Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) *** Adam Sandler, “Jay Kelly” (Netflix) Alexander Skarsgård, “Pillion” (A24) Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)

Alternates: Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.); Delroy Lindo, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.); Andrew Scott, “Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)

**Supporting Actress**Emily Blunt, “The Smashing Machine” (A24) Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value” (Neon) Ariana Grande, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) *** Regina Hall, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) Amy Madigan, “Weapons” (Warner Bros.) Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)

Alternates: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value” (Neon); Gwyneth Paltrow, “Marty Supreme” (A24);* Hailee Steinfeld, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)*

**Cinematic and Box Office Achievement **“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios) “Kpop Demon Hunters” (Netflix) “Lilo and Stitch” (Walt Disney Pictures) “A Minecraft Movie” (Warner Bros.) “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) *** “Superman” (DC Studios) “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Alternates: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios); “How to Train Your Dragon” (Universal Pictures); “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures)

Directing Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) *** Ryan Coogler, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) Mona Fastvold, “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures) Kleber Mendonça Filho, “The Secret Agent” (Neon) Jafar Panahi, “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon) Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)

Alternates: Jon M. Chu, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures); Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme” (A24); Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)

Screenplay “Bugonia” (Focus Features) — Will Tracy “Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Maggie O’Farrell and Chloé Zhao “Marty Supreme” (A24) — Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Paul Thomas Anderson “Sentimental Value” (Neon) — Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt *** “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Ryan Coogler

Alternates: “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon) — Jafar Panahi; “Jay Kelly” (Netflix) — Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer; “The Secret Agent” (Neon) — Kleber Mendonça Filho

Original Score “Frankenstein” (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat “Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Max Richter “Hedda” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Hildur Guðnadóttir “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix) — Volker Bertlemann “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Jonny Greenwood “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Ludwig Göransson ***

Alternates: “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) — Hans Zimmer; “Jay Kelly” (Netflix) — Nicholas Britell; “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures) — Daniel Blumberg

Original Song “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios) — Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) — “Drive” by John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Blake Slatkin “KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix) — “Golden” by EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick *** “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — “I Lied to You” by Ludwig Göransson and Raphael Saadiq “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures) — “Clothed by the Sun” by Daniel Blumberg “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) — “The Girl in the Bubble” by Stephen Schwartz

Alternates: “Highest 2 Lowest” from “Highest 2 Lowest” (A24/Apple Original Films); “Waiting on a Wish” from “Snow White” (Walt Disney Pictures); “Zoo” from “Zootopia 2” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Animated Feature “Arco” (Neon) “Elio” (Pixar) “KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix) *** “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” (GKids) “Ne Zha 2” (A24) “Zootopia 2” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Alternates: “The Bad Guys 2” (DreamWorks Animation); “In Your Dreams” (Netflix); “Scarlet” (Crunchyroll)

**Non-English Language Film ** “Belén” (Amazon MGM Studios) “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon) — France “No Other Choice” (Neon) — South Korea “Nouvelle Vague” (Netflix) — France “The Secret Agent” (Neon) — Brazil “Sentimental Value” (Neon) — Norway ***

Alternates: “Sirāt” (Neon) — Spain; “Sound of Falling” (Mubi) — Germany; “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Willa) — Tunisia

Podcast of the Year “Call Her Daddy” “Good Hang with Amy Poehler” *** “SmartLess” “The Joe Rogan Experience” “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von” “Up First from NPR”

Alternates: The Daily (The New York Times); “Dateline NBC”; “Pod Save America”

HBO Max

TV

**TV Series (Drama) **“Andor” (Disney+) “The Lowdown” (FX) “The Pitt” (HBO Max) *** “Severance” (Apple TV) “Stranger Things” (Netflix) “Task” (HBO Max)

Alternates: “Dexter: Resurrection” (Paramount+); “The Diplomat” (Netflix); “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)

**TV Series (Comedy) **“Abbott Elementary” (ABC) “The Chair Company” (HBO Max) “Hacks” (HBO Max) “The Paper” (Peacock) “The Studio” (Apple TV) *** “Wednesday” (Netflix)

Alternates: “The Bear” (FX); “I Love L.A.” (HBO Max); “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix); “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

**TV Limited Series/TV Movie **“Adolescence” (Netflix) *** “Black Mirror” (Netflix) “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” (Peacock) “Dying for Sex” (FX) “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix) “Sirens” (Netflix)

Alternates: “Black Rabbit” (Netflix); “Dope Thief” (Apple TV); “The Girlfriend” (Prime Video)

TV Actor (Drama) Michael C. Hall, “Dexter: Resurrection” (Paramount+) Ethan Hawke, “The Lowdown” (FX) Diego Luna, “Andor” (Disney+) Mark Ruffalo, “Task” (HBO Max) Adam Scott, “Severance” (Apple TV) Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” (HBO Max) ***

Alternates: Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” (Hulu); Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” (Apple TV); Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us” (HBO Max)

**TV Actor (Comedy) **Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix) Domhnall Gleeson, “The Paper” (Peacock) Glen Powell, “Chad Powers” (Hulu) Tim Robinson, “The Chair Company” (HBO Max) Seth Rogen, “The Studio” (Apple TV) *** Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

Alternates: Ted Danson, “A Man on the Inside” (Netflix); Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu); Benito Skinner, “Overcompensating” (Prime Video)

**TV Actor (Limited/TV Movie) **Jason Bateman, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix) Michael Chernus, “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” (Peacock) Stephen Graham, “Adolescence” (Netflix) *** Brian Tyree Henry, “Dope Thief” (Apple TV) Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix) Jude Law, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix)

Alternates: Jason Clarke, “Murdaugh: Death in the Family” (Hulu); Paul Giamatti, “Black Mirror” (Netflix); Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)

TV Actress (Drama) Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV) Kathy Bates, “Matlock” (CBS) Carrie Coon, “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max) *** Britt Lower, “Severance” (Apple TV) Keri Russell, “The Diplomat” (Netflix) Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)

Alternates: Sydney Chandler, “Alien: Earth” (FX); Helen Mirren, “1923” (Paramount+); Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)

**TV Actress (Comedy) **Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu) Sabrina Impacciatore, “The Paper” (Peacock) *** Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday” (Netflix) Rachel Sennott, “I Love L.A.” (HBO Max) Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO Max) Kristen Wiig, “Palm Royale” (Apple TV)

Alternates: Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix); Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC); *Sarah Jessica Parker, “And Just Like That…” (HBO Max) *

**TV Actress (Limited/TV Movie) **Patricia Arquette, “Murdaugh: Death in the Family” (Hulu) Toni Collette, “Wayward” (Netflix) Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix) Meghann Fahy, “Sirens” (Netflix) Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault” (Peacock) Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex” (FX) ***

Alternates: Kaitlyn Dever, “Apple Cider Vinegar” (Netflix); Robin Wright, “The Girlfriend” (Prime Video); Renée Zellweger, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” (Peacock)

**TV Supporting Actor **Owen Cooper, “Adolescence” (Netflix) *** Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV) Walton Goggins, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max) Tom Pelphrey, “Task” (HBO Max) Bill Skarsgård, “It: Welcome to Derry” (HBO Max) Tramell Tillman, “Severance” (Apple TV)

Alternates: Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio” (Apple TV); Jason Isaacs, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max); Sam Rockwell, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)

**TV Supporting Actress **Nicole Beharie, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV) Erin Doherty, “Adolescence” (Netflix) Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” (HBO Max) *** Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt” (HBO Max) Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio” (Apple TV) Christine Tremarco, “Adolescence” (Netflix)

Alternates: Millie Bobby Brown, “Stranger Things” (Netflix); Carrie Coon, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max); Parker Posey, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)

Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television “Bert Kreischer: Lucky” (Netflix) “Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years” (Hulu) “Cristela Alonzo: Upper Classy” (Netflix) “Marc Maron: Panicked” (HBO Max) “Sarah Silverman: PostMortem” (Netflix) “Sarah Squirm: Live + In The Flesh” (HBO Max)

*Alternates: “Mo Amer: Wild World” (Netflix); “Leslie Jones: Life Part 2” (Peacock); “Sebastian Maniscalco: It Ain’t Right” (Hulu); “Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts” (Hulu); “Andrew Santino: White Noise” (Hulu); *

Variety parent company Penske Media Corporation owns Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Prods. in a joint venture with Eldridge.