After mysteriously disappearing for five years, Superman returns to Earthโand to a world that has learned to live without him. Clark Kent resumes his quiet life at the Daily Planet, only to find that Lois Lane has moved on, won a Pulitzer Prize for her article โWhy the World Doesnโt Need Supermanโ, and now has a son and a fiancรฉ. But as Clark grapples with a society that seems to have outgrown him, his heart still burns for the people he once vowed to protect.
Meanwhile, Lex Luthor is back with a vengeance, having swindled a fortune and uncovered Supermanโs secret sanctuary: the Fortress of Solitude. Armed with alien technology and a twisted plan, Luthor sets out to create a new continent using stolen Kryptonian crystalsโone that will flood the world and leave him as its ruler. Superman must not only confront his old nemesis, but face a new kind of emotional and existential crisis: his place in a world that questions its need for a savior.
As global disaster looms, Superman throws himself into the fight, saving lives and battling overwhelming odds. In a breathtaking sequence, he lifts an entire kryptonite-laced landmass into spaceโsacrificing his strength and nearly his life. Itโs not just brute force that defines him, but his unwavering sense of duty, even when the world turns cold.
In the aftermath, as the world rediscovers its belief in him, Superman comes to understand that his role isnโt just to rescueโitโs to inspire. As he watches over Lois and her son from above, the film closes on a quiet truth: even gods bleed, even heroes long, and even after being forgotten, Superman always returns.