Before either Superman or the Harry Potter HBO series are released, there is a DC movie that’s the best of both worlds and is currently making waves on HBO Max. Superman: Red Son, starring Jason Isaacs, is a DC animated feature that has currently found a place on HBO Max’s Top 10 charts. Initially released in 2020, this superhero story tells an alternative take on the Man of Steel.

According to FlixPatrol, Superman: Red Son is ranked number 10 on Netflix’s Top 10 Movies list for June 2025, just below A Nightmare on Elm Street. The animated feature received strong reviews from critics, earning an 89% average score and strong audience reception, with a 65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Based on the 2003 comic book miniseries by Mark Millar, the film was first released digitally in February 2020, followed by a physical release a few months later.

Superman: Red Son stars Isaacs as Superman, who in this universe was raised in the Soviet Union and plans to use his powers to advance Soviet ideals across the world. There is no Justice League in this feature, and Superman is at odds with other meta-humans and gets into a brawl with Batman (Roger Craig Smith).

Henry Cavill Almost Starred in a Live-Action ‘Superman: Red Son’ Movie

ScreenRant reported that X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn was interested in making a live-action adaptation of Superman: Red Son featuring Henry Cavill as the Soviet superhero. In an interview, he stated that the 2003 story was “one of the cleverest comics” he’s ever read, and has eyes on Cavill leading in this alternate take of the DC franchise. Meanwhile, Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts has also shown interest in making a Superman: Red Son movie. He reportedly pitched it to Warner Bros., only for it to not come to fruition.

While a live-action adaptation of Superman: Red Son isn’t in the cards for DC at the moment, James Gunn revealed that his takeover of the DC media franchise would include a DC Elseworlds strategy, making room for other DC projects like The Batman and Joker to coexist alongside the central DC shared universe. A handful of other Superman projects and appearances fall into this category, such as My Adventures With Superman and Harley Quinn Season 5. If Gunn’s upcoming Superman movie, featuring David Corenswet, is a success, he would be open to exploring more of the Kryptonian’s story in other avenues.

Superman: Red Son is available to stream on HBO Max. Follow Collider to keep up to date with the latest updates.

Source: FlixPatrol