On the distant planet Krypton, facing imminent destruction due to its unstable core, respected scientist Jor-El and his wife Lara send their newborn son Kal-El to Earth to preserve their race. With him, they send a codex containing the genetic blueprint of their entire species. As Krypton disintegrates, the planet's military leader General Zod stages a coup, but the revolt is thwarted and he, along with his followers, is banished to the Phantom Zone. Kal-El's spacecraft crash-lands on Earth, where he is found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a Kansas farming couple. Given the name Clark Kent, he grows up feeling isolated by the extraordinary powers that come from his Kryptonian heritage, and he struggles to understand his place in the world while being urged by his adoptive parents to conceal his abilities.

Clark embarks on a journey as an adult to discover his origins, keeping a low profile and moving from job to job. However, his internal conflict about his true self surfaces after he uses his powers to discreetly save lives. The discovery of a Kryptonian scout ship in the Arctic and a tenacious journalist named Lois Lane put him on a path that leads to the revelation of his extraterrestrial nature and his role on Earth. His actions draw the attention of humanity and eventually, the malevolent General Zod who has escaped the Phantom Zone and now seeks to turn Earth into a new Krypton. This sets the stage for a confrontation that will determine the fate of humanity and the planet, as Clark must embrace his destiny and become the hero he was meant to be.