My small, favorite bit in Superman '25 was when Lois Lane went to confront the Justice Gang to chew them out for leaving Clark alone, and she does it specifically by calling Superman their friend. She repeatedly tells them to their faces that their friend, Superman, needs their help and they're not lifting a finger.
Not one of them ever denies it. Yes, they're milling about while Big Blue is being arrested and deported sent to a pocket universe and not helping, but for all intents and purposes the Justice Gang are a private entity beholden to Maxwell Lord. Whatever they do, they need to do it in a way that doesn't make Lord look bad. And going against the DOJ when Superman just had a PR Nightmare with his parents' message being exposed, on top of the fact that he willingly turned himself in. Luther is also probably wealthier than Lord and has closer ties to the government.
But the important bit is that they don't deny it. They don't obfuscate by saying "He's just a work-friend." Or "Us not turning him in ourselves is professional courtesy, nothing less."
Not Hawkgirl. Not Guy. Not Mr. Goddamn Terrific. They all quietly accept that Supes is their friend, but their hands are tied right now.
Also, recall the Imp fiasco just a few scenes ago. Superman trusted them enough to handle it. This is probably them also trusting Superman that he could handle it. It's only because Mr. Terrific, the fucking goat himself, decides to check on things that they all realize Superman is in a bigger shitshow than any of them ever thought.
It's just that quiet, lazy acceptance. "Yeah, he's our friend. A good one too. He can handle this."
It reminds me of my old dormmates back in Uni. We trusted each other, and we considered one another as friends. But we weren't concerned if they were out late or gone for a few days—we were drowning in papers, they were probably out partying or some shit and they were likely safe. It was only when someone messaged us, saying they needed help, that we'd get off our fucking asses and rush to wherever they might be.
Felt genuinely nice. They aren't the closest friends, but you can't make them deny the fact that the Justice Gang, cynical lot that they are, are pretty tight with Superman, to the point that they know his real identity.
Such a small little detail that some could miss, but I really liked it. These aren't employees saying hi to each other in passing at the lobby, or only hanging out during corporate mandated events. These guys probably went out for a few drinks. Got each other gifts outside of work. Vented a few secrets. It's not the biggest or the deepest of friendships, but by golly is it still a damn good one. Not all friendships need to be DEEP-deep to be genuine, you know?
