In what should come as no surprise, James Gunn will be directing his own script for Superman: Legacy, a major lynchpin project which will off the the multi-platform connected DC universe – “Chapter One, Gods and Monsters” – which he and his DC’ Co-Chairmen & CEO Peter Safran are launching.
Gunn announced back in the fall when he took the DC job that was penning a new Superman movie (something Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav is eager to see) and that Henry Cavill wouldn’t not be returning as the Man of the Steel as the project deals with the early days of Superman.
Superman Legacy tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned. Gunn has already mentioned on social that his Superman will be younger than his forties.
The all-new action adventure is set to soar into theaters worldwide on July 11, 2025.
Gunn’s screenplay is based on characters from DC. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Superman Legacy is the trailblazing first title in a dynamic slate of films, with writer/director Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II hitting theaters on October 3, 2025. Safran’s most recent film,
New Line Cinema’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods, is in theaters worldwide this Friday, March 17, from Warner Bros. Pictures., and is set to open to $85M worldwide. As far as a threequel for Shazam!, star Zachary Levi told Deadline’s Natalie Sitek last night on the red carpet, “It all comes down to what the people want.” While Gunn will look for a new Superman, he and Safran are open to keeping the previous DC actors in place as their characters, those being Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and possibly even Ezra Miller as The Flash (though no hard decisions on that yet). Through Cavill is on the sidelines currently at the comic book studio, Gunn previously said on Dec 14 that at DC “We’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”
After Shazam: Fury of the Gods, it’s DC’s The Flash, made during the Walter Hamada-run era of DC, which hits theaters on June 16. Gunn has hailed the movie as one of the best superhero movies of all-time. Warners is giving theater owners a sneak peek at the movie at CinemaCon at the end of April.