As production on the Superman reboot continues, director James Gunn addresses rumors regarding his original intentions for the picture.
The guy behind the camera and script for Superman, James Gunn, has spoken out about his original intentions for the film, stating that he never intended for it to be part of the DC Extended Universe, which has since been dismantled.
After being approached about the superhero film in the summer of 2022, Gunn reaffirmed his original idea for Superman in a response to fans on his Threads account. Gunn confirmed that Warner Bros. co-CEO Michael De Luca was the executive in question when a fan asked who approached him about the picture. When asked if Superman was originally going to be an independent film like Batman: Arkham Asylum or part of the DCEU, Gunn said, “Always separate.”
After Gunn and Peter Safran, co-CEO of DC Studios, took over in October 2022, they both agreed to develop and direct Superman, the first film in the reimagined DC Universe. Superman, like all other DCEU projects, will not incorporate events from Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice into the plot. Warner Bros. has dubbed the film a “workplace origin story” that provides a new perspective on the popular hero. Concurrent with his Superman film, Gunn has also said that J.J. Abrams’ standalone feature set in the DC Elseworlds universe and revolving around the Last Son of Krypton is in the works.
The Original Title of Superman Was Superman: Legacy
Superman was formally renamed by Gunn from Legacy when principal photography began in late February. Taking over from Henry Cavill, who portrayed Clark Kent in the DCEU, the forthcoming tentpole features David Corenswet as Superman in the DCU. Corenswet co-stars with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Clark’s former coworker and current love interest on The Daily Planet.
Although Gunn has been mum on Superman details, director has stated that the film will not recount the hero’s origin tale in its entirety. He has also been busy dispelling film rumors, including as the one that said Clark may turn traitor in an alleged plot involving Lex Luthor, their longtime rival.
Superman co-stars Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Skyler Gisondo as Eve Teschmacher, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Sara Sampaio as Jimmy Olsen. Supergirl, played by Milly Alcock, could possibly be in the film, though Gunn has downplayed the idea.
The North American premiere of Superman takes place on July 11, 2025.
Source: Threads
