When James Gunn and Peter Safran initially stepped in as the heads of DC Studios to help effectively save its cinematic universe from, well, itself, many hoped that Henry Cavill, whose tenure was often bogged down by bad writing and a depressively dark tone, would return to the role, especially as he had just unexpectedly walked away from The Witcher TV show. That, however, was not the case, as Gunn and Safran ultimately opted to reboot the universe as a whole, whilst allowing the likes of Matt Reeves’ The Batman and Todd Phillips’ Joker (and their upcoming sequels and spinoffs) to continue to operate in their own separate pockets of the multiverse, which has been labelled “Elseworlds”.
Gunn inevitably stepped in as both writer and director, while Safran will serve as the film’s producer, which was titled Superman: Legacy, though they have since dropped the subtitle. Then began the extensive search for the next actor to portray the Man of Steel, which would crucially serve as the first film to establish Gunn and Safran’s new DC Universe (or DCU, if you will).
Eventually, they settled on my own favourite choice for the role, American actor David Corenswet, who is not only a talented performer that has worked for the likes of Ryan Murphy, David Simon, and Ti West, but he also possesses Superman’s chiselled jawline and windswept hairstyle to an uncanny degree. Rachel Brosnahan, best known for her Emmy-winning lead performance in The Marvellous Ms. Masiel, was simultaneously announced as the new Lois Lane, beating out the likes of Emma Mackey, Samara Weaving, and Phoebe Dynevor. Corenswet, meanwhile, also faced some stiff competition, including from Nicholas Hoult, who was later cast as Lex Luthor.
The overall cast is extensive, not just because it features notable talent such as Anthony Carrigan, Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, and Canada’s own Nathan Fillion, but also because of who they will be portraying. If there is one notable talent James Gunn possesses above all others, it’s his ability to seamlessly manage an extensive cast of unique characters that practically pop from screen, as seen in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad, ranking amongst the best movies in their respective cinematic universes. Superman is no different, as Gunn has included a superhero roster named The Authority, which features Hawkgirl (Merced), Mister Terrific (Gathegi), Metamorpho (Carrigan), and Guy Gardner (Fillion). Fillion’s Gardner, a Green Lantern, is arguably the most interesting character here, partly because Gunn has confirmed that he will sport his infamous bowl haircut. Though, it mostly comes down to his notably bristly, impulsive disposition, which will likely clash with Superman’s more modest nature, evidenced by the official synopsis, which describes him as “the embodiment of truth, justice and a brighter tomorrow in a world that views kindness as old-fashioned.”
Furthermore, we know that Clark Kent/Superman is trying to reconcile “his heritage with his human upbringing”, which is likely why Milly Alcock’s Supergirl is set to appear in the movie (and has been confirmed to eventually get a movie of her own). As such, it seems we will be spared yet another origin story so that Gunn can focus on this aspect of the character’s life, in addition to his job as a reporter for The Daily Planet, where The Wire’s Wendell Pierce will portray the paper’s editor-in-chief, Perry White.
Amongst the most interesting creative choices by James Gunn is the central villain of the film. While Hoult’s Luthor will be a looming presence in its story, as will Gunn’s brother, Sean, who will be portraying fellow villain Maxwell Lord, a character recently portrayed by Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman 1984, it is Venezuelan actress María Gabriela de Faría, who plays a member of The Authority called The Engineer, who will play the primary antagonist of the film. Clearly Gunn has future plans for Luthor, and perhaps Lord too, and thus needs a foil that can fall in the film’s final act. The fact that The Engineer is a member of The Authority is certainly intriguing, as it begs the question of whether Corenswet’s Superman will face the entire team, or if The Engineer will go rogue and he will be the only person capable of stopping her. However, given a film centring on this team has already been confirmed, in all likelihood any animosity between Superman and the team as a whole will be short-lived, while the aftermath of the events of the movie will resonate in this future release. Each of these productions are considered part of the first phase of this new era of DC movies, called Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
Principal photography began on February 29th, which very intentionally coincides with Superman’s canonical birthday, with production reportedly expected to last until August. This means we won’t see the first trailer until later this year, if not next year.
Superman is slated to release on July 11th, 2025.