Filmmaker James Gunn’s new “Superman” movie is off to the races. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” writer/director announced on Tuesday morning that early pre-production has begun for the new film, with costumes, production design “and more” now “up and running.” Gunn also revealed that he’s finished writing the full script.
“Superman: Legacy” — which Gunn wrote and will direct — is slated for release on July 11, 2025 and will tell the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent. Per DC Studios, “he is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old fashioned.”
What Gunn did not mention in his Tuesday announcement is casting, but the hunt for a new Superman is on after Gunn and co-DC Studios CEO Peter Safran decided to revamp the property rather than continue on with Henry Cavill’s iteration of the role.
Gunn recently said he hasn’t started auditioning actors yet, but has begun making a shortlist of those he’s interested in for the role. In a reply to a fan on Twitter, he shot down the notion of a casting announcement coming by the end of the month.
“Superman: Legacy” will kick off a new era of the DCU in earnest, as Gunn and Safran are spearheading a new interconnected series of films and TV shows much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” sequel will follow “Legacy” in October 2025, although the Robert Pattinson film will continue to exist in its own separate universe – an outlier in Gunn and Safran’s overarching plans.
Those plans also include an additional, separate Batman movie with a different actor in the lead role called “The Brave and the Bold,” a “Supergirl” movie, a “Swamp Thing” film from director James Mangold, and an animated series called “Creature Commandos” for which Gunn has written all the scripts.
First up, however, Gunn closes out his time at Marvel with the release of his third and final “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie on May 5.
