Plenty of information has been revealed about Superman: Legacy, the first entry in the rebooted DC Universe, including a release date, filming start date, and official casting for the two lead roles. Following director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran's ascension to co-CEOs of DC Studios in November 2022, the pair revealed their initial plans for the DC Universe in January 2023. After The Flash resets the DC Universe, Gunn's new plan will expand the franchise on film, TV, and video games, kicking off with Creature Commandos, Waller, and Superman: Legacy in which a new actor assumes the role of Kal-El.
Following the success of Gunn's recent Marvel Studios project, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, excitement has been growing for Superman: Legacy. This comes in the wake of the controversial news that Henry Cavill wouldn't be returning as Superman as Gunn wished to focus on a younger version of the character. Superman has been a staple of cinema since Max Fleischer's animated shorts in the 1940s, but Superman: Legacy is set to tell a completely new story for the Man of Steel, continuing the legacy of the hero whom Gunn considers to be "a huge priority, if not the biggest priority" for DC Studios (via Twitter).
Superman: Legacy Latest News
Currently, Superman: Legacy is the only feature film in the new DC Universe that has a release date, slated for July 11, 2025. James Gunn, as well as having penned the script for Superman: Legacy, confirmed in March 2023 that he would also be directing the upcoming project. Since then, casting rumors have been circulating regarding who will take on the iconic roles of Superman, Lex Luthor, and Lois Lane, as Gunn recently revealed on Twitter that Superman has also met these characters prior to the start of the film. During a Wired Interview published on May 11, 2023, Gunn confirmed that Superman: Legacy will start filming in January 2024.
In June 2023, Gunn took to social media to announce the two actors who will be playing Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane in Superman: Legacy. After an extensive casting process, long-time fan-cast David Corenswet was officially confirmed as the DCU's Superman. Alongside him will be Rachel Brosnahan as the Daily Planet's top reporter Lois Lane. After screen testing for the role alongside other performers such as Nicolas Hoult and Tom Brittney for Superman and Emma Mackey and Phoebe Dynevor for Lois Lane, Corenswet and Brosnahan were confirmed as the two pillars of the DCU's first official film.
Superman: Legacy Director Confirmed
James Gunn and Peter Safran announced the first phase of the new DCU in January 2023, titling this collection of projects "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters." Although Superman: Legacy will be predated by Creature Commandos and Waller, Gunn and Safran consider Superman’s debut to be the true beginning of the franchise. Gunn confirmed that he is the writer and director for Superman: Legacy, though he is scouting for other visionaries to take on the DCU's subsequent films, including The Authority, The Brave and the Bold - confirmed to be directed by The Flash's Andy Muschietti - and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, while James Mangold has been confirmed to be creating Swamp Thing.
Superman: Legacy Release Date
While streaming series' Creature Commandos and Waller have both been given a rough 2024 release window, Superman: Legacy is currently the only upcoming DCU project with an announced release date. Superman: Legacy is scheduled for release on July 11, 2025, allowing plenty of time for Gunn and the DC team to perfect the newest Man of Steel story. 2025 will be a big year for superhero cinema, as Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four is slated for release in 2025, and the DC Elseworlds project The Batman - Part II also has an October 2025 release date attached.
Superman: Legacy Cast
Although Henry Cavill won't be returning as Clark Kent for Superman: Legacy, James Gunn has found an apt replacement. Announced in June 2023, David Corenswet will be taking over from Henry Cavill as the last son of Krypton. Corenswet has often been brought up in online discourse as a fan-cast for the DCU’s Superman, primarily due to his physical appearance matching the likes of Cavill and the late Christopher Reeve who looked near-identical to their comic book counterpart. Fittingly, Gunn saw that Corenswet’s acting ability could bring the character to life outside the close physical appearance, with the actor confirmed for the titular role in Superman: Legacy.
Similarly, Lois Lane will be portrayed by Rachel Brosnahan. Brosnahan is best known for the titular role in Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and beat out competitors like Emma Mackey and Phoebe Dynevor for the other pillar of Superman: Legacy’s main cast. Gunn understands that Lois Lane’s casting is just as important, if not more so than Superman’s given the character’s integral nature in many Superman stories. As such, securing an actor with the immense talent of the Emmy-winning Rachel Brosnahan is sure to enable Superman: Legacy’s Lois Lane to shine come the film’s 2025 release date.
In terms of the third character that will be vital to Superman: Legacy's story, that of the villainous Lex Luthor, several names have been raised despite an official casting not being announced. Nicolas Hoult is one of these names, who auditioned for a role in the film with conflicting reports stating he tried out for both Superman and Lex Luthor. Two other names raised in recent weeks, though notably only rumors, are Alexander and Bill Skarsgård. With both Superman and Lois cast ahead of the film's January 2024 shooting date, it should not be long before the DCU has its Lex Luthor too.
Superman: Legacy Story Details
According to Peter Safran (via The Hollywood Reporter), Superman: Legacy is "not an origin story" but instead "focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing." The titular hero will already be working at the Daily Planet as Clark Kent, having already met characters such as Lois Lane, rather than rehashing overused storylines of the past. Superman: Legacy will revolve around the traditional ideals that define the character but will also put a modern spin on how those ideals are perceived, as Safran mentioned that “he is the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks that kindness is old-fashioned.”
James Gunn revealed that Superman: Legacy would take inspiration from DC Comics' 2005-2008 run of All-Star Superman, a story which saw Superman close to death due to overexposure to the sun's rays, accomplishing many heroic feats - known as the Twelve Labors of Superman - in attempts to make peace before his death. This would be an interesting choice of story for Superman's debut in the new DC Universe. The iconic Superman villain Lex Luthor is expected to appear in Superman: Legacy, as the casting call for "Apex" suggests Apex Lex may have a part to play in the story - a superpowered version of the villain.
Superman: Legacy Superman Trailer Info
Filming on Superman: Legacy isn't set to begin until January 2024, so there is currently no trailer or first-look image for the upcoming film. On May 13, 2023, James Gunn revealed on Twitter that only one person has been cast in Superman: Legacy so far, so viewers will have to wait quite a lot longer for any official images or promotional material. The first official trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gunn's most recent project with Marvel Studios, released in December 2022, so it's possible that the first trailer for Superman: Legacy will release sometime in early 2025 - though a teaser could always come earlier.
