7 Details James Gunn Has Confirmed (& Debunked) About His Superman Movie

The DC Universe is preparing for a new era of content on TV and film, and kicking it off is Superman: Legacy – and here are the biggest details that James Gunn has confirmed and debunked about this project. The success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was key for the development of more connected universes, most notably the DC Extended Universe, which began in 2013 with Man of Steel. Although the DCEU brought characters like Batman, Aquaman, Shazam, Flash, and Harley Quinn to life, it wasn’t the success that the studio was hoping for, so major changes were made.In November 2022, James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired as co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios, and together, they came up with a plan for a soft reboot of the DCEU, known as the DC Universe, which will feature a united continuity and story across live-action movies and TV shows, animation, and video games. In January 2023, the first chapter of the DC Universe’s 10-year plan was revealed, titled “Gods and Monsters”, and on its movie side it will kick off with Superman: Legacy, set for a 2025 release. Superman: Legacy is currently in pre-production, and there have been many rumors about it already, but luckily, James Gunn has been confirming and debunking many of them – and here are some of them.Related: James Gunn’s Superman Movie & Snyder’s Man Of Steel Share A Big Challenge

7 James Gunn Is Writing & Directing Superman: Legacy

Following the announcement of Gunn and Safran’s new role in the DC Universe, Gunn revealed he was already writing a new DC movie. The following month, Gunn said Superman was a priority for DC Studios and that the project he was currently writing was a Superman movie, sharing on Twitter that they didn’t know who would be directing the project. When Gunn’s new role was announced, he replied to a fan on Twitter saying he would continue directing and writing select DC projects, and luckily, the new Superman movie is one of those. Gunn confirmed in March 2023 that he’s directing Superman: Legacy, and has since shared a couple of details about the pre-production process of this highly-anticipated project.

6 Superman: Legacy Starts Shooting On January 2024

Superman: Legacy is scheduled for a July 11, 2025, release date, but being such a big release for Warner and DC, there’s a lot to handle before filming can begin. Gunn confirmed in April 2023 that pre-production of Superman: Legacy had begun, which, unsurprisingly, made way for a lot more rumors, mostly related to who will be cast in the movie, especially as Clark Kent (but more on that later). Those rumors also included possible dates for Superman: Legacy’s filming, and while doing WIRED’s Autocomplete Interview, Gunn revealed that Superman: Legacy will start shooting on January 2024.

5 Superman: Legacy Will Feature Krypto & Jimmy Olsen

With Superman: Legacy currently in pre-production, and even though James Gunn has already delivered the first draft of the script, details about the movie’s plot and its characters’ stories are unknown, but Gunn has already confirmed the presence of two characters. Gunn replied to a now-deleted tweet confirming that Superman: Legacy will feature Jimmy Olsen, a close friend of Lois Lane and Clark Kent and a photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. The last time Jimmy Olsen appeared in a live-action project was Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where he was played by Michael Cassidy and was portrayed as a CIA operative posing as a photographer.

Another character that Gunn confirmed will be part of Superman: Legacy is Krypto the Superdog. In most continuities in DC Comics, Krypto is Superman’s pet dog, so he has appeared in various animated TV shows, movies, and even had his own animated series in 2005. Krypto’s most recent appearance was in the animated movie DC League of Super-Pets, where he was voiced by Dwayne Johnson.

4 Superman: Legacy Will Explore Superman’s Heritage

When a new Superman movie was announced, there was confusion over whether this would be the long-awaited and teased Man of Steel 2 or if Superman’s story was going to be rebooted. When Gunn revealed his involvement in writing a new Superman movie, he said it will not star Henry Cavill as this will be a story focused on a younger version of the man of steel. Opening more about Superman: Legacy’s story and where it will take the title character, Gunn shared that the movie will explore Superman’s heritage, and how his “aristocratic Kryptonian parents” and his farmer parents in Kansas influence who he is and the choices he makes.

3 Superman: Legacy Is Looking For A Younger Clark Kent (But No Names Are Confirmed)

Given that Superman: Legacy will follow a younger Clark Kent and will explore his backstory, Gunn and company are looking for a young actor who, in Gunn’s words, “has all the humanity that Superman has, but he’s also an alien”, and who has the kindness and compassion that Superman is known for. Of course, there are already various rumors and reports on which actors are on the list and which ones are at the top, but Gunn made it very clear on Twitter that he would “never comment on who is or isn’t auditioning for a role”, so next time Gunn comments on who is going to play Superman in Superman: Legacy, it will surely be to announce their final decision.

2 Only One Character Has Been Cast In Superman: Legacy So Far

Naturally, all the attention is going toward who could be playing Superman in Superman: Legacy, but there are a bunch of characters that also have to be cast. Gunn also took some time to clarify that, so far, only one person has been cast, adding that “it isn’t any of the regular players in the Superman world”, followed by a merman emoji. It’s unknown if Gunn is referring to a minor or major character, but what’s for sure is that he and the rest of the team behind Superman: Legacy are taking their time to make the best decision when it comes to who will play their young Superman.

1 James Gunn Debunked Two Superman Casting Rumors

With so many rumors on who will be the new Clark Kent in Superman: Legacy, and while Gunn usually stays away from addressing that type of information, he has taken the time to debunk two casting rumors. First, Gunn stated on Twitter that they are not close to giving an official casting announcement, later debunking a rumor about Logan Lerman being the “top choice” by saying he doesn’t know who he is, which he later clarified by saying he doesn’t know all the actors’ names but Lerman had never been part of the conversation to play Superman. In another interview, while talking about what they were looking for during the casting process, Gunn added that Chris Pratt isn’t going to play Superman. As mentioned above, it can’t be expected that James Gunn will openly talk about who they are considering to star in Superman: Legacy, but that won’t stop rumors from popping up from time to time.