The Justice League of the rebooted DC Universe may debut as early as 2025’s Superman: Legacy, as new details about the upcoming project hint at one important DC Comics location being introduced. Plans to reboot the DCEU into the new DC Universe have been in motion since James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired as co-CEOs of DC Studios in November 2022. Gunn announced ten projects in the DCU’s Chapter 1, titled “Gods and Monsters”, in January 2023, including the DCU’s Superman: Legacy, which is set to debut David Corenswet as Clark Kent’s Man of Steel following Henry Cavill’s departure.
Superman: Legacy is expected to release on July 11, 2025, as the DCU’s first feature film, though the new franchise will kick off in 2024 with the premieres of Creature Commandos and Waller. Superman: Legacy will introduce many heroes to the DCU, including Mister Terrific, Metamorpho, Hawkgirl and Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, among others, suggesting that David Corenswet’s Superman will already have connections to several powerful figures in the DCU. With production well underway on Superman: Legacy, new details have recently been revealed, some of which hint at major storylines and potential character inclusions in DC Studios’ highly-anticipated Superman reboot.
Superman: Legacy
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman: Legacy is the first movie in Warner Bros.’ rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
- Director
- James Gunn
- Release Date
- July 11, 2025
- Cast
- David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , María Gabriela De Faría
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Cleveland & Cincinnati Are Important Locations In DC Comics History
According to the Ohio Department of Development (via Comicbook.com), Superman: Legacy is set to film scenes in Cleveland and Cincinnati, which are two very important Superman-related locations in DC Comics. DC Comics’ Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, both of whom grew up in Cleveland, with the city also being the place where they first envisioned the idea of the Man of Steel. It’s possible that the Cleveland skyline could be used for the DC Universe’s Metropolis, but die-hard DC Comics fans would surely appreciate a trip to the birthplace of Superman: Jerry Siegel’s home.
Since Superman: Legacy is filming in Cleveland and Cincinnati, the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit Program provided $11 million in tax credits to the project, which will provide a boost. While Cleveland has a great deal of emotional significance, though, Cincinnati is another crucial location in DC Comics, and the fact that Superman: Legacy, under the working title “Genesis”, will be filming there has spurred theories concerning the introduction of one major superhero team. This is because Al Gmuer, background supervisor on the animated Super Friends series, based a very important DC site on one of Cincinnati’s most famous landmarks.
Superman: Legacy May Include The Hall Of Justice
For the Super Friends series, Al Gmuer was inspired by the art deco Union Terminal building in Cincinnati for the design of the Hall of Justice, the Justice League of America’s headquarters. This design was later used in DC Comics and other DC-related media, and the fact that Superman: Legacy will be filming in Cincinnati has led some to speculate that the Hall of Justice could be seen in the upcoming DCU project. A grand former train station-turned-museum, the Union Terminal building’s appearance in Superman: Legacy could mean that a new version of the Justice League will also be debuting.
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James Gunn’s January 2023 announcement regarding the DCU’s reboot didn’t mention the Justice League at all, and the fate of heroes including Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg, remain uncertain. It wasn’t clear whether the Justice League would even appear in the DCU, as Gunn and Safran may want to distance their new franchise from the DCEU, but the potential appearance of the Hall of Justice in Superman: Legacy may suggest the opposite. It’s possible that Superman: Legacy will introduce a new version of the Justice League, though the team will be very different from the one audiences know.
Which Version Of The Justice League Could Appear In Superman: Legacy?
Indeed, the Justice League hasn’t yet been confirmed to be appearing in Superman: Legacy, but the potential debut of the Hall of Justice presumably means that the team are already functioning in the rebooted DC Universe. It’s possible that David Corenswet’s Superman is already a member of the team, as Superman: Legacy has already been confirmed to not be exploring his origin story. While he won’t be joined by the likes of Batman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman, several other heroes in Superman: Legacy’s cast have, at one time or another, been members of different Justice League teams in DC Comics.
While Clark Kent’s Superman was a founding member of DC Comics’ Justice League, Rex Mason’s Metamorpho joined in 1966, Hawkgirl joined in 1977, Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern formed the Justice League International in 1987’s Legends #6, and Michael Holt’s Mister Terrific was a part of the Justice Arcana in 2008’s Trinity #31. Anthony Carrigan, Isabela Merced, Nathan Fillion and Edi Gathegi, respectively, will be debuting as these heroes in Superman: Legacy, so this group could form the DCU’s first Justice League team. The project could also lay the foundations for a more traditional Justice League line-up in the DCU’s future.
Key Release Dates
Joker: Folie a Deux
Release Date:2024-10-04Superman: Legacy
Release Date:2025-07-11
The Batman – Part II
Release Date:2025-10-03
