James Gunn has confirmed Superman: Legacy is not a “young Superman” movie, even though the planned reboot is said to be focusing on “an earlier part” of the character’s life.
The co-CEO of DC Studios responded to a fan on Threads who asked for clarification on when Superman: Legacy takes place — specifically if the “young Superman movie” journeys back to the past. Gunn set the record straight on the matter, writing back: “I was never making a ‘young Superman’ movie, just a Superman movie!”
DC Studios unveiled its new cinematic universe’s leading man in late June, with David Corenswet replacing Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel for the character’s next outing in Superman: Legacy. Gunn previously indicated one of the main reasons behind the casting change was because of when the story takes place.
“Peter [Safran] & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about,” Gunn announced in December, teasing their joint DCU plans. “Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill.”
Shortly after Cavill hung up the cape and tights, Gunn confirmed that Superman: Legacy is not an origin movie, with Safran also noting that the new movie would focus on “Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing”.
Of course, Corenswet’s Superman won’t fly solo in his new adventures. Rachel Brosnahan joined the cast as Lois Lane alongside several well-known costume fighters, including Nathan Fillion as a Green Lantern, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Anthony Carrigan as shapeshifter Metamorpho.
Superman: Legacy will mark the true big-screen beginning of Gunn and Safran’s revamped DCU, which they revealed back in January. During that announcement, Gunn said he was only writing Superman: Legacy; however, one month before heading into pre-production, he decided he would also direct the movie.
Chapter One of the DCU is slated to kick off with Superman: Legacy on July 11, 2025, and also includes Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Swamp Thing, and The Authority alongside five TV shows: Creature Commandos, Waller, Lanterns, Booster Gold, and Paradise Lost.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.