The DC movie universe will return to their roots with the new film Superman: Legacy, set to hit theaters in 2025. However, as of February 2024, the movie will have a new name — just Superman.
The movie was announced in January 2023, just one month after Henry Cavill shared that he would no longer be portraying Superman.
“I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone,” he wrote via Instagram in December 2022. “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life.”
Cavill made his first appearance as Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel and made a final cameo as Clark Kent in 2022’s Black Adam.
In June 2023, DCU announced that David Corenswet would be taking over the role as the superhero with Rachel Brosnahan playing Lois Lane.
Five months later, Gunn shared via Instagram Threads that the script to the film is “99.9%” done. “I’m always changing small things but it’s essentially done since well before the strike,” he added.
Keep scrolling for everything we know about Superman so far:
When Is ‘Superman’ Going to Be Released?
Director and writer James Gunn announced in January 2023 that the new movie is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.
“This is being written by me, I’m in the middle of it and I’m having a great day doing it,” Gunn said in a YouTube video posted by DC at the time.
Who Is in the ‘Superman’ Cast?
Corenswet will replace Cavill as Superman while Brosnahan will replace Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Other cast members include Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher.
What Is the Plot of ‘Superman’?
While not much has been revealed about the plot of the 2025 film, the cochair of DC Studios Safran told The Hollywood Reporter in January 2023 that Superman will not be an “origin story.”
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing,” Safran explained to the outlet at the time. “He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks that kindness is old-fashioned.”
Although Corenswet is younger than Cavill, Gunn clarified that he isn’t looking to make a “young Superman” film. “I was never making a ‘young Superman’ movie, just a Superman movie!” he wrote via Threads in August 2023.
What is the Script Like?
Brosnahan attended the 2024 SAG Awards in February, giving Variety the first teaser of the Superman script.
“It was pretty amazing,” Brosnahan, who was nominated at the ceremony for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, said of the first table read. “Some of us met for the first time. Some of us got to see each other again. It was amazing to hear the script out loud.”
She added: “As with all of these films, there’s a lot of action sequences and things. So to hear the pacing of the film and to get to hear these characters occupied by the actors who play them is really fun. It’s also a great group. You can’t ask for more than that when doing something like this.”
What Happened to the Movie’s Name?
Originally, the film was set to be called Superman: Legacy. However, when Gunn announced in February 2024 that production on the film had officially started, he had a major update about the movie’s title.
“Overjoyed to be announcing the start of principal photography on SUPERMAN today, February 29, which just so happens to be — coincidentally and unplanned — Superman’s birthday,” he announced via Instagram at the time. “When I finished the first draft of the script, I called the film Superman: Legacy. By the time I locked the final draft, it was clear the title was SUPERMAN. Making our way to you July 2025.”
