James Gunn's Superman: Legacy Will Have 'An Aesthetic That Hasn't Existed Before'

James Gunn wants to give us a version of Superman we've never seen before. Superman may be the most iconic comic book character of all time, but it's been a while since a live-action version of Kal-El was universally beloved. Brandon Routh donned the spandex for Bryan Singer in 2006, but the movie was received coldly by audiences and critics. Zack Snyder cast Henry Cavill in the role for the DCEU films, and while he certainly filled out the suit, many were disappointed at Snyder's darkly cynical portrayal of a character who has traditionally represented hope and justice in their purest forms. Now since Gunn is at the reins, he hopes to give us something wholly original from the last son of Krypton.

Appearing on the podcast, "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum," Gunn discussed his longtime production team, who have followed him from Marvel to DC. "We are all the aesthetics of 'Superman,' right? So we all have to work together to create this one, unified aesthetic," he said at around the 65-minute mark. "The same thing we all did on 'Suicide Squad.' The same thing we did on 'Guardians 3.' We have to work together to create one unified aesthetic." The director continued by noting that some major films lack a sense of aesthetic cohesion, which he attributes to the various teams not being on the same page. "So, especially in my movies, with how we're doing 'Superman,' we're creating an aesthetic that hasn't, you know, existed before," he concluded.

Gunn declined to get into the specifics of what that aesthetic will look like, telling Rosenbaum, who once played Lex Luthor on "Smallville," to wait and see the finished film. But given Gunn's track record, one thing Superman fans should expect from his take on the material is a unique sense of style.

While James Gunn didn't go into details regarding the aesthetic he's bringing to "Superman: Legacy," it's an interesting comment coming from a director whose aesthetic has been so distinct in the past. From his early films like "Slither" and "Super" to recent efforts like the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies and "Suicide Squad," Gunn's sensibilities tend toward the colorful and abrasive. He has yet to deliver a project that doesn't seem to be thrashing against its own saturated color palette.

But Gunn's approach might need a switch-up when it comes to "Superman" movies. After all, most of Gunn's work is a subversion of superhero tropes. In "Super," Rainn Wilson's character commits wanton violence after a mental break where he sees God telling him to become a superhero. And in his latest DC project, "Peacemaker," Gunn imagines the titular character played by John Cena as a product of his upbringing whose warped sense of morality is repaired through learning to love a found family. Superman cannot be like those projects, especially if Gunn hopes to salvage the character from the grimly cynical take we got with Zack Snyder's interpretation.

As a refugee from Krypton marooned on Earth, Superman is an outcast, the kind of character Gunn excels at bringing a wounded pathos to — look no further than the tear-jerker arc he gave Rocket Raccoon in "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" — but unlike Gunn's usual protagonists, Clark Kent already has an evolved sense of self. One reason many find it so hard to tell a Superman story on the silver screen is Clark's morality. Superman will always do the right thing because he is Superman, so how do you create tension? But Gunn seems to have a vision for the character nonetheless.

As of this writing, not much is known about "Superman: Legacy." James Gunn is directing, and he will get to execute his creative vision without any studio interference because he is now the head of DC Films. The movie is slated for a July 2025 release. Various rumors swirl in the trades, but all of them should be taken with a restaurant-sized container of salt. Gunn has made clear on Twitter that, unless the information comes from him or co-head of DC Films Peter Safran, it should be disregarded.

With that said, his tweet also noted that at least one of the rumors is true or partially true. He's just not willing to confirm which. Some have suggested that "Superman: Legacy" will follow a young Clark Kent, or even Clark's son, Jonathan, a recent addition to the comics (which would explain the "Legacy" part of the title). Another unverified rumor posits that the movie won't be about the Kents at all, but rather focus on Val-Zod, the newer take on Superman who succeeds Clark. A Val-Zod project potentially starring Michael B. Jordan was indeed tossed around at DC, and with all the shakeups at Warner Bros., it would make some sense if that concept ended up being "Superman: Legacy."

Any of these alternate versions of Superman would give Gunn a lot of leeway in how he chooses to interpret them. His "Superman" movie wouldn't have the baggage that comes with trying to live up to the Richard Donner films, or the preconceived notions fans have about the Man of Steel.