The Untold Truth Of Superman: Legacy
It's been over a decade since Superman headlined his own solo movie, but with the advent of James Gunn and Peter Safran's tenure as the co-heads of DC Studios, the entire hierarchy of the DC Universe is about to change. Since their takeover, it's been announced that the DC Extended Universe is about to go through a soft reboot, which will introduce new versions of Superman, Batman, and likely a host of others going forward.
Called "Gods and Monsters," this first chapter of the newly formed live-action DCU will be jumpstarted by the Man of Steel himself, this time played by David Corenswet. Written and directed by James Gunn, "Superman: Legacy" is a new story that will potentially open the doors to an entirely fresh and exciting universe full of your favorite DC heroes. If you thought that DC didn't have the same sort of direction that Marvel Studios had previously, that may be shifting as well. No, Zack Snyder won't be helming a "Man of Steel" sequel, but Gunn's take is bound to get folks just as excited.
Though there's still plenty of time until the release of "Superman: Legacy" in 2025, there are plenty of behind-the-scenes tidbits worth exploring in the meantime. The Man of Tomorrow himself has a vast live-action history, and this time around is no different. So look up in the sky, and get ready to take off, because here are all the things you didn't know about the upcoming "Superman: Legacy."
Christopher McQuarrie originally pitched a Superman sequel
Before it was announced that James Gunn would be taking over "Superman" duties for the foreseeable future, fans were still eagerly awaiting a true "Man of Steel" sequel that would star Henry Cavill as the big blue Boy Scout. Though Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Justice League" were technically considered sequels to Cavill's 2013 outing, most Superman fans wanted more solo adventures with the world's greatest hero. Cavill himself often campaigned for a follow-up film, showing that he too cared about Clark Kent's DCEU journey.
While Warner Bros. was still looking for a director for a potential "Man of Steel 2," Christopher McQuarrie and Henry Cavill collaborated on a pitch that might have given us more Superman with a potential tie to future Green Lantern stories. When asked by fans what happened, McQuarrie — who is best known for directing the most recent "Mission: Impossible" installments — responded (via Comic Book), "They never said no. They just never moved on it. This was just before ["Mission: Impossible -- Fallout"] was released."
McQuarrie and Cavill's previous collaboration on "Mission: Impossible — Fallout" makes it a bit disappointing that Warner Bros. didn't greenlight his continuation of the "Man of Steel" story, but given that the higher-ups had different plans for Superman at the time (more on that in a minute), it's not exactly surprising. "The studios have never cared for my original ideas," McQuarrie elaborated. "They prefer that I fix their broken ones."
Henry Cavill's announced return wasn't meant to happen
Of course, Henry Cavill eventually did return in his full Superman glory at the end of 2022's "Black Adam," which starred Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the titular anti-hero. The film ends with Superman arriving to put Black Adam in his place, teasing a future showdown between these two powerhouses. Unfortunately, that's a fight we'll never get to see. Not only does a "Black Adam" sequel seem unlikely given the recent shifts in the live-action DC Universe, but Cavill is no longer the studio's live-action Superman.
By all accounts, Cavill's cameo was never even supposed to happen. Former DC Films executive Walter Hamada was actively against Cavill's return and scrapped the idea of his "Black Adam" cameo completely. But Johnson went behind Hamada's back entirely, appealing to Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who approved his plans to bring Cavill back into the fold. Previously, Cavill's last appearance was in 2021's "Zack Snyder's Justice League," which itself was a director's cut of the 2017 theatrical release.
Apparently, Hamada wanted to greenlight a number of Superman projects outside of the DCEU, including Ta-Nehisi Coates' black Superman movie, causing him to put Cavill on the back burner. Despite his cameo in "Black Adam," and initial reports of his return, Henry Cavill will not be DC Studios' Superman going forward. With "Superman: Legacy" being a complete reboot, David Corenswet's casting makes the most sense.
'Superman: Legacy' takes things back to 'Truth, Justice, and the American Way'
Ever since 1942, Superman's recurring mantra of fighting for "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" has been a part of the character's history, with the motto originating in the old radio serials during World War II. Later renditions included "Truth" and "Justice" with the "American Way" part occasionally ignored or reworked. But in 1978, the "American Way" portion was solidified into the pop culture zeitgeist with the release of Richard Donner's "Superman: The Movie," where Christopher Reeve's Superman utters those famous words.
This remained Superman's official motto for decades, and while projects like "Smallville" and "Superman Returns " sometimes poked fun at it, it remained a consistent part of Superman lore into the 21st century. Then, in 2021, DC Comics officially changed Superman's mission statement to "Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow," giving the Man of Tomorrow a mantra suitable for his nickname. Fans were pretty split on the decision, but it wasn't as if it couldn't be changed back.
When describing James Gunn's upcoming "Superman: Legacy," DC Studios co-head Peter Safran seemed to restore the traditional motto. "["Legacy"] focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing," Safran told Variety. "He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned." Hey, if Captain America can continue to hold fast to his American roots, there's no reason Superman can't do the same.
James Gunn was asked to direct a Superman movie years ago
Over the years, there have been plenty of big-name directors attached to different Superman-related projects. In the '90s, Nicholas Cage and Tim Burton almost made "Superman Lives," which was recently referenced in 2023's "The Flash." In the early 2000s, both McG and J.J. Abrams were attached to a project called "Superman: Flyby," which never came to fruition. Instead, Bryan Singer helmed the Christopher Reeve-era tribute "Superman Returns," and Zack Snyder eventually rebooted Superman via "Man of Steel."
Somewhere in there, between Burton and Snyder, James Gunn was once offered the chance to helm a "Superman" picture himself. "People know I was offered Superman years ago," Gunn told Michael Rosenbaum on an episode of the "Inside of You" podcast in 2023. "I said 'no' because I didn't know quite how to tackle it." Gunn explained that because he wasn't sure how to make a Superman movie back then, he continued to meditate on it for years, eventually cracking the story for what would become "Superman: Legacy."
"How could I create a Superman that's true to the character of Superman," he expressed. "And yet is a take on Superman that's different enough that's worth making a big-budget movie about it? That it's worth people seeing and it won't be boring." With a take like that, it's no wonder that Warner Bros. has full confidence in Gunn's vision and greenlit "Superman: Legacy" almost immediately after he and Safran took over DC Studios.
James Gunn thinks Michael Rosenbaum is the best Lex Luthor
Since the announcement that James Gunn was helming the next "Superman" movie, there have been countless rumors regarding casting and characters. One such rumor is that Lex Luthor will appear in the film, which isn't a far stretch since Lex makes an appearance in almost every live-action "Superman" movie with the exception of "Superman III" and "Man of Steel." While Gunn continues to play coy about Luthor's appearance in "Superman: Legacy," he was candid about who his favorite Lex Luthor actor has been previously.
While on "Inside of You," Gunn expressed that host Michael Rosenbaum — who played Lex Luthor for seven seasons on "Smallville" — is his favorite iteration of the character, even over Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey. "You are the best Lex, let's admit it," Gunn told a surprised Rosenbaum. "I'm not being funny, you're definitely the best Lex." Given that Rosenbaum played the character the longest, appearing in 157 episodes of "Smallville" and voicing the character once in an episode of "Justice League Unlimited," he certainly knows the villain best.
Gunn and Rosenbaum are friends and have previously worked together on the web series "PG Porn," the video game "Lollipop Chainsaw," and the two "Guardians of the Galaxy" sequels. Given the multiverse of possibilities, it's entirely possible that Rosenbaum could return as a new version of Lex Luthor in "Superman: Legacy" (or its sequels). That is, if the Skarsgård brothers don't get there first.
The film could take inspiration from a recent DC Comics book
While there are plenty of Superman stories that James Gunn could pull from for "Superman: Legacy," it seems like he may adapt more contemporary material this time around. Not only will Grant Morrison's "All-Star Superman" serve as a particular influence on the upcoming "Legacy," but so may the limited comic series "Superman and the Authority." The latter was part of the "Warworld Saga" crossover event, which found Superman and The Authority interacting more than they ever had previously.
Though The Authority is set to appear later on in the rebooted DCU as stars of their own self-titled feature film, it wouldn't be surprising if these WildStorm-turned-DC heroes also show up as rumored in "Superman: Legacy," especially in light of how they've teamed up with Superman in recent comics. "So this is one of my real passion projects," Gunn said when announcing The Authority's solo film. "The Authority's a very different kind of superhero story."
Originally created in the late '90s by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, based on characters from Jim Lee's "Stormwatch," The Authority was meant to be a team of superheroes who push the boundaries of the law, saving the day by any means necessary. Given Superman's disregard for the "ends justify the means" approach, it'll be interesting to see how these heroes interact with each other on screen. Hopefully, they can learn to get along.
Both David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan have ties to Jewish culture
With the casting of the relatively unknown David Corenswet and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" star Rachel Brosnahan as Clark Kent and Lois Lane respectively, there's an interesting tie to Superman's origins that's worth noting. Two Jewish boys from Cleveland, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, originally developed Superman as a villain before fashioning the Man of Steel into the world's first traditional superhero in 1938. Now, "Superman: Legacy" star Corenswet is returning the character to his Jewish roots.
Corenswet himself is Jewish on his father's side, making him the first Jewish actor to play Superman in live-action. Unsurprisingly, the Man of Steel is steeped in biblical lore. Aside from all the Jesus comparisons that came out of "Superman: The Movie," Superman shares many commonalities with the Old Testament hero Moses, who was likewise sent away to escape certain death, only to find a new home elsewhere. Likewise, Superman's Kryptonian name Kal-El can be translated in Hebrew as "the voice of God."
Additionally, though Rachel Brosnahan isn't Jewish herself, she was raised in Highland Park, Illinois, where she was surrounded by the local Jewish community. That only aided her when playing the titular housewife-turned-comedian on Amazon's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." In fact, Lois Lane was originally modeled after Siegel's wife Joanne, and while she wasn't Jewish either, she married a man who was. What a beautiful way to honor Superman's creators.
The first Superman film franchise without an opening origin story
So far, just about every Superman movie begins with an origin story. Krypton explodes, Kal-El is rocketed to small-town Kansas, adopted by the Kents, and grows up to become Superman. Both the Christopher Reeve-led "Superman" franchise and the DCEU's version, headlined by Henry Cavill, each began with the familiar origin, reinventing it for new audiences. And yes, while Brandon Routh's "Superman Returns" doesn't begin that way, it's technically considered a part of the Reeve-era films, making his origin the same as in the 1978 picture.
But, according to writer/director James Gunn, "Superman: Legacy" won't be another origin story, and will instead focus on Clark Kent's early years as the Man of Tomorrow. "Our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman's life," Gunn posted on Twitter in the early stages of development, emphasizing that this will in no way be another origin movie. It seems as if "Superman: Legacy" will be more akin to how Marvel released "Spider-Man: Homecoming" after rebooting the character following "The Amazing Spider-Man" films.
Of course, this marks the first time in "Superman" franchise history that the character will begin his feature film series without a proper origin to start off, but that doesn't mean his backstory won't ever be addressed. Rather, the film could easily reveal Clark's past at some point in the movie without emphasizing it as a part of the plot, a la the way "Superman and Lois" did in the show's first season.