The 2025 release date for Superman: Legacy has been set by James Gunn
Gunn, the co-chairman and CEO of DC Studios, also wrote the script, which follows Clark Kent’s journey to reconcile his aristocratic Kryptonian heritage with his small-town, midwestern childhood.
On Wednesday (Mar 15), he and DC Studios co-chair and fellow CEO Peter Safran announced that James Gunn would direct Superman: Legacy.
Gunn said the film explores the superhero’s journey of overcoming both his aristocratic Kryptonian heritage and his upbringing in a small midwestern town.
Despite Henry Cavill’s announcement in October that he would return to the role with a cameo in Black Adam, Cavill announced two months later that he was leaving the role.
“This isn’t the easiest news, but that’s life,” Cavill wrote. “Changing guards happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to create.”
Just recently, Gunn and Safran took over as the new DC executives, following Walter Hamada’s 4 year leadership of DC Films. This shift was a significant game changer that ushered in the departure of Cavill as Superman. Gunn expressed his sentiment on Twitter: “Reaching this point has been a journey for me, seeing an opportunity to give Superman the respect he deserves last year made me realize it was something I had to do.”
The release date coincides with the birthday of Gunn’s late father.
It wouldn’t be possible to make this movie without him,” Gunn wrote. “He didn’t understand me as a kid, but he supported my love of comics and film.”
Gunn has been the rare director to jump between both DC and Marvel films for several years. He first came to DC after directing Marvel’s well-regarded Guardians Of The Galaxy films. Following David Ayer’s much-maligned Suicide Squad, Gunn jumped to DC and made the supervillain film The Suicide Squad, a blockbuster do-over of old tweets that joked about rape and paedophilia.
As a result of his partnership with Safran, several DC films have already been announced for release, including Shazam! Fury Of The Gods (Mar 17), The Flash (June 16) and Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (Dec 25). Meanwhile, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3 is still on the way.
A new iteration of the DC Universe will launch with Superman: Legacy, followed by Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II in October 2025. That film, like Todd Phillips’ Joker sequel in 2024, will be set outside the DC Universe.
