SUPERMAN: LEGACY Director James Gunn Responds To Concerns About The Movie's Large Number Of Superheroes

SUPERMAN: LEGACY Director James Gunn Responds To Concerns About The Movie's Large Number Of Superheroes

With Superman: Legacy assembling a lot of superheroes, filmmaker James Gunn has taken to social media to assure fans that the Man of Steel will not be overshadowed by his fellow do-gooders. Check it out!

By JoshWilding - Jul 13, 2023 09:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman: Legacy

Since we first learned that David Corenswet will play Superman and Rachel Brosnahan has been tapped to star as Lois Lane, the floodgates have opened on Superman: Legacy casting news. 

In the past week alone, it's been confirmed James Gunn's reboot will feature Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho. Those aren't characters we necessarily associate with the Man of Tomorrow and many fans have expressed concerns about the reboot being overcrowded. 

This is, after all, supposed to be the movie which reintroduces Superman to the world and he shouldn't have to fight the likes of Green Lantern and Hawkgirl for the spotlight, right? 

Well, Gunn has now responded by making it clear these heroes are an important part of the story he's telling with Clark Kent Superman. The filmmaker also assured fans that Superman and Lois Lane will remain the movie's clear protagonists, suggesting these characters are only making extended cameo appearances. 

On Instagram, the DC Studios co-CEO said, "Superman is a man of two worlds: Clark with Lois, Jimmy, and Perry - and Superman with his meta human compatriots. How could I tell a full story about Clark/Superman without including all areas of his life?"

It's a valid point and one it seems many people hadn't considered before now. It remains to be seen whether Gunn intends to throw more superheroes into the mix, but the DCU is clearly one that already has its fair share of established do-gooders.

"Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas," reads the movie's synopsis. "He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned."

Superman: Legacy is set to be released in theaters on July 11. 2025.

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thedrudo
thedrudo - 7/13/2023, 9:35 AM
Valid point. Makes me feel a bit better. Just hope they all aren't involved in the main threat in the end.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 7/13/2023, 10:31 AM
@thedrudo - Naw, that's what the Justice League movies should be for, let the Superman solo film be just that, a Superman solo film.
UncleHarm1
UncleHarm1 - 7/13/2023, 11:31 AM
@soberchimera - You realize most movies have a lot of characters in them right?
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 7/13/2023, 9:36 AM
Perfect response, ngl. Alleviated my concerns
McMurdo
McMurdo - 7/13/2023, 10:01 AM
@PlusUltra - Jesus christ. You're hilarious man.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 7/13/2023, 10:20 AM
@McMurdo - ?
Steel86
Steel86 - 7/13/2023, 9:36 AM
Been saying it since the castings. Just wait and see how it plays out before getting overly concerned.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/13/2023, 9:37 AM
Flawless response, gotta respect it
DENNISsystem
DENNISsystem - 7/13/2023, 9:38 AM
Maybe Superman’s public appearance and acceptance inspires the other heroes to operate in public? Just a thought.
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 7/13/2023, 12:41 PM
@DENNISsystem - Gun's said that this movie will find Superman in a world that already has Superheroes.
DENNISsystem
DENNISsystem - 7/13/2023, 5:00 PM
@ClintThaHamster - but we don’t know how they operate. And with Guy Gardner getting name dropped and casted….can it really be good perception?
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 7/13/2023, 7:14 PM
@DENNISsystem - I have no idea, but I can't wait to find out!
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 7/13/2023, 9:44 AM
Superman is a man of two worlds: Clark with Lois, Jimmy, and Perry - and Superman with his meta human compatriots. How could I tell a full story about Clark/Superman without including all areas of his life?"

Simple…you just don’t. You focus on one area unless the story distinctly requires all parts of his world be addressed.
Otherwise you write a story about his interactions with Lois and Jimmy.
Toecutter
Toecutter - 7/13/2023, 9:45 AM


In all seriousness, I'm sure it'll all be okay.
TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 7/13/2023, 9:47 AM
Ima say this: I expect a good movie and hope for good box office
TheSuperMex
TheSuperMex - 7/13/2023, 10:32 AM
@TheWalkingCuban - if this bombs, it will be nothing but Batman movies for the next hundred years.
TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 7/13/2023, 11:19 AM
@TheSuperMex - you would think so, but they don’t seem to learn their lesson.
Forthas
Forthas - 7/13/2023, 9:49 AM
Not sure I buy it! If this is a young Superman in a world of super beings then he is neither special nor can he be a beacon of hope. Hope for what? There are other symbols of hope already. And why would he need to reconcile his "alien" heritage with his human upbringing if being an alien is common place...or at least not unique. It also makes him being an alien a moot point since obviously aliens have already been in contact with earth given a Green Lantern already being present. This negates all the things I thought everyone wanted in a Superman film. I have my doubts!
McMurdo
McMurdo - 7/13/2023, 10:00 AM
@Forthas - him being an alien isn't what makes Clark special kid. Read a Superman comic.
IronGenesis
IronGenesis - 7/13/2023, 10:01 AM
@Forthas - don’t you see the immediate contrast with having an older cynical Guy Gardner up against Superman with a more wholesome Boy Scout mentality? And how Superman is shown one path on how to be a “hero” while struggling to be the hero he wants to be?
Forthas
Forthas - 7/13/2023, 10:02 AM
@McMurdo - Please enlighten me since you are obviously an expert! What makes him special?
kg8817
kg8817 - 7/13/2023, 10:07 AM
@Forthas - In the regular DC comics universe, there are thousands of heroes - and Superman is still viewed as standing out; THE hero, the symbol, the mountaintop. Every single one of those “heroes” -even the morally complex ones - respect him. This has been established for decades now.

This is because of Superman’s character. What sets him apart from the others? The answer has been given multiple times. He is the epitome of hope because of who he is. There’s other aliens. But there is only one Kal-El (multiverse aside). He could break the world with the snap of his fingers, but he protects it instead. He has all the power anyone could want at his disposal, and he doesn’t want or care about any of it.

It’s never been about him being an alien. It’s about him believing he was human all his life and finding out he’s not. It’s about him, after learning that fact, wanting to be human - but never being able to be. Yet he is the most pure human of us all. He’s morally righteous. He never lies. He stands up for everyone, even those others forget. The number one thing he does with his powers is tries to be everywhere he is needed at one time, and feels like a failure when he doesn’t achieve that. He leads with kindness and is grateful for what he has. Most of the alien characters in DC don’t care about wanting to “belong”. Superman does. In his mind, he’s just Clark Kent from Smallville, Kansas - even if he’s really Kal-El from Krypton.

That is what I want in a Superman film. And I’ll wait and see, but I’ll bet this is what Gunn’s story is about.
noahthegrand
noahthegrand - 7/13/2023, 10:07 AM
@Forthas - Justice Society existed before Superman in the post crisis comics.
Forthas
Forthas - 7/13/2023, 10:08 AM
@IronGenesis - Right that is a contrast of ONE character. Gunn is saying there are other heroes in the world. Are they all cynical? If Gunns response is yes then that is the laziest of writings.
Forthas
Forthas - 7/13/2023, 10:18 AM
@kg8817 - You are making the case for why this is NOT a Superman film. If the point of the film is for all of these heroes to "respect" Superman then he has no arc they do because they are the ones who change. Using Black Adam as an example (hopefully you saw it) at the end of the film it is the title character that decides he is a different person.

You claim that he is morally righteous! Are you suggesting he will be the only one when he pops up on the scene now that we know he is just another person with super powers. None of the description that you made REQUIRES that other super humans be around. For example any of the other good superheroes could use there power for evil. The fact that they don't shows the same moral clarity you ascribe to Superman. If this story is saying that everyone gets their moral clarity from the example of Superman then again that is lazy writing.
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