James Gunn Teases “Superman: Legacy” as First Film of New DC Universe

James Gunn at
James Gunn at "The Suicide Squad" film premiere in 2021. Photo by Matt Baron/Shutterstock (12244118jp)

James Gunn and Peter Safran really kept us guessing what the future of DC will look like under their helm—and we finally know what’s in store. Superman: Legacy will kick off the new extended DC Universe, and it will be written and directed by Gunn himself.

Gunn took to Twitter to announce he’ll be the one in charge of bringing Superman back to the big screen, sharing details behind this project. His film will center on the superhero’s heritage and show him trying to reconcile his Kryptonian past with his human upbringing as Clark Kent on a small farm in Kansas.

Gunn said that he doesn’t take this responsibility lightly, revealing that he was asked to direct a film about Superman years ago, but he didn’t want to accept until he felt he could do him justice.

“Just because I write something doesn’t mean I feel it in my bones, visually and emotionally, enough to spend over two years directing it, especially not something of this magnitude… I love this script, and I’m incredibly excited as we begin this journey,” he wrote on Twitter.

Superman: Legacy will be released on July 11, 2025, as the first film in DC’s “Chapter One, Gods and Monsters”, and it will be followed by The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Swamp Thing.