Superman: Legacy writer/director and DC Studios co-CEO and co-president James Gunn has promised the Man of Steel's newest cinematic outing won't be a silly one.
Gunn brought this up while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, commenting, "It's easier to take a character nobody knows, like the Guardians [of the Galaxy], or Peacemaker, and then do whatever you want with them. People in every single country in the world know the story of Superman." The filmmaker went on to ask how he could make Legacy "different from the Superman movies that have been made so far, but also have it respect all the Superman movies that have been made so far?" He concluded by saying that it "just took [him] some time to try to figure it out" and adding that Legacy isn't going to be a comedy, as Gunn is dedicated to bringing a genuine superhero movie to the silver screen.
Gunn's comments match up with those he made in an earlier interview where he had said Superman: Legacy wouldn't feel like a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. "I learned so much from making [the Guardians of the Galaxy] movies," Gunn noted at the time. "But it's not like Superman is going to have exactly the same vibe as a Guardians movie. It's actually quite different."
Superman: Legacy Details Are Scarce
In addition to the film's tone, it was confirmed by Gunn's partner and DC Studios co-head Peter Safran that Superman: Legacy isn't an origin story for the Last Son of Krypton. Instead, according to Safran, Legacy will "[focus] on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing." Besides the movie not being an origin story, no other plot details about Legacy have been made publicly available.
Another aspect that has been touched upon is how the DC Universe's take on Superman will set itself apart from the one that was featured in the franchise's predecessor, the DC Extended Universe. "I don’t think [Superman: Legacy] would be worth making if it was just a redo of any other Superman adaptation," Gunn said. "For us to truly thrive as a studio, we need to honor the past of these characters while simultaneously seeing them in a new light." Gunn had also spoken about Superman's age in the DCU, stating that the character is "younger than in his forties" in it, while Batman "MIGHT be a couple years older than Superman."
Superman: Legacy arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter