James Gunn will direct Superman: Legacy

James Gunn, the co-head of DC Studios, will direct Superman: Legacy, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. 

The feature will also be written by Gunn, who has been working on it before he took control of the studio in November 2022. 

Superman: Legacy will be the first film in the new DC universe, and has been scheduled for a July 11, 2025 release. 

It won’t be the first release in the new Gunn-Safran era, as the animated show Creature Commandos will start before, but a date has yet to be announced. 

Gunn was hesitant to direct the film. Writing on Twitter, “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. But, the long and the short of it is, I love this script, and I’m incredibly excited as we begin this journey.”

The person who will be playing Superman has yet to be revealed, but it won’t be Henry Cavill, who was ousted from the role in December. Gunn has made clear that he wants a younger actor to portray a younger version of the character. 

Peter Safran, the other co-head of DC, told reporters in January that the film will focus “on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks that kindness is old-fashioned.”

This will be the first time James Gunn will be directing a film with an A-list superhero. He has directed two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and The Suicide Squad, bringing B-list characters into the spotlight. 

Gunn’s next film is the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, out in early May.