DC Studios has been considering a Superman reboot for quite some time, with rumblings of the film going back to 2018. As confirmed by James Gunn himself at this year’s CinemaCon, Superman was put on the map, but the filmmaker chose his cult hit The Suicide Squad instead.
Yes, as Gunn was exiting his Marvel era and entering his DC era, he received a surprising offer of Superman back in 2018. That led him to build a relationship with DC, but he went another route and built a very warmly received take on the Suicide Squad. From there, he would make the Peacemaker show, and in no time, he was ready for the Man of Steel.
He told the audience: “I didn’t know if I could [direct Superman], it seemed hard… but it stuck with me. Then, one day, it hit me. Creating a story that is utterly human and fantastic.”
The Suicide Squad wasn’t a massive commercial success because it was a pandemic-era release, but it won over audiences and fans with some of the most positive reviews of any modern DC movie. Gunn hopes to continue that success with his new take on the DCU. At the event, he declared, “This is a movie that celebrates kindness and human love.”
All seems well for the filmmaker as the Superman sizzle reel made a big splash at CinemaCon. Fans will soon get to see new footage ahead of The Minecraft Movie, which will land on the internet soon after.
Superman tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. 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 stars David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern/Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, María Gabriela De Faría as The Engineer, Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Milly Alcock as Supergirl, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, Christopher McDonald as Ron Troupe, Terence Rosemore as Otis, and Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as Jonathan and Martha Kent.
Superman opens in US theaters on July 11, 2025, and internationally on July 9, 2025.