Credit: DC/Warner Bros.Superman is known for taking leaps, after all…
The strike by members of the Writers Guild of America has put a stop to many projects, either altogether or indefinitely, until a settlement can be reached. The last time something like this happened, back in 2007-2008, many tv series and films were adversely affected as they tried to push forward without their standard writers. Now it seems Superman: Legacy (2025) may be following in those footsteps…
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During that first strike in 2007-08, dozens of series and films were affected for better or worse, causing cancellations, postponements, and more as studios scrambled to figure out what to do. Initially, popular franchises hit major snags when sequels like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and Angels & Demons (2009) came to theaters with markedly lower quality than their predecessors.
Circumstances like these made it clear to filmmakers just how necessary writers were and are to the industry, though obviously, not enough to prevent this second strike. The members of the WGA once again have put a pause on major series, films, television shows, and more until their demands for fairer compensation and equity in the industry are met.
That hasn’t stopped some projects from moving forward, however. The timing for a studio like DC is critical. James Gunn and Peter Safran have just started laying the groundwork for their new franchise, the DC Universe, having announced a handful of new movies and series for their first chapter, Gods and Monsters. These haven’t even gotten off the ground yet, and the writer’s strike threatens to extend release dates even further.
One project won’t be affected, though. According to The Wrap, James Gunn’s passion project, Superman: Legacy, is still moving forward, unaffected by the strike. The media outlet says that Gunn turned in the first draft of the movie just one week before the strike and is still moving forward as planned.
Gunn, who earlier revealed that casting would soon be underway for the DC movie, will be directing the new Superman and was also the one who wrote the screenplay. It’s clear that the co-CEO is passionate about the project and believes that it will do well enough to overcome the heat from the dismissal of Henry Cavill, who played the role in the DC Extended Universe.
Related: James Gunn Calms Fans Over a Comedic ‘Superman: Legacy’
If indeed the film remains unaffected by the writer’s strike and other current events, it is scheduled to hit theaters July 11, 2025, and will star a very traditional Clark Kent/Superman dedicated to truth, justice, the American way, and, in Gunn’s own words, kindness. It will be the first movie of the first chapter of the DC Universe, Gods and Monsters, and will pave the way for the future of the franchise.
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