1
Credit: DC, Fox Searchlight Pictures, NetflixAfter Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) merger last year, there was a huge shakeup within the company that led to the ousting of prior head of DC Walter Hamada in favor of Marvel director James Gunn, who famously directed the Guardians of the Galaxy series of films within The Walt Disney Company’s Marvel Studios universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Gunn is no stranger to DC however, as the self-proclaimed comic book enthusiast has also worked on projects within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), including much-lauded The Suicide Squad (2021) — not to be confused with Suicide Squad (2016) starring Jared Leto as the Joker. The question now is: how will the Superman legacy continue?
The previous, Zack Snyder Justice League (2017) era of the DCEU, starring Henry Cavill’s Superman/Clark Kent and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman/Diana Prince, is now going to get totally reshuffled under Gunn’s intense reboot into DC Studios’ DC Universe. Prior to the complete reshuffling, Warner Bros. Discovery will launch a series of DC films from the pre-Gunn era, such as The Flash starring Ezra Miller on June 16, 2023, Blue Beetle premiering on August 18, 2023, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom coming on December 25, 2023. The most recent release among these is Shazam! Fury of the Gods on March 17.
Now, as DC Studios President James Gunn, along with Peter Safran, head up the birth of the rebooted DC Universe for the next 10 years, a few key roles are in the process of being filled for its first entry.
DC’s Superman, a cultural institution
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. The character first appeared in DC Comics’ “Action Comics #1” in 1938 and quickly became a cultural icon. Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton, who was sent to Earth as a baby and raised by the Kents, a farm family in Smallville, and given the name Clark Kent. He possesses incredible strength, speed, and various superhuman abilities, including heat vision, freeze breath, and flight, all of which he uses to protect the people of Metropolis and the world from danger. Superman’s alter ego takes the form of a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper, who uses his job to stay close to the action and help people as the Last Son of Krypton. Over the years, Superman has appeared in countless comic books, TV shows, movies, and other media — from George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, Tyler Hoechlin and Henry Cavill — becoming one of popular culture’s most recognizable and beloved characters.
Related: Dwayne Johnson Hints That New DC Leadership is Why Henry Cavill Returned as Superman
Gunn and Safran will begin their DC Universe with the Man of Steel, planning debut DC film Superman: Legacy for around 2025 — the script of which has already been written, according to Gunn. IMDB describes the new DC Universe Superman movie as follows:
[Superman: Legacy] follows Superman as he reconciles his heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way in a world that views kindness as old-fashioned.
The new movie will allegedly choose to stray from the classic “origin story” approach of previous adaptations, and instead focus on a Clark Kent already working as a reporter at the Daily Planet.
Who are DC eyeing for the coveted main roles?
As production for Superman: Legacy, the highly anticipated inaugural project of DC Studios under Gunn and Peter Safran, enters a critical phase, a select group of actors are being considered for the coveted roles of lead Clark Kent/Superman, Clark’s love interest and fellow reporter Lois Lane, and Superman’s biggest rival, Lex Luthor.
The Hollywood Reporter (THR) shares that there are several potential actresses “in the mix” for the role of Clark Kent’s love interest and Daily News colleague Lois Lane. They are namely Emma Mackey, known for her role in the Netflix series Sex Education (2019) and who will also appear in Warner Bros.’s Barbie (2023), Emmy-winner Rachel Brosnahan from Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017), Phoebe Dynevor from Netflix’s Bridgerton (2020), and Samara Weaving, who was recently in Scream VI (2023). While Brosnahan’s audition was reportedly “outstanding,” at 32 years old, she may be on the older end of the age range that Gunn is aiming for with his 20-something characters.
The notorious evil villain, who Superman will face off against, is slated to be none other than Lex Luthor from the DC Comics. Currently, it is in fact the runner-up who nearly clinched Robert Pattinson’s The Batman (2021) role as Bruce Wayne/Batman, who is now a top contender for portraying the infamous Lex Luthor. The actor in question is none other than Renfield‘s (2023) lead, Nicholas Hoult — who interestingly was also rumored to be in the running to play Clark Kent/Superman himself! According to THR’s sources, DC execs enjoyed his performance in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) quite a bit.
Hoult would also be making the jump from Marvel to DC — as he starred in the 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) X-Men universe of movies, since 2011’s X-Men: First Class as Henry McCoy/Hank McCoy/Beast.
Now, for the actual Man of Steel.
Among top contenders for the role of Superman is David Corenswet, fresh off playing the protagonist in Pearl alongside Mia Goth. There are allegedly two other actors in the running for the role, but their identities are as yet unknown. Early on in the casting process, other names such as Jacob Elordi, Tom Brittney and Andrew Richardson also floated around!
It seems that despite the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike that’s currently ongoing, casting is still very much a process that needs to happen. As Gunn turned the script in just before the strike began, production appears to be chugging along. However, DC fans should not rule out the fact that Superman: Legacy could still potentially be delayed due to the writers strike.
What do you think of these casting choices for Superman: Legacy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!