Credit: Warner Bros.Though Hollywood has come to a complete shutdown because of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, James Gunn has been able to round out much of the cast for his upcoming Superman: Legacy film. Based on his social media interactions, the beloved filmmaker also revealed how his version will differ from Henry Cavill’s, fixing DCEU’s biggest mistake.
Related: ‘Superman: Legacy’ Will Continue a ‘Superman Returns’ Trend
Gunn has always been the type of filmmaker to bring the most obscure characteristics and characters to the forefront of his stories. Though he has the opportunity to make Superman his own, he has already revealed that his DCU reset film would not be an origin story.
This is a smart move to make, considering the world has seen the story of Superman told many times over. Even though casual fans might not know all the intricate details, everyone understands that Clark Kent is from another planet and is mega-strong. Though that is an oversimplification of the character, it’s the basis of his story.
Instead of retelling these well-known details, Gunn has decided to showcase an older Clark Kent attempting to balance his double life. This is the direction that Matt Reeves took with Batman and Robert Pattinson, and that worked out well. The same can happen for David Corenswet and his first time portraying the Last Son of Krypton.
Superman Will Battle His Double Life
One of the biggest issues Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Superman never quite accomplished was showcasing how he lived a double life as Clark Kent and Superman. Though he somewhat engaged with Lois Lane, it wasn’t enough to warrant him having to choose between appearing incognito and having to save the world.
During a fan interaction on social media, James Gunn revealed how his Superman: Legacy plans to address the life of Kent on Earth. According to Gunn, “Superman is a man of two worlds: Clark with Lois, Jimmy, and Perry – and Superman with his meta-human compatriots. How could I tell a full story about Clark/Superman without including all areas of his life?”
This is interesting, considering the DCEU version of the character had to wait for meta-humans to arrive or show themselves. In Gunn’s story, meta-humans will already be on the planet. Whether or not they deem Superman a threat has yet to be revealed. There are rumors that he will have to fight The Authority in the film, which will set up that team’s already planned film in Gunn’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters DCU reset.
As we stated above, Gunn has been busy rounding out the cast for this film. So far, the cast includes David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabel Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, and Nathan Fillon as Green Lantern. The most recent addition to the cast is Anthony Carrigan of Barry fame, who will be portraying Metamorpho.
That means Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, Green Lantern, and Metamorpho will all be on Earth when Superman arrives. The story could serve as a team-up of the first Justice League as they take on The Authority.
The Authority is a team of superheroes exercising extreme tactics to accomplish their job. They are anti-heroes who are borderline villains at times, which would make Superman needing to stop them make perfect sense.
When Henry Cavill’s Superman arrived on the scene, he had to learn to get stronger in Man of Steel (2013) to combat the arrival of the last remaining Kryptonians. The story felt rushed in showcasing Kent’s upbringing and his eventual transformation into Earth’s protector.
James Gunn plans to showcase a much different hero, one who presumably meets the other established heroes of Earth, forming a team with them. Superman will be a bit more seasoned this time around. The Daily Planet and Clar Kent’s alter ego is just as important as his heroics, and we are happy that Gunn is showcasing that.
Related: James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Turns Into ‘Justice League’ Prequel
Henry Cavill never got his chance for another solo Superman outing, where his double life could have been shown in much-needed detail. Then again, the DCEU and Snyder movies were a bit of a mess, so we could have seen more wasted opportunities ruin DC’s golden boy.
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