Writer and director James Gunn has finally spoken out regarding a rumor about a potentially controversial plot point in Superman: Legacy (2025).
It’s hard to think of anyone who makes superhero movies better than director James Gunn. Not only did he write and direct some of the best projects in the DCEU, Peacemaker (2022-present) and The Suicide Squad (2021), but he also did the same with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, the latter of which is the highest-grossing Marvel and Disney film for 2023.
The first film in James Gunn’s DC Universe is Superman: Legacy, starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. It will also feature Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as the Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and María Gabriela De Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer.
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Fans are ecstatic about this new era of DC Studios and a new direction after the Snyderverse has taken control of the DCU for years. However, one rumor about the plot of Superman: Legacy has made some potential audience members increasingly nervous.
People Think ‘Superman: Legacy’ Features Conflict in the Middle East
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While there have been plenty of announcements regarding the cast for Superman: Legacy, not much is known about the plot. The synopsis for the film on IMDB reads: “[Superman: Legacy] follows the titular superhero 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.”
All of this is incredibly generic, leaving much to the imagination for fans of the Man of Steel. Naturally, this has also led to a ton of speculation.
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One rumor regarding the plot of the film is that the film will revolve around conflict in the Middle East. According to scooper Daniel Richtman and Grace Randolph from Beyond the Trailer, the story will include Superman stopping a conflict with the fictional country of Bialya, leading to other superheroes disagreeing with his approach.
This has caused massive negative reactions from fans, especially since the current conflict in Israel and Gaza is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Fortunately, months after the rumors began, director James Gunn has stepped in to set the record straight.
James Gunn Addresses Controversial Rumor
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In a recent post on Instagram, James Gunn shared a photo of his wall in his production office decorated with various Superman posters. Fans then bombarded the filmmaker with questions, where he confirmed that the film would have a dark and light tone “just like real life” and that more casting announcements would be coming soon.
However, the biggest question came across as more of a plea, with one commenter saying, “Please tell us the ‘terrorist threat in the Middle East’ storyline rumor isn’t true.” Gunn simply replied, “It isn’t true.”
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This got a huge sigh of relief from fans in the comment section, with some people just writing, “THANK YOU,” and others saying it is probably a good thing the movie isn’t moving in this direction. And frankly, they’re probably right.
While James Gunn has never shied away from controversial, political, and topical material, it’s probably a bad idea to take arguably the most American superhero of all time and have them solve difficulties in the Middle East. After all, everyone saw the reaction when Captain America talked about doing the same thing.
What do you want to see in the new Superman movie? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!