What is James Gunn planning for the DCU’s first film?

After the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery (WBD), significant restructuring occurred, resulting in the departure of former DC head Walter Hamada. James Gunn, a celebrated director known for his work in the Kevin Feige-led Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) at Marvel Studios, including the Guardians of the Galaxy series, has now assumed the CEO role alongside co-CEO Peter Safran.
Gunn now holds a crucial position in the reorganized DC comic-inspired DC Universe (DCU), where he oversees the revitalization of iconic characters like Diana Prince/Wonder Woman and Clark Kent/Superman, who were previously portrayed by Gal Gadot and Henry Cavill, respectively, in Zack Snyder’s Justice League DC Extended Universe (DCEU), which is now defunct.

Beginning the newest phase of the DC Universe (DCU) titled “Chapter One — Gods and Monsters,” James Gunn spearheads a substantial overhaul of the former DCEU, seeking a fresh start. The inaugural film of this Chapter, SUPERMAN (formerly titled Superman: Legacy), is a venture personally curated, written, and directed by Gunn.
Related: New ‘Superman’ Reboot To Get ‘The Batman’ Treatment
Will SUPERMAN Introduce an “Evil Superman”?

The known inside scooper took to X (formerly Twitter) to share who the “main villains” of the upcoming SUPERMAN movie would be. In a rather shocking twist, it seems as if James Gunn has plans to make Superman/Clark Kent himself, played by David Corenswet (Hollywood) — into his own antagonist in SUPERMAN.
Sharing an image of Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), the actress slated to appear as Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (and Clark Kent/Superman’s romantic interest) sandwiched between Nicholas Hoult (X-Men, Renfield) who plays Lex Luthor on the left and Corenswet on the right, the insider teased:
Lois and the two main villains of Superman
Naturally, this new information has set DC fans alight, with possible theories being floated as to why Superman himself is being listed as one of the two “main villains” of the SUPERMAN film.

Fans think they’ve cracked the code, though — users like Mr. Bosh are reading between the lines, calling the scooper “sneaky” for this reveal:
Oh you’re sneaky. We’re getting bizarro
Oh you’re sneaky. We’re getting bizarro
— Mr. Bosh (@peakybish) March 11, 2024
Chief among the theories is the possibility of Gunn delving into the “Bizarro” storyline from the DC Comics, which follows the creation of a duplicate or doppelganger of Superman who thinks and speaks in ways completely opposite and “mirror image” to that of Superman (or Superboy) himself.
Shaji Paapan added to the theory, puzzling out how the two “villains” could be tied, with Hoult’s Lex Luthor potentially creating Bizarro likely played by Superman actor Corenswet, as well:
So the film is about lex creating Bizarro?
So the film is about lex creating Bizarro?
— Shaji Paapan (@billyoftea) March 11, 2024
Bizarro is often characterized as an antagonist, and later antihero, to Clark Kent’s Kal-El. In DC comic book iterations, Bizarro’s alter ego is “Kent Clark” or “El-Kal”, highlighting the “mirror” theming to this “Frankenstein’s Monster”-type character.
Fans like @worldofHailee and @betssssss12 definitely seem excited to see this intriguing character brought to the world of live-action:
@worldofHailee: We getting bizarro?
We getting bizarro? pic.twitter.com/iiERImnCwP
— Hailee Steinfeld’s fiancé (@worldofHailee) March 11, 2024
@betssssss12: We’re finally getting a live action Bizarro!?!?!?!
We’re finally getting a live action Bizarro!?!?!?!
— betssssss (@betssssss12) March 11, 2024
This prospect is certainly interesting — especially so considering Gunn’s penchant for adapting somewhat disturbing storylines from the comic book world onto the big screen, while maintaining a potent emotional core and remaining heartwarmingly hopeful at the end of the day. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) is a particular testament to that, with its heartwrenching Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) storyline.
Daniel Bower also chimed in with another possible approach, putting forward a potential “witchhunt” plot orchestrated by Luthor that would turn goody-two-shoes Supes into “a villain”:
Supes is made out to be a villain (im assuming by Lex) and is ‘hunted’ by other meta humans. This is why there are so many other heroes in the film.
Supes is made out to be a villain (im assuming by Lex) and is 'hunted' by other meta humans. This is why there are so many other heroes in the film.
— DBowers (@BowerDaniel) March 11, 2024
Exploring Bizarro, an evil variant of Superman, or turning Superman into a “bad guy” in the eyes of the public, hunted by other DC superheroes, would be a sure-fire way for Gunn to separate himself from his predecessors.
Are you excited about James Gunn’s SUPERMAN? How do you think Superman could be his own “main villain”? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on the DCU’s SUPERMAN
The SUPERMAN cast also stars Nathan Fillion, who will portray Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and Anthony Carrigan, known for his past DC role as Victor Zsasz in Gotham (2014-2019), returning to the DC universe in a different role as Metamorpho.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 alum Kurt Russell has also been rumored to play Clark Kent/Kal-El’s father, Jor-El.