James Gunn’s new take on Superman in Superman: Legacy will differ in one major way from Henry Cavill’s portrayal of the character in Man of Steel.
Production is getting ready to move forward on Gunn’s first Superman movie for the DC Universe, especially with David Corenswet now officially set to take over the role of Clark Kent.
He’ll become one of nearly a dozen actors who have taken on DC’s most iconic superhero, giving fans a much different take on the Kryptonian native in the reboot that will immediately follow up on Cavill’s Superman.
How Gunn and Cavill’s Superman Movies Differ
The Hollywood Reporter shared new details on how James Gunn’s story in Superman: Legacy will be different from the one told in Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel, the first movie in the DC Extended Universe directed by Zack Snyder.
In Superman: Legacy, Superman will be “joining a world in which superheroes already exist” rather than the way Cavill was the only superhero, that the audience knew of, in his own universe during Man of Steel (other than the other Kryptonians that came to Earth).
This was later confirmed by several superhero castings for Superman: Legacy, with Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, Mr. Terrific, and the elemental Metamorpho all already existing in the universe.
James Gunn has since justified the story decision to include other superheroes on Instagram.
Responding to a comment questioning the movie’s focus on Superman, Gunn explained that he would be unable to fully explore the superhero side of Clark Kent’s life without the presence of other powered beings:
“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?”
The inclusion of other pre-existing metahumans in the DCU may also support the rumor that Superman is set to fight The Authority in his first movie, which will be some time before the solo The Authority movie releases in theaters.
How Will Superman Adapt to New DCU World?
Seeing Superman start off in a world full of heroes already will be quite the change of pace from what Henry Cavill saw, as his Superman was the only hero actually utilized in the first DCEU solo movie.
Cavill’s character didn’t have any interactions with other heroes from that universe until 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but now, Gunn appears set to have superheroes established in the universe right from the get-go.
Projects like Creature Commandos, Waller, and even potentially Blue Beetle will set up the world that Superman will join as his solo story becomes something of a “workplace origin story” with Clark Kent and Lois Lane at the forefront.
This should be just one of a number of differences that fans will see with James unn now developing an entirely new path for the DC Universe, although plenty of other details still remain to be seen for many of the other movies and TV shows on the way.
Superman: Legacy is set to arrive in theaters on July 11, 2025.
