The DC Extended Universe is no more. A soft reboot of the franchise – the DC Universe – is underway with James Gunn at the helm, and five movies in the franchise are confirmed. They are Superman: Legacy, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Swamp Thing.
The first to hit theaters worldwide will be Superman: Legacy, the only one with a release date, as it’s getting a summer 2025 release. Gunn will write and direct it; several cast members are already in place, including David Corenswet in the eponymous role. There are high hopes for the film, and there’s every chance it will improve on the DC Extended Universe’s opening installment, 2013’s Man of Steel. These are six of the reasons why that’s the case.
6. New Villains
Past Superman movies have had an obsession with Lex Luthor and General Zod. While cinematic versions of the Man of Steel have taken on other villains – such as Doomsday, Steppenwolf, and Nuclear Man – they’ve largely been underwhelming. It’s refreshing to see James Gunn’s plans to introduce new bad guys for his Superman to combat. Anthony Carrigan will play Rex Mason, AKA Metamorpho, a character whose primary ability is elemental transmutation, and rumors about the energy-absorbing Parasite persist. While Luthor will appear (Nicholas Hoult will play him) and Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord (who previously appeared in Wonder Woman 84) will also make his presence felt, it’s good that new villains are getting their chance.
5. Universe Building
The Christopher Reeve Superman movies, 2006’s Superman Returns, and the previously mentioned Man of Steel were all very self-contained Superman films. This one looks set to buck that trend by introducing characters from the broader universe in preparation for the franchise’s expansion. Examples include Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, and María Gabriela de Faría’s Angela Spicer, AKA the Engineer, who will play an antagonistic role in the film and help to lead into another of the DC Universe’s five movies, The Authority. It all looks extremely promising, and it’s good to see Gunn’s creative forward-thinking utilized in a DC movie franchise.
4. It Will Learn From Man Of Steel’s Mistakes
With Man of Steel relatively fresh in everyone’s memory, the team behind Superman: Legacy will be all too aware of its mistakes. Those mistakes will, therefore, be easy to avoid. Errors of judgment like the drab color palette, Pa Kent’s ludicrous death scene, and Clark Kent uncharacteristically wrecking that guy’s truck in an act of vengeance can all be rectified this time. Remembering what aspects of a movie resulted in fan backlash is the best tool a creative team can have when knowing how to do their business in future endeavors. Superman: Legacy will be a prime example of that notion being implemented.
3. David Corenswet
Do not underestimate David Corenswet. When the 30-year-old American actor was named Superman: Legacy’s eponymous star, the underwhelming feeling among many fans was almost tangible. However, he’s a hugely talented star with all the necessary acting chops to pull the role off impressively. His performances in Netflix’s Hollywood and The Politician prove he’s versatile and possesses a formidable screen presence. With a look ideally suited to the Man of Steel on top of that, he’s going to be great. If his chemistry with Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane is as good as anticipated (Brosnahan is also excellent, incidentally), expect beautiful things from this film.
2. James Gunn
Two words are all you need to see to know that Superman: Legacy will be a good movie. Those two words are “James” and “Gunn.” Gunn is a craft master and has yet to fail when taking on a Marvel or DC project. All three Guardians of the Galaxy movies and The Suicide Squad were superb, making his track record exemplary. Expect Superman: Legacy to be a colorful, funny, action-packed, entertaining romp. That’s more than anyone can say for Man of Steel. While it was good in parts, it mainly was drab and underwhelming – and it seemed to go on forever. On the contrary, superhero movie fans won’t want Superman: Legacy to end.
1. A New Cinematic Take On Superman
One thing the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, Superman Returns, and Man of Steel all have in common is that they failed to delve deeply into the Kryptonian character’s early life as a hero. Only television shows have done that, such as Smallville, and it will be refreshing to see it depicted on a cinematic scale. If James Gunn took the reins of the DC Universe and announced “just another Superman movie,” fans would be underwhelmed and less interested in seeing it. This film is exciting and different, and even if it doesn’t live up to expectations, it will at least be superior to the various movies that came before it regarding its exploration of an inexperienced Man of Steel.
