Since the beginning, when Kirk Alyn first donned the blue and red spandex suit and flew into our screens, Superman has always been a superhero that has been loved by all. From big screen to small, every iteration brought its own charms to wow the audiences and add something new to the story of a man we know all about.
There is one thing, though, that most have kept as part of their story. Whether it’s the 1948 film series Superman (1948) starring Kirk Alyn in the lead, Christopher Reeve in Superman (1978), or Henry Cavill in Man of Steel (2013), they all have one thing in common. Well, it’s the origin story of the Last Son of Krypton, of course.
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Superman and His Origins
Every iteration of Superman so far has seen the same story get rehashed over and over again. It’s a good story, of course, one that connects the audiences to the hero on screen, showing us that though he is this almighty powerful super being, in his core, he is still a human like all of us.
From his journey as Kal-El of Krypton to Earth as an infant, to his upbringing as Clark Kent in the town of Smallville, to his realization of his abilities and finally becoming Superman, the story has been shown a hundred times in a variety of ways. So the question is, do we really need another movie giving us the same storyline?
Well… to each their own. But given the world of DC comics is so extensive, with the Superman lore itself having so much more to offer, maybe this is the time we take a step away from the origin story trap and look for something new to tell the audience.
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James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy Will Be Different
Of the chatter so far, what we have a little bit of knowledge about is that James Gunn and Peter Safran are trying things a bit differently. The DC duo will not be rehashing the same origin storyline for Legacy, and Gunn is penning a script that will tell the story of a Superman who has already come into his powers. The movie will focus on world-building rather than going back and forth in time to tell us how it all came to be.
The DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters will kick off soon with Creature Commandos, followed by Waller, two animated shows that will bring a mix of characters. Some of whom we have already seen on screen before, and some who will be new to us. Superman: Legacy starring David Corenswet will soon follow, the first live-action project of the rebooted DCU that will set the tone for what’s to come next.
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After the disastrous offerings so far from the DCEU, both DC and the audiences need something good to get things going. And hopefully, James Gunn and Co. can give us that.
Superman: Legacy will be released in theatres on 11 July 2025.
