James Gunn’s tenure as the creative spearhead at the recently formed DC Studios will properly commence when Superman: Legacy launches in theaters. Written and directed by Gunn, the film is expected to be the cornerstone of the new DC Universe being shaped by the Guardian of the Galaxy director. However, Gunn has once again confirmed that there could be another Superman film on the horizon.
Recently, Gunn spoke with fans on the social media platform Threads, where he gave an update about the Superman project from J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates that has been long rumored to feature a Black Superman. Gunn’s update is promising for fans looking for the project from Coates and Abrams, which at least on paper has the recipe for a bold take on one of the most popular and timeless superheroes. Here is what Gunn has said about the Superman project being developed under DC Elseworlds.
James Gunn Confirms J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Superman Movie Is Still Alive
A Superman project featuring an African-American iteration of the character was first reported to be in development in February 2021. The creative team of J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates was reported to be developing the project with the latter serving as a screenwriter. However, updates on the project have been few and far between. Nonetheless, DC Studios’ co-CEO James Gunn has now confirmed that the project is still in active development.
Doubts were cast over the Coates and Abrams developed project, particularly after Gunn and Peter Safran were handed keys to the DC Universe and decided to reboot the DCEU. However, Gunn confirmed on Threads, on January 22, 2024, that the project was still alive and moving forward. At present, the project does not have any directors or actors attached to it.
Moreover, while Gunn confirmed that the project was still being developed, he did not provide an update on what stage it was at or when it would be ready to enter production. After Gunn became the co-CEO of the DC Studios, the Black-led Superman project was reported to be in the works under the DC Elseworlds branding and would not be a part of the main shared universe Gunn was developing.
James Gunn Has Been Vocal About the DC Elseworlds Superman Movie Despite Superman: Legacy
After Gunn was appointed as co-CEO of the DC Studios and decided to use Superman: Legacy as the launchpad for a new shared universe based on characters from DC Comics, it was assumed that the Coates-written project would be shelved. However, Gunn has himself been a vocal supporter of the project and looked forward to reading the script.
In April 2023, Gunn spoke with Gizmodo about his plans for Superman: Legacy. At the same time, Gunn stated that his work on a Superman-centric project would not affect the fate of J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ take on the Man of Steel.
Gunn clarified that he was eagerly waiting to read Coates’ script and confirmed that the project’s fate would not be affected by Superman: Legacy.
“Those two things are totally unrelated. That’s an exciting movie. I know that Chantal Nong, who is the executive on that project, is extremely excited about it. So if it comes in and it’s great, which I haven’t read the script, and if the timing is right, that could absolutely happen.”
Gunn made the above statement during the interview, implying that he was in contact with the creative team developing the Black-led Superman project.
However, the comment also implies that Gunn had not read a script for the film at the time. Thus, the project’s fate was undecided back in April 2023. On the other hand, Gunn’s most recent confirmation that the project was still in development should be a promising update for those excited about the new take on Superman.
