Starting with his Superman reboot, James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy movies, The Suicide Squad) aims to reshape DC's shared universe across movies and TV. Here’s everything we know so far.
From Man of Steel to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has had its ups and downs. Its biggest issue being the mix of director-driven ambitions with muddled, inconsistent universe-building. While there were some remarkable wins, it never fully came together.
DC Studios, the new hub coordinating all of DC's efforts outside of comic books, was formed after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and is being creatively run by Gunn himself alongside long-time producing partner Peter Safran.
As for Superman (previously titled Superman: Legacy), Warner and DC Studios have ultimately chosen to let audiences know that this is a fresh reboot. While some characters from the DCEU will survive this reboot, others must change to work within the new narrative roadmap.
Ongoing "Elseworlds" stories such as The Batman and Joker will remain untouched. In fact, Gunn has expressed major interest in producing more standalone DC projects. After Superman and Peacemaker season 2, the DCU will keep on rolling next year with a Lanterns limited series on HBO Max and a theatrical Supergirl movie.
While you wait for Superman to make his return, get your superhero fix by playing some of the best DC games of all time. More of a Marvel fan? We also have a list of the best Marvel games, as well as all the Marvel movies in order.
Superman Release date
Superman is currently scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on July 11, 2025, with most major international territories getting it around the same date. It’ll be available in IMAX and other premium formats at select locations too.
This places the DCU's big-screen beginning just a couple of weeks before Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four reboot and right after Jurassic World: Rebirth from Universal.
Almost miraculously, Superman's pre-production was barely affected by the WGA or the SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023. Further drafts of the script were turned in around the WGA strike, and a handful of key actors were locked in before the SAG-AFTRA strike began in July, with the rest being onboarded right after it ended in early November. Filming began in late February 2024 and ended on July 30 of the same year.
How to watch Superman
As we noted above, Superman will be released theatrically in the United States on July 11, 2025, with some international locations picking it up a couple of days early.
- Belgium: July 9, 2025
- France: July 9, 2025
- Argentina: July 10, 2025
- Australia: July 10, 2025
- Brazil: July 10, 2025
- US: July 11, 2025
- UK: July 11, 2025
If you’re waiting to watch at home, Superman should have a video-on-demand and physical formats release at some point of fall 2025, with a streaming arrival on HBO Max coming shortly afterwards.
Annoyingly, HBO Max isn't available in every country worldwide. Thankfully, if you happen to be out of the country when Superman drops, then you can still access your Max subscription with a VPN.
What is the plot of Superman?
While James Gunn is quite open about the entire creative process, Superman plot details are being kept under wraps. However, we have some basic info that could help us piece together a narrative close to the real thing.
We know for a fact Superman won’t be an origin story. Instead, the focus will be on how a young Clark Kent (aka Kal-El) balances his Kryptonian heritage with his 'normal' life as an up-and-coming reporter at The Daily Planet, living with his adoptive family in Smallville, Kansas. Gunn has confirmed that Lex Luthor will also have a major presence as the movie's main villain.
The presence of huge DC characters like Hawkgirl and The Engineer, who set up the connective tissue of the rebooted universe, raises lots of questions. Some fans worry that Warner Bros. Pictures and Gunn are rushing ahead with far too many characters too soon. However, Gunn has a track record of excelling at giving everyone something meaningful to do in crowded, live-action comic book stories.
May 14’s second full trailer also gave us a clearer picture of what’s coming our way. With the arrival of even more foes like Rick Flag Sr. and the Hammer of Boravia, on top of a colorful group of established superheroes looking to teach Kal-El something as Metropolis faces several threats, it definitely looks like Gunn’s first DCU movie will be a real spectacle.
But perhaps more compelling is the angle of acting on his own and without the consent of any government to save lives, and those actions having huge consequences that even affect his personal relationship with Lois Lane.
Superman Trailers
It's not a bird, and it's not a plane, but it is the first teaser trailer for James Gunn's Superman. This thrilling first look at the new Man of Steel dropped on December 19, 2024. Check out the trailer below:
On April 3, 2025, a generous sneak peek video took us into the Fortress of Solitude to learn more about Superman, Krypto, his robot helpers, and how can heal from grave injuries fast. It then transitions into a short trailer which mostly recycles footage from the first one. Watch it here:
Shortly afterwards, on April 18, we got a proper behind-the-scenes look at the movie’s production and the overall vision for this ambitious reboot:
Ahead of the final stretch of the marketing campaign, the main official trailer dropped, offering more striking looks at the many heroes and villains who are part of this story that ultimately seems to focus on Superman's kindness and what he means to humans. It's awesome, but you may want to skip it if you’re already sold on the premise as it's a little spoilery. Watch it here:
Superman Cast
Superman's cast is a packed one, with the right mix of well-known veterans as well as up-and-coming talent.
The cast is led by David Corenswet (Pearl) as Clark Kent/Superman, Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road) as Lex Luthor.
They're joined by Isabela Merced (Madame Web) as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi (For All Mankind) as Michael Holt/Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion (Firefly) as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Anthony Carrigan (Gotham) as Rex Mason/Metamorpho, María Gabriela de Faría (The Exorcism of God) as Angela Spica/The Engineer, Sara Sampaio (Crisis) as Eve Teschmacher, Skyler Gisondo (The Social Dilemma) as Jimmy Olsen, Wendell Pierce (The Wire) as Perry White, Pruitt Taylor Vince (Bird Box) as Jonathan Kent, and Neva Howell (Ghosts of the Ozarks) as Martha Kent.
Moreover, James Gunn's brother and long-time creative partner Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) is expected to cameo as businessman Maxwell Lord (who was played in Wonder Woman 1984 by Pedro Pascal). Plus, Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) will briefly appear as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl ahead of her own solo movie.
Superman Director, writer, & crew
Gunn is also reuniting with a few of his The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 partners: Henry Braham and John Murphy for the cinematography and original score, respectively, as well as production designer Beth Mickle and costume designer Judianna Makovsky.
As well as directing the movie, Gunn is also the sole writer behind the Superman script. It is said to have taken heavy inspiration from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's All-Star Superman comics (2005-2008) as well as Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's Superman for All Seasons miniseries (1998), among others. Everything revealed so far by the writer-director and the cast seems to indicate they're trying to return to the character's 'boy scout' and hopeful roots.
