James Gunn’s new DCU has launched on the big screen, and Superman is officially a hit. While other DC projects were already well underway, Superman’s success means the franchise can officially hit the gas. It seems James Gunn has already just done that too, as he’s already hard at work on the next chapter of the “Superman Saga."
The next chapter of the DCU is right around the corner with the debut of Peacemaker Season 2 on the 2025 TV schedule. Speaking with THR, Gunn said the new season will follow directly from the events of Superman. However, he also has his eye on what’s next for David Corenswet's character, and he already has the outline of the idea. He said…
I’ve already finished the treatment for the next story in what I’ll call the ‘Superman Saga.’ The treatment is done, which means a very, very worked out treatment. I’m working on that and hopefully going into production on that not too far away from today.
Gunn doesn’t use the word “sequel” here, so it’s not entirely clear if he’s talking about a direct follow-up to Superman or some other tangentially related project. We know that the sequel is an active project, but this could be something else. "Saga" is the word the MCU uses to describe a years-long story arc that's made up of multiple "Phases" with multiple movies and TV series involved. Coming from the MCU, the Guardians of the Galaxy director might be using the word in the same context, but that's far from certain.
It could be a movie that has Superman in it, and thus continues his story, but is about something or someone else. The one thing that seems likely is that, given the film is only in the treatment stage, it’s not a project that had been announced previously as part of Gunn's Chapter One of the DCU.
Whether or not the Supergirl movie coming out next year is technically part of the “Superman saga” in Gunn’s mind is unknown, but it would seem likely considering the character’s connection to Superman and her appearance in this year's film. One already has to wonder if the cameo appearance could be repaid, and we might see David Corenswet's Superman in the Supergirl movie.
The upshot is that for people who loved the new Superman film and want to see that story continue, it appears to be on the fast track. It’s probably at least a few years away from being on the screen, but that would still be quite a turnaround for something of this size. If James Gunn already has a solid treatment, a screenplay could be written within months, and actual filming could start within a year of that, with a release date in the summer of 2027, is certainly within the realm of possibility.
However, for now, nothing is confirmed. But at least we do know that Superman's story is well on its way to continuing.
