‘Superman: Legacy’ Casts Its Lex Luthor & Everything Else We Know About the James Gunn Movie
Superman: Legacy adds a major comic book villain and a peppy, red-haired cub reporter to its already stacked cast.
Who is making Superman: Legacy?
James Gunn, co-CEO of DC Studios and the mind behind Peacemaker and the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is writing and directing the project. Gunn is a self-professed Superman fan and has wanted to make a movie featuring the iconic character for years. He’s just been waiting for the right opportunity to arrive.
“Just because I write something doesn’t mean I feel it in my bones, visually and emotionally, enough to spend over two years directing it, especially not something of this magnitude. But, the long and the short of it is, I love this script, and I’m incredibly excited as we begin this journey. #UpUpandAway”
– James Gunn, Twitter
What is the Superman: Legacy About?
Superman: Legacy will mark the beginning of the new DCU. It won’t be an origin story but will feature a young Clark. The story focuses on his life as a young reporter in Metropolis, where he meets Lois Lane and other key characters. Somewhere in between Smallville and the grown Clark we’ve seen in recent movies. Expect a Superman that’s more like Christopher Reeve’s version. A Superman that’s about hope.
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
– Peter Safran, Co-CEO of DC Studios
While it won’t be an origin story, the character’s dual background is going to be important to his motivations and how he handles challenges.
“… [the story is] centering around Superman’s heritage – how both his aristocratic Kryptonian parents and his Kansas farmer parents inform who he is and the choices he makes.”
– James Gunn, Twitter
New Additions to the Cast
Nicolas Hoult is Lex Luthor. When casting rumors started, Hoult was the only name that came up for Lex. This isn’t his first comic book role – he played Beast in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Most recently, he’s starred in The Menu, The Great, and Renfield.
Skyler Gisondo is Jimmy Olsen. You might recognize him from The Righteous Gemstones and The Santa Clarita Diet. He’s a shoe-in for Olsen.
María Gabriela de Faría is Angela Spica/The Engineer. She’s known for her roles in Deadly Class and Animal Control. Her character is the second incarnation of The Engineer and a member of the Authority. The villain has a liquid metal body made of nanites that allows her to shapeshift and turn her limbs into weapons. They also give her the power to hack all kinds of tech.
Who Else Is In the Cast?
David Corenswet is Clark Kent/Superman. The actor was on the top of the shortlist going around in May of 2023. The 29-year-old actor was last seen in Ti West’s Pearl with Mia Goth. He’s got a lot of TV under his belt, including the award-winning We Own This City and The Politician.
Rachel Brosnahan is Lois Lane. The Emmy-winning star of Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a great pick for the plucky reporter with heart.
Anthony Carrigan is Metamorpho. Carrigan is known mostly for his breakout role as Noho Hank in Barry and Victor Zsasz in Gotham. He’s been cast as Metamorpho, a shape-shifting superhero made of chemicals that first appeared in 1964. This will be the character’s first live-action appearance.
Nathan Fillion is Green Lantern Guy Gardner. We all know who Fillion is, but not everyone is familiar with Guy. The Green Lantern Corps member can be a total jerk – he’s written as a parody of jingoistic ultra-macho dudes – but he’s devoted to protecting his sector. Fillion is going to have a lot of fun with the role.
Isabela Merced is Hawkgirl. Merced was most recently in Hulu’s Rosaline, and she’s in the upcoming Alien: Romulus. It wasn’t revealed which version of Hawkgirl she’ll be playing, but Merced will be donning the character’s signature Nth metal harness and artificial wings to take flight.
Edi Gathegi is Mister Terrific. Gathegi is known for playing Dev Ayesa in For All Mankind, Bill Pickett in Harder They Fall, and Darwin in X-Men: First Class. He’ll be playing the second Mr. Terrific, Michael Holt. He possesses five martial arts black belts, is an Olympic Decathlon champion, boasts an extensive range of degrees and doctorates in various disciplines, and is a JSA member. Among other terrific things.
When is Superman: Legacy Being Released?
Superman: Legacy will arrive in theaters on July 11, 2025. James Gunn, the cast, and the crew will start filming in January 2024.
