Superman: Release Date, Plot Details & Everything We Know

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Plenty of information has been revealed about Superman, the first entry in the rebooted DC Universe, including a release date, filming start date, and official casting for the two lead roles. Following director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran's ascension to co-CEOs of DC Studios in November 2022, the pair revealed their initial plans for the upcoming DC Universe in January 2023. After The Flash resets the DC Universe, Gunn's new plan will expand the franchise on film, TV, and video games, kicking off with Creature Commandos, and Superman in which a new actor assumes the role of Kal-El.

Following the success of Gunn's recent Marvel Studios project, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and the successful premiere of Creature Commandos, excitement has been growing for Superman. Superman has been a staple of cinema since Max Fleischer's animated shorts in the 1940s, but Superman is set to tell a completely new story for the Man of Steel, continuing the legacy of the hero whom Gunn considers to be "a huge priority, if not the biggest priority" for DC Studios (via Twitter).

Superman Latest News

The Film Is In Post-Production

The most recent news revolves around the film getting a handful of reshoots, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. James Gunn responded to reshoot reports after being asked about it in a social media post, confirming the minimal work that needed to be done, which is a day and a half of pick-up shots with no reshoots.

As post-production for Superman continues to march on, the release of the first trailer seems to be the major focus for the first film in the DCU. Though there hasn't been an official trailer released yet, there have been some exciting updates along the way that indicate it might be on the way soon. In an interview with Omelete mid-November, James Gunn simply said, "It won't be too long," in a response to being asked when the first trailer would be released.

In an interview with Collider, Rick Flag Sr. actor, Frank Grillo, confirmed that he had seen a bit of the trailer, and was blown away by what he saw, stating:

I hope I don’t get in trouble for this — I got a sneak peek at a little bit of the trailer, and I’m not joking, and I’m not blowing this out of proportion, my skin was hot and I had goosebumps. That’s how great it is.

It was also recently revealed that Alan Tudyk has joined the cast, but his role in the film is unknown. Tudyk will play Doctor Phosphorus alongside Grillo in Creature Commandos, but it seems like his role in Superman may be different. Gunn also unveiled Jimmy Olsen's appearance for the 83rd anniversary of the character.

Superman Release Date

The Film Has A July Rease Date

 Superman stares to the right as his cape flutters around him.

The 2025 summer blockbuster season will see the arrival of the DCU's first movie, as Superman is scheduled for release on July 11, 2025, allowing plenty of time for Gunn and the DC team to perfect the newest Man of Steel story. This release date fits snugly between the December 2024 premiere of Creature Commandos, as well as the August 2025 premiere of Peacemaker season 2, marking the first three projects in James Gunn's DCU.

Superman Cast

There's A New Clark Kent On The Big Screen

 Clark Kent pulls back his work suit to reveal his Superman logo.

Actor Name

Confirmed Role In Superman (So Far)

David Corenswet

Clark Kent/Superman

Rachel Brosnahan

Lois Lane

Nicolas Hoult

Lex Luthor

Skyler Gisondo

Jimmy Olsen

Wendell Pierce

Perry White

Pruitt Taylor Vince

Jonathan Kent

Neva Howell

Martha Kent

Nathan Fillion

Guy Gardner/Green Lantern

Sara Sampaio

Eve Teschmacher

Edi Gathegi

Mister Terrific

Isabela Merced

Hawkgirl

María Gabriela De Faría

Angela Spica/The Engineer

Anthony Carrigan

Metamorpho

Terence Rosemore

Otis

Beck Bennett

Steve Lombard

Mikaela Hoover

Cat Grant

Christopher MacDonald

Ron Troupe

Sean Gunn

Maxwell Lord

Frank Grillo

Rick Flag Sr.

Alan Tudyk

Unknown Role

Although Henry Cavill won't be returning as Clark Kent in the DCU Superman movie cast, James Gunn found an apt replacement. Announced in June 2023, David Corenswet will be taking over as the last son of Krypton. Corenswet has often been brought up in online discourse as a fan-cast for the DCU’s Superman, primarily due to his physical appearance matching the likes of Cavill and the late Christopher Reeve, who looked near-identical to their comic book counterpart. Fittingly, Gunn saw that Corenswet’s acting ability could bring the character to life.

Similarly, Lois Lane will be portrayed by Rachel Brosnahan. Brosnahan is best known for the titular role in Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and beat out competitors like Emma Mackey and Phoebe Dynevor for the other pillar of Superman’s main cast. Gunn understands that Lois Lane’s casting is just as important, if not more so than Superman’s given the character’s integral nature in many Superman stories. As such, securing an actor with the immense talent of the Emmy-winning Rachel Brosnahan is sure to enable Superman’s Lois Lane to shine come the film’s 2025 release date.

Aaron Pierre next to John Stewart in the DC Universe

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Several other exciting actor selections have been revealed in the past months for Superman as well as these two, with Anthony Carrigan to play Metamorpho, Edi Gathegi set to play Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion taking on the role of Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced cast as Hawkgirl, and María Gabriela De Faría playing The Engineer. This last role is especially noteworthy due to the character being a part of The Authority, suggesting other members of the team could appear in the build up to the team's own impending DCU movie.

The Hollywood Reporter stated that Skyler Gisondo is cast as Jimmy Olsen, and Sara Sampaio has been cast as Eve Teschmacher, Lex Luthor's assistant. To further flesh out the roster of characters integral to Clark Kent's civilian life, Wendell Pierce was announced to be playing the role of Perry White, Clark's boss at the Daily Planet.

In terms of another character vital to Superman's story, that of the villainous Lex Luthor, a November 2023 Deadline report initially revealed that frontrunner Nicolas Hoult had been bestowed with the role, which would later be confirmed by a James Gunn Threads post welcoming the actor to the fold. Since Gunn also revealed Lex will be the main villain of Superman, the movie will provide a welcome chance for Hoult to flex his villainous acting prowess once again, following roles that established his capacity for this kind of performance in the likes of The Great, and The Menu.

2024 later brought several other casting announcements, including Pruitt Taylor Vince as Jonathan Kent and Neva Howell as Martha Kent, with both actors seeming perfectly set to play the warm parental figures that played such a crucial role in making Superman into the DC hero that he becomes. June 2024 also saw Mikaela Hoover and Christopher MacDonald be added to the Superman cast, set to play Daily Planet reporters Cat Grant and Ron Troupe respectively.

James Gunn with Batman from the comics and live-action Superman behind him

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Beck Bennett is also set to appear in the movie, with James Gunn confirming the actor will play another Daily Planet reporter - this time taking on the role of Steve Lombard. Finally, Terence Rosemore has been cast as a somewhat mysterious character known only as Otis, who is theorized to be the henchman of the same name who has previously served as Lex Luthor's henchman. Tudyk has also been cast in a currently unknown role. As he is playing Doctor Phosphorous in Creature Commandos, it's possible he could reprise that role, or it is most likely another character.

Superman Story Details

They're Not Going With An Origin Story

Superman flying in the comics with the Justice League

According to Peter Safran (via The Hollywood Reporter), Superman is "not an origin story" but instead "focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing." The titular hero will already be working at the Daily Planet as Clark Kent, having already met characters such as Lois Lane, rather than rehashing overused storylines of the past.

Superman will revolve around the traditional ideals that define the character but will also put a modern spin on how those ideals are perceived, as Safran mentioned that “h e is the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks that kindness is old-fashioned.

James Gunn revealed that Superman would take inspiration from DC Comics' 2005-2008 run of All-Star Superman. This story saw Superman close to death due to overexposure to the sun's rays, accomplishing many heroic feats - known as the Twelve Labors of Superman - in attempts to make peace before his demise. This would be an interesting choice of story for Superman's debut in the new DC Universe and would coincide with the repeated insistence that the franchise will be approaching beloved DC heroes in fresh new ways.

The iconic Superman villain Lex Luthor is also set to appear in Superman, and the casting call for "Apex" suggests Apex Lex may have a part to play in the story - a superpowered version of the villain. With James Gunn confirming in April 2024 that Lex will indeed be the main villain in the story, it's even more likely the plot may veer into a more physically powerful version of the antagonist, if the intention is to let Luthor physically contend with his nemesis at some point in the narrative.

How Superman Fits Into The DCU

It Will Help Launch The DCU

James Gunn talking about the DCU in front of a DC Comics background Custom image by Ross Tanenbaum

Superman is one of the first projects of James Gunn and Peter Safran's brand-new DCU, produced by DC Studios, and is a soft-reboot for the DCEU as events from The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker season 1 carry over. Although Creature Commandos was the first project released for the DCU, Superman has continuously been touted as the big start for the new shared universe, acting as an introduction to DC's iconic hero and a launching off point for the DCU as a whole.

Creature Commandos with the singer from Gogol Bordello in Creature Commandos

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Unlike the "Task Force X" side of things carrying over multiple plotlines into the DCU, Superman is completely new from what came before in the DCEU. It will be a fresh start for the character on the big screen and Gunn has stated that Creature Commandos won't be required viewing to understand Superman, making it a perfect starting point for those interested in seeing what the DCU is all about.

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Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.' rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill's departure from the role, honoring the character's roots as "the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way."

Release Date July 11, 2025

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