After years of failures and disappointments, James Gunn is set to relaunch the DC movie universe with “Superman: Legacy,” a new film presumably featuring a fresh take on the Man of Steel. However, at this point in Superman’s live-action on-screen journey, it seems pretty impossible to find a new story for the hero.
David Corenswet (“Hollywood”) and Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Ms. Maisel”) have been cast as Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane, with Nicholas Hoult (“The Great”) as Lex Luthor and Milly Alcock (“House of the Dragon”) as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl. Other than a generic synopsis about “Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent,” we don’t know what the plot of the movie is, but let’s assume it includes familiar Man of Steel territory about being a stranger in a strange land.
Gunn is calling this new chapter of the movie universe “Gods and Monsters,” which seems like he’s definitely trying to separate the franchise from anything connected to Zack Snyder’s DC Extended Universe. Though there were issues, characters like Black Adam, Carter Hall/Hawkman and Victor Stone/Cyborg were captivating and would be great to keep around.
We understand why the “Suicide Squad” director wants to right the train for DC Comics’ film franchise, but the casting announcements so far have left something to be desired. Mostly, blackness. This isn’t about the actors he’s cast, it’s more about what the choices symbolize. With all due respect, Corenswet, Brosnahan, Alcock and Hoult are extremely safe picks.
We aren’t saying that he absolutely had to cast Black actors, but if you really want buzz and eyeballs on your new movie, what better way to do that than by actually taking Superman’s story in a new, unexpected direction? Imagine how fascinating it would have been to see Nicole Beharie or Dominique Fishback as Lois Lane? Or perhaps we could’ve gotten John Boyega or John David Washington as Lex Luthor?
DC and Warner Bros. have alienated its core fanbase with years of overpromising and under delivering. At this point, the company literally has nothing left to lose. What better way to relaunch the movie universe and go directly at Marvel Studios than by taking a big swing with a more diverse, inclusive cast? Yes, we know there are Black actors in the universe. However, history tells us to manage expectations when it comes to how much they’ll be featured. Translation: They’ll only be in a few scenes and won’t have much character development.
Since it’s Superman, most comic book fans will go see the movie no matter what. But this felt like a perfect time for the studio to deliver a more modern take on its characters. If you’re just going to take the same bland, safe route, that tells us to expect more of we have already been getting.
“Superman: Legacy” is currently scheduled to fly into theaters July 2025.