James Gunn has confirmed he will direct Superman: Legacy.
In a series of tweets on Wednesday night, The Suicide Squad director and co-head of DC Studios revealed that he would be directing the movie, which he wrote, and it will be released on 11 July 2025.
"My brother Matt told me when he saw the release date he started to cry. I asked him why. He said, 'Dude, it’s Dad’s birthday.' I hadn’t realized," he tweeted. "I lost my Dad almost three years ago. He was my best friend. He didn’t understand me as a kid, but he supported my love of comics and my love of film and I wouldn’t be making this movie now without him."
The Guardians of the Galaxy director went on to reveal that he was initially presented with the opportunity to direct a Superman movie years ago but he turned it down because he couldn't find a way into the story "that gave Superman the dignity he deserved".
Last year, however, he finally saw a way to make a Superman movie that focuses on his heritage and how both his aristocratic Kryptonian parents and his Kansas farmer parents inform his identity and his choices.
"So I chose to finally take on writing the script. But I was hesitant to direct, despite the constant pestering by (co-head of DC Studios) Peter Safran and others to commit (sorry, Peter)," Gunn explained. "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."
Superman: Legacy will be the first new film to be released under the leadership of Gunn and Safran, who became co-CEOs and co-chairmen of DC Studios in November.
Gunn previously revealed that Superman will not be played by Henry Cavill as they are focusing on a younger version of the superhero.
