This Is The New Superman

Fans only have one question now that Henry Cavill is no longer the Man of Steel. Who will be the new Superman? The removal of Henry Cavill as Superman is a very unpopular decision. When the announcement was made that James Gunn would be taking over as CEO of DC, many fans were hopeful. Most agreed that the treatment of Cavill under the previous leadership could have been better. Most thought we would finally get the much anticipated Man of Steel 2 under new leadership.

Sadly it is not meant to be. What followed was an all-new DC slate. Along with this came the news that most of the old cast would be exiting the DCU. Although this is sad news for many, it is also necessary. James Gunn is with DC for one specific reason. Rebuild the entire structure and provide a cinematic universe that can compete with Marvel. While James Gunn insists that Superman is vital to his plans, he also clarifies that the vision is different. With a new concept comes a new actor. The next big question is straightforward. Who will be the new leading man?

James Gunn Details The New Superman Story

James Gunn is very upfront about what we can expect from the new DCU. Most fans know James Gunn as the Director of Guardians of the Galaxy. Over at Marvel, the culture and direction of their movies are different. While DC is more serious, Marvel is much more lighthearted. They heavily rely on the comedy element to push them forward, and for the most part, fans enjoy it, too. DC has taken quite a sharp turn over the last couple of years with some of its movies.

With James Gunn writing the upcoming Superman movie, many have been curious about what to expect. Since most are familiar with the Guardians movies, many wonder if the new Superman movie will have similar themes. Gunn recently had an interview where he reviewed several of these questions and concerns. He clarified that the new Superman Movie will have vastly different vibes from anything he ever did at Marvel.

Gunn said, “I learned so much from making these [Guardians] movies,” “But it’s not like Superman is going to have exactly the same vibe as a Guardians movie. It’s actually quite different.” This is something obvious to be expected. Superman has always had a darker tone. While many wish for a few more lighthearted jokes, many probably understand that Superman will be more serious. Gunn is, however, insistent that he is not trying to compete with Marvel. Neither does he think that the two studios compete. He believes that if one Superhero movie does well, it uplifts the whole genre. This is a sentiment I agree with.

Can Dwayne Johnson Make A DC Return?

With a soft DC reboot now underway, many do wonder where it leaves all of the old cast. While most will not return to the new DC, the door is still open for some to bear. One person who could still appear in future DC projects is former Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson. When it was first announced that Johnson would not return to the role, most did not find it too shocking. Black Adam failed to impress at the box office, and with it, most understood why the character would not be in the first DC slate of movies.

Johnson was gearing up to take over the DCU not too long ago. He was busy negotiating with studio bosses to bring Cavill back. Johnson also insisted that Black Adam was not a villain as depicted in some comics. Instead, they portrayed the version of the character that is an Anti-hero. Johnson also wanted to avoid making a cameo appearance in the Shazam movies. Johnson decides to stay away because Shazam is regarded as the hero and Black Adam as the villain. This is a move that was heavily criticized by fans.

With no immediate plans for Black Adam, many still speculate that Johnson will return in the second slate. In his exit, Johnson clarified that he was still working with DC, and both he and Gunn stated that they were still discussing how they could continue to utilize Black Adam moving forward. This leaves the door open for a potential future return. However, this will likely only be in a few cameos.

Why Henry Cavill Will Never Return To DC

One actor who will likely not be returning to the DCU in any capacity is Henry Cavill. When Cavill left, he made a passionate speech about his exit on Instagram. One thing that stood out from that message was that he stated he would still explore future projects with Gunn. This many took as confirmation that Cavill could return in a different role. James Gunn also clarified that he could work with previous talent in another capacity. Having Henry Cavill make a few cameo appearances will boost the new DC universe, and having Cavill as a returning character throughout the universe will be even more significant.

The ultimate score would be Cavill as a completely unrelated person in the new Superman movie. Sadly, this will likely not be happening. Rumors have been rampant that Gunn asked Cavill to return but in a different role. While this is unconfirmed, it is entirely plausible. With both previously confirming that they are exploring this possibility together, it is easy to believe that some role was offered. James Gunn likes to make his movies lighthearted. It is very believable that he asked Cavill to be in the new Superman movie as a reporter or something. Maybe even just a random civilian that the new Superman saves.

It is strange, but I see Gunn having that sort of humor. However, whatever the offer was, Cavill rejected it. He stated that he was too busy with upcoming projects and is likely referring to his Amazon Prime Warhammer series.

Who Will Be The Next Superman

With Henry Cavill out in DC, this takes us to the next burning question. Who will be the next Superman? There has been some speculation over the last couple of months, but no one has been confirmed yet. 2025 is closer than many might think. This does mean that DC has likely already had a few auditions, and this also means that Gunn probably already has a few actors in mind. Over the last couple of months, new names have been circulating on Social Media. While Gunn insists that no casting will be done until the script is done, this does not stop the internet from speculating.

Michael B Jordan has been the leading name associated with Superman for the last few years. However, his casting as Clark Kent is very unlikely. Instead, there is a far bigger chance that he might be cast as Val-Zod. Another leading name that was put in the mix is David Corenswet. He was compared to Cavill on several occasions. He also very publically stated that he would love to play the character. If there is an audition, we might see him try out.

On the internet, the favorite right now is Jacob Elordi. He shot into stardom on Netflix and is currently starring in Euphoria. Many think that he has the look of Superman. With that, he also seems to be a very talented actor. Then there is also Liam Hemsworth. Since he took over from Cavill in The Witcher, some think he can do the same as Superman.

Is This What The New Superman Will Be?

With Superman Legacy set to release in June of 2025, many want to know what they should expect. First and foremost, Gunn insists that this will not be another origin story. Due to the reboot, they will skip all of the previous backstories. You can expect the same as Robert Pattinson’s Batman. While it was a reboot of what Christian Bale did, it was not a new origin story that went through his whole past. They did a great job not retelling his origin story again. The new Superman movie will try to achieve the same.

It should be noted that this Superman will be a bit younger. However, it is still being determined if Clark will be considerably younger than Cavill was in 2013. When Man of Steel was released, Cavill was 29 years old, and I expect the new Superman to be around that age as well. One thing that James Gunn did say was that Superman is still discovering his powers, and this means that he will be very inexperienced. We should also not expect Superman to fight General Zod in this movie again. This Superman movie will hit the ground running, and they will probably immediately try setting up the next Justice League movie.

We could likely see a villain present throughout the whole first slate of DC. Lastly, you can expect a lot of cameos. Supergirl will be getting her movie under the DC slate, and you can expect her to be in this film. I will not be surprised if this is the Supergirl we will see in the upcoming Flash movie.

What Will James Gunn Do In The New DCU?

As most know, James Gunn is the New CEO of DC. However, we have yet to determine what his role will be. While Kevin Feige produces all the Marvel movies, he does not write or direct any film. James Gunn, however, will be much more involved. He is in complete creative control and will also be writing and producing some stories. James Gunn is the Director of Suicide Squad. It is clear that there will be a second movie. Furthermore, he will be returning to Direct the sequel.

Gunn is also the Peace Maker Director. The series is on HBO Max and stars John Cena. This show will also be returning with him as the Director. Then, obviously, we know that Gunn will be in charge of the new Superman movie. Right now, he is writing the film. However, it must be clarified that he will also be directing it. In addition to that, he is also entirely in charge of creativity. This means he comes up with the entire vision. He is responsible for the new DC slate. Also, his co-CEO, Peter Safran, is in charge of the financial aspects, while Gunn is free to run things creatively.

This means that Gunn will map out the universe and decide what stories he wants to tell across TV, movies, and animation. He will not be writing all of the scripts; he will map out the ideas and then hire writers and directors to make the vision come to life.

No Competition Between DC and Marvel

One thing that James Gunn has been blatant about is the fact that he does not believe that Marvel and DC are competing with each other. In a recent interview, he stated, “To be frank, I think the better Marvel movies do, it’s better for DC, and the better DC movies do, it’s better for Marvel,” “When people see bad movies, they don’t want to spend more money on seeing more movies. So you want good movies to happen.” He further stated, “There is such a thing” as superhero fatigue, even if it actually “doesn’t have anything to do with superheroes.”

“It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character,” continued Gunn. “We love Superman. Then, We love Batman, and we love Iron Man. Because they’re these incredible characters that we have in our hearts, and if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen, it gets really boring. But I get fatigued by most spectacle films, by the grind of not having an emotionally grounded story.”

Superhero fatigue is real. However, it does not just come from the fans. The fatigue also sets in for the writers responsible for the stories. With pressure mounting to produce high-quality content constantly, eventually, they will make sacrifices. Large corporations only care about year-over-year profits; when the box office numbers drop, they create more movies to increase those numbers. It is only natural that fatigue will eventually set in. Marvel has stated that they will focus more on quality over quantity, and it’s unclear if DC will do the same.

Conclusion

Overall it will be interesting to see how all of this plays out. Superhero movies are here to stay. In the next couple of years, we will only see the volume of film increase. While the bulk of the content has come from the side of Marvel, DC will now ramp up its production as well. James Gunn is correct when he says that Marvel and DC are not directly competing, at least not from the average fan’s perspective. Most casual fans have yet to learn who belongs to what studio.

Although it might be evident to some, casual fans look at superhero movies differently. They are not fans of Marvel; they are fans of Captain America. People are not fans of DC; they are fans of Superman. Most need to learn who Kevin Feige or James Gunn is. Nor do they care. If one studio produces high-quality content for people to enjoy, the other can benefit. The success of Marvel and their Avengers movies directly impacted DC and the Justice League.

This does mean that the opposite is also true. While the terminally online knows who produces what, the average person does not. When one studio floods the market with bad movies, it will affect the other. Marvel and DC might exist separately, but a superhero movie is a superhero movie in the eyes of many. While I know there is a massive difference between the two studios, only some people care enough to make that distinction. Ultimately, only time will tell what impact these two studios will have on each other.