James Gunn’s Superman, one of the most anticipated upcoming DC movies, is on the way, and we have every reason to be excited about the project formerly known as Superman: Legacy. The upcoming 2025 movie, which will come out in the middle of the summer blockbuster season and kick off a new era in the history of comic book movies, is shaping up to be one of the biggest cinematic experiences in quite some time.
And now that we’re little more than a half-a-year away from seeing what Gunn and company have in store for us, there’s never been a better time to take a look at everything we know about the movie that will launch the new cinematic universe, DCU. From the Superman release date to its absurdly stacked cast to what we know about the story and a first look at that awe-inspiring teaser trailer, here’s everything we know about one of the movies we’ll absolutely be seeing in theaters in 2025.
What Is The Superman Release Date?
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the Superman release date. At least that’s what we’ll be screaming when James Gunn’s long-awaited DCU movie soars into theaters on July 11, 2025. Gunn revealed the date in the middle of his DC “Gods and Monsters” announcement video back in January 2023, where he also broke down several of the studio’s other upcoming projects.
Superman will be coming out in the middle of what could be one of the biggest Julys in recent memory, as Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth and the MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps will bookend the month. We’re all in for one hell of a ride at the midway point through 2025.
The Superman Trailer
Christmas came early for comic book movie fans in December 2024 when James Gunn shared the first Superman trailer, a two-minute teaser filled with majestic flights and bone-crunching fights. Though the first proper footage of David Corenswet’s Man of Steel didn’t explicitly state where the story will be taking audiences in July 2025, it did hint at a few things that have us all the more excited.
With other superheroes galore, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, Krypto the Dog saving Superman, and so much more, there’s a lot for fans to dig into as we await the release of a full trailer somewhere down the road. And yes, this first teaser trailer does show the return of Superman’s signature red trunks.
The Superman Cast
In addition to already having a release date, James Gunn’s Superman is also well on its way to filling out its cast of DC Comics heroes and villains, which includes some incredible up-and-coming and established talent. Let’s meet the good guys, bad guys, and everyone else who’ll populate Metropolis and beyond next summer.
David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman
David Corenswet, who is perhaps best known for his roles in movies like Pearl and shows like Hollywood and The Politician, was one of the first major additions to the Superman cast in June 2023 when Deadline revealed that he would be playing Clark Kent, aka Superman.
Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane
Rachel Brosnahan, the award-winning actress best known for the titular role on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as well as from her time on House of Cards, will be playing Lois Lane in James Gunn’s Superman. Brosnahan’s involvement was revealed alongside Corenswet last summer.
Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor
Everyone from Gene Hackman to Kevin Spacey to Jesse Eisenberg has played Lex Luthor in the past, and now Nicholas Hoult will get the chance to play Superman’s archnemesis. In November 2023, Deadline revealed that the Mad Max: Fury Road actor would be playing the iconic villain.
Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl
Shortly after the Clark Kent and Lois Lane roles were revealed, Vanity Fair announced that Isabela Merced would be playing Hawkgirl in the upcoming Superman movie. The Madame Web star will become yet another name who’s appeared in both DC and Marvel movies upon the film’s 2025 release.
Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner / Green Lantern
Nathan Fillion and James Gunn go way back, and that partnership will go on at least a little while longer as the Slither and The Suicide Squad actor will play Guy Gardner, aka, Green Lantern, in Superman.
María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica / The Engineer
Maria Gabriela de Faira, who has appeared in movies like The Exorcism of God and R#J in recent years, landed one of the biggest roles of her career when she was cast as Angela Spica, aka, The Engineer, in Superman.
Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen
Skyler Gisondo will take on the role of Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen when Superman flies into theaters in July 2025. Gisondo is perhaps best known for his work in Booksmart, Licorice Pizza, and The Amazing Spider-Man.
Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt / Mister Terrific
Edi Gathegi will take to the DCU next summer when he takes on the role of inventor Michael Holt, who is better known by his superhero name, Mister Terrific.
Wendell Pierce as Perry White
Wendell Pierce will join the long list of accomplished actors who have played Daily Planet editor Perry White when Superman comes around. The Wire cast member joined the upcoming film in March 2024, per Variety.
Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl
A couple of years after making a name for herself as Rhaenyra Targaryen on House of the Dragon, Milly Alcock will join the world of superheroes when she takes on the role of Kara Zo-El, aka, Supergirl, in Superman.
Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord
Sean Gunn, the brother and longtime collaborator of James Gunn, is set to appear in Superman as Maxwell Lord, the character Pedro Pascal played in Wonder Woman 1984.
What Is Superman About?
When news first began to spread that a new Superman movie was on the way, many assumed Henry Cavill would reprise his role from Man of Steel and the various DCEU crossover films, but that won’t be the case. In a series of tweets in December 2022, James Gunn laid the groundwork for what’s to come by saying:
In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s Life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill.
When some asked if Superman would be another superhero origin story, the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director was quick to reply with a resounding “No Way.”
A couple of months later, when speaking with Empire, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran further elaborated on the upcoming Superman movie while also avoiding concrete details about its narrative, saying:
It’s not an origin story. It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.
How early in Clark Kent’s story Superman takes place has not yet been revealed, but expect to hear more on this in the very near future.
James Gunn Is Writing And Directing Superman
When James Gunn first announced that Superman was in the works, the former Troma and Marvel filmmaker was still on the fence about directing the movie, even though he was already in the process of penning its script. But that all changed in March 2023, when Gunn took to Twitter to confirm that he would be sitting in the director’s chair.
And judging from what we’ve seen in the Superman teaser trailer, the upcoming superhero movie is going to feature a lot of the director’s hallmarks. A mixture of action, drama, and comedy, a sense of wonder, and of course, a massive monster bringing destruction to a city, Metropolis in this case. Though we don’t know for sure if the Guardians of the Galaxy helmer will insert his signature needle drops when the Man of Steel takes flight, it’d be shocking if we didn’t get at least one great music moment.
Production On Superman Wrapped In July February 2024
During a May 2023 Wired video interview alongside brother Sean Gunn, James Gunn revealed that production would kick off at some point in January 2024, which later was pushed back a few months to March before things got fully rolling. And just a few months after that, the principal photography stage of the production wrapped in July 2024, as Gunn shared on his Instagram.
And considering Gunn was already hosting test screenings of the movie in December 2024, per The Hollywood Reporter, it looks like the post-production work is moving along. Later that month, the director admitted on Threads that he had about a day and a half of additional shots to film before everything was said and done. However, he made it clear these were not reshoots or new scenes, but instead “individual shots to enhance the film.”
Superman Will Reportedly Set Up The Authority
In addition to introducing the DCU’s version of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor, Superman will also reportedly serve as the debut of the Authority DC Comics team. In June 2023, The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision newsletter reported that the July 2025 movie will introduce several members of the team ahead of its own movie, which is to be released at a later date.
Not much is known about The Authority movie at this time, but the comic book version of the titular team has included members like Apollo, Midnighter, and Jenny Sparks in the past, all of whom were willing to take a more drastic approach to the whole “saving the world” aspect than their fellow DC Comics heroes.
Superman Will Be The ‘True Beginning’ Of The DCU
When James Gunn first revealed Superman in the DC Studios January 2023 announcement video, he called the upcoming movie the “true beginning” of the DCU, specifically the Gods and Monsters chapter of the saga. Following the film’s June 2025 release, we’ll see movies like The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Swamp Thing, as well as a litany of TV shows tying everything together. What better way to start the next chapter of comic book movies than with Superman himself?
There is still a lot of time before we get to see Superman in action, but there are still plenty of upcoming superhero movies to keep us all entertained over the course of the next few years. And while we wait, there’s never been a better time to check out our ranking of the Superman movies.
