James Gunn’s version teases David Corenswet

On By Littum

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You’d think the new DC franchise could take flight after watching the trailer for James Gunn’s “Superman.”

The highly anticipated superhero reboot dropped its first footage on Thursday, revealing a glimpse of David Corenswet as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan as Superman’s love interest, Lois Lane.

A bald Nicholas Hoult also took center stage as the villainous Lex Luthor. The actor takes over the iconic role previously played on screen by Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey and Jesse Eisenberg.

“Superman” marks the first film to be released as part of a rebooted DC franchise known simply as the DC Universe. Gunn, who wrote and directed the film, serves as co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran and oversees the production of all of the studio’s future films and TV shows, including the recently released animated series “Creature Commandos.”

Based on early marketing, “Superman” appears to take on a lighter tone than recent depictions of the character, calling back to Christopher Reeve’s portrayal.

‘Superman’ cast: Who will star in DC sequel?

The stacked cast of “Superman” also includes Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Jonathan Kent and Neva Howell as Martha Kent.

The film is expected to feature several other superhero characters in addition to Superman, including Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan).

‘Superman’ plot: What is the DC sequel about?

In one video on WednesdayGunn described “Superman” as a “story about humanity, about what it means to be a hero in a world that doesn’t always make it easy to be one.”

The reboot takes place in a universe “where superheroes exist and have existed for a while,” Gunn previously said on threads.

While many plot details have been kept under wraps, Gunn has also said that the film will not be an origin story, indicating that Clark Kent will already be Superman when it begins. “I’m not retelling the Batman and Superman origin stories because everyone knows them.” Gunn said on Threads.

Superman’s dog Krypto will also appear in the film. The character was inspired by Gunn’s own dog, Ozu, who he adopted after he began writing the film.

“He immediately came in and destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture – he even ate my laptop.” Gunn said on X. “It took a long time before he even let us touch him. I remember thinking, ‘Gee, how hard would life be if Ozu had superpowers?’ — and thus Krypto entered the script and changed the shape of the story as Ozu changed my life.”

DC Movie Reboot Begins With ‘Superman’

The start of the rebooted DC franchise follows the decade-long DC Extended Universe that director Zack Snyder began with his own 2013 Superman film “Man of Steel,” starring Henry Cavill as Superman. Snyder’s dark portrayal of Superman drew mixed reactions from critics and fans, and subsequent DC films generally struggled to compete with Marvel at the box office.

In 2022, Cavill made a surprise return as Superman in DC’s “Black Adam” titles, promising a showdown with the title character. However, after the film disappointed at the box office, Gunn’s hiring was announced and he confirmed that he would take the franchise in a new direction with a younger Superman.

“Our story will focus on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill.” Gunn said at X in 2022. “But we’ve just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re huge fans and we talked about a number of exciting opportunities to work together in the future.”

But Gunn’s new DC franchise won’t ignore everything that came before. Certain characters and stories will carry over, including John Cena’s Peacemaker and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller.

Pressure is especially high for Gunn to revive the DC brand after “Joker: Folie à Deux” bombed at the box office in October and received weak reviews from critics and audiences.

When is ‘Superman’ coming out?

“Superman” hits theaters on July 11, 2025.

Notably, this date is just two weeks before Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” setting up a box office showdown between two rival superhero reboots. Which film wins this face-off could herald whether Marvel will maintain its dominance in theaters, or whether DC under Gunn could finally start giving the studio a run for its money.