When it comes to movies we’ll absolutely be seeing on the big screen this summer, James Gunn’s Superman is flying high above the rest. The long-awaited upcoming DC Comics release, which was formerly known as Superman: Legacy, feels like the start of a new era, not just for the fledgling DCU, but superhero movies in general. And we’re going to be there to see it all go down.
But before we get to see David Corenswet’s Man of Steel in all his glory, meet some long-overdue comic book characters, and hang out with the best superhero dog of all time, there are a few things we need to go over about the new 2025 movie. From the Superman release date to its various trailers to the outrageously stacked cast, there’s a lot go over. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s everything we know about Superman…
What Is The Superman Release Date?
It feels like we’ve been hearing about Superman for years now, but the highly anticipated comic book movie is finally coming out… 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 major 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.
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.
The Superman Trailer
Though Superman won’t be here until about midway through the summer, DC and Warner Bros. have started to release footage of what will probably end up being one of the biggest movies of the year. Back in December 2024, we received an early Christmas present when the first teaser trailer dropped and gave us a taste of what’s to come later this year. But then came what we were all waiting for in May 2025, the first full-scale Superman trailer. And wow, does it look awesome:
Just shy of three minutes, this epic and explosive trailer shows Superman dealing with some heavy stuff, and the whole world is after him. Wanted by some, feared by others, celebrated by many more, the Man of Steel finds himself in a desperate situation when we pick up with him. Now we just need to wait and see what brought this on...
The Superman Cast
In addition to already having a release date, James Gunn’s Superman boasts a massive cast of actors who’ll bring those iconic DC Comics heroes and villains to life. Here’s everyone set to show up in the summer blockbuster:
David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman
David Corenswet will lead the Superman cast as 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.
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 arch-nemesis.
Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl
Isabela Merced, who is currently starring in The Last of Us Season 2, is playing Hawkgirl.
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.
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, Mill 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.
In October 2024, James Gunn revealed on Instagram that Krypto, Superman’s trusty dog, was inspired by the director’s dog, Ozu.
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.
Judging from what we’ve seen in the Superman teaser trailer, the movie will 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.
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?
Word Coming Out Of Early Screenings Is That James Gunn “Understood The Assignment” With Superman
We’ll surely start to hear more about Superman as we get closer to its July 11th release date, but some of the top brass at Warner Bros. sound incredibly impressed with what they’ve seen at early screenings. In May 2025, WB Co-studio heads Pam Adby and Mike De Luca appeared on the Smartless podcast where De Luca had this to say about Gunn’s take on the iconic superhero:
We’ve seen an early cut of Superman, and I don’t want to bury the lede, there’s a lot of marketing about to roll out on the way to its release, but [James Gunn] really understood the assignment, his heart’s in the right place, his aim is true, and we’re really excited about their new version of DC.
This could just be a studio head singing the praises of one of his biggest movies in years, but the whole “understood the assignment” talk has us excited to see what this is going to be about.
What Is The Superman Runtime?
Warner Bros. has yet to announce the official runtime for Superman, but early screenings can give us an indication of what to expect when it opens in July. According to a report by movie insider Jeff Sneider (via The Direct), James Gunn’s upcoming film will have a runtime of 140 minutes, or two hours and 20 minutes. If this sticks, Superman will be Gunn’s second-longest movie, and will be only 10 minutes shorter than Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
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.
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