He’s been known as The Last Son of Krypton, The Man of Tomorrow, The Man of Steel, Big Blue…but we all know him as Superman. When James Gunn officially announced a new slate of DC Studios films, the centerpiece was Superman: Legacy. Filming on that movie is now underway, aptly on the Man of Steel’s birthday. However, it’s got a new title.
The Legacy subtitle has been dropped, making this the first Superman film since the Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve classic in 1978. Gunn took to social media to announce the joy of starting production and why the evolution of the name change.
“Overjoyed to be announcing the start of principal photography on SUPERMAN today, February 29, which just so happens to be–coincidentally and unplanned–Superman’s birthday,” the director posted.
“When I finished the first draft of the script, I called the film Superman: Legacy. By the time I locked the final draft, it was clear the title was SUPERMAN. Making our way to you July 2025.”
The Superman S used for the film slightly resembles that of his Kingdom Come costume designed by Alex Ross. It’s a sharper design with a thinner red border, with a brighter yellow and blue from Henry Cavill’s costume from a decade ago. The emblem is also covered in snow, possibly hinting at Superman’s arctic Fortress of Solitude. The one thing we can tell you is the S probably still means “hope.”
Gunn had no idea about today’s significance until fans started hitting him up on social media and it took him by surprise.
“Come on. I planned to start shooting today for months,” he replied to a Threads comment. “I didn’t realize it was Superman’s birthday until this weekend when people started posting here ‘are you gonna post something for Superman’s birthday?!’ It was wild.”
The film’s cast features Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and rising star David Corenswet as Superman. Other cast include Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho. Additionally, Skyler Gisondo joined the cast as Jimmy Olsen, with Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, and Terence Rosemore as Luthor’s henchman, Otis.
Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.
