James Gunn’s Superman: Release date, cast, plot & more

The DCEU is dead, long live the DCU. James Gunn is ushering in a new era of superhero movies away from his roots at Marvel, and the Superman release date will kickstart this new universe.

There is a great weight of expectation on the shoulders of the burgeoning DCU. Still, if anyone can shoulder that responsibility, the Man of Steel is the best bet, and he’s first on the list for the slate of upcoming DC movies.

That’s right, there’s a new Superman movie to add to the long list. The project is gathering pace quicker than Kal-El on the way to save Lois Lane, so there’s plenty to discuss here.

So, when is the new movie coming out, who’s in it, and what comic book storylines can we expect to be adapted? Here’s everything you need to know about the Superman release date and more.

What is the Superman release date?

The Superman release date is set for July 11, 2025.

Despite all the strike action and delays affecting the industry, Gunn has stuck to his… guns, and the scheduled release of his next big superhero movie has remained in tact.

Gunn recently revealed he has been shooting the very first scene of the movie, so the ball is well and truly rolling now – how exciting!

Who is in the Superman cast?

David Corenswet has bagged the titular role for Superman. He will be joined by Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.

Netflix/DC

Here’s everyone confirmed for the Superman cast so far:

• David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman
• Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor
• Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane
• Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen
• Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl
• Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific
• Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
• Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho
• María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer
• Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher
• Milly Alcock as Supergirl
• Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord
• Wendell Pierce as Perry White

Corenswet, best known for Netflix’s The Politician, and Brosnahan, star of The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, were confirmed way back in June 2023.

We got our first look at the new Clark Kent suiting up as Superman recently, thanks to James Gunn sharing an image on Threads (see below).

James Gunn

One of the most exciting prospects for the film is that Milly Alcock is taking over as Supergirl and her character will be introduced in Superman.

James Gunn’s Superman plot: What will happen?

Gunn has been pretty clear about his inspirations for this movie, so we know Superman will show us a younger version of the character and explore Clark Kent’s inner-conflict between what it means to be a human and a hero.

DC Comics

Way back in late 2022, Gunn shared some details on the project in a thread of tweets. Most notably, this will not be an origin story, but it will dive into an “earlier part of Superman’s life.” The movie was originally titled Superman: Legacy, but the latter aspect was dropped in March 2024.

As per the current official synopsis, this movie will follow Superman as he “reconciles his heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and a brighter tomorrow in a world that views kindness as old-fashioned.”

Superman will naturally be wrestling with what his role is in this kind of world. We’ve seen this in previous iterations of the hero, but there’s so much to dissect about a god-like being who just wants to help people and do what’s right, while the world around him is filled with so much hate and hostility for what is alien to them.

Twitter: James Gunn

How Kal-El deals with all of this will inform his legacy – see what we did there? And, all of this plays a big part in the following Superman comic book stories Gunn has cited as influences on the film: Superman: Birthright; All-Star Superman; and Superman: Brainiac.

If you look at the image Gunn recently shared, many believe that big ball of light in the background is Brainiac. Seems we will be seeing Superman’s greatest supervillain after all!

Is there a trailer for James Gunn’s Superman?

As of May 2024, the movie has just started filming, so there is no trailer to share just yet.

We will update you as soon as Gunn drops any footage. However, that’ll likely be a lot closer to the Superman release date. We wouldn’t expect a teaser until early 2025.

Until then, why not look into other DC movies like The Batman 2, Joker 2. You could also see what we chose as the best DCEU movie while you wait for the Superman release date. Or, dive into all the new movies hitting streaming this month if you need something fresh to watch.