Superman estate’s lawsuit over new James Gunn movie could affect the release

Just months out from James Gunn’s Superman reboot, the estate of the character’s creator has sued Warner Bros. and DC with the intention of invalidating copyright in multiple territories.

The Superman reboot is one of the most-anticipated superhero movies of 2025, and will be released worldwide on July 11. But on Friday, January 31, the estate of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster sued the studios as part of a dispute that goes back decades.

The suit claims that copyright for the character in the UK, Ireland and Australia reverted back to Shuster’s estate in 2017, as well as Canada in 2021, due to copyright laws in those territories.

The estate’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, said, “Yet Defendants continue to exploit Superman across these jurisdictions without the Shuster Estate’s authorization — including in motion pictures, television series, and merchandise — in direct contravention of these countries’ copyright laws, which require the consent of all joint copyright owners to do so.”

Warner Bros will fight lawsuit against Superman movie

Toberoff also added, “We live in a global economy; studios like DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. cannot expect foreign countries to respect and enforce U.S. copyright law amidst rampant piracy, if we don’t respect and enforce their copyright laws.”

The suit is also seeking an order that could block the new Superman movie from being released in those territories unless they first obtain a license from the estate.

“This suit is not intended to deprive fans of their next Superman, but rather seeks just compensation for Joe Shuster’s fundamental contributions as the co-creator of Superman,” Toberoff said. “The ball’s in DC and Warner Bros.’ court to do the right thing.”

Superman was created by Shuster and Jerome Siegel in 1938, the same year in which they sold the rights for $130. Since then, the estates of both creators have endeavoured to reclaim them.

A spokesperson for Warner Bros. has responded to the new lawsuit, saying, “We fundamentally disagree with the merits of the lawsuit, and will vigorously defend our rights.”

For more, check out our guide on how to watch all the Superman movies. You can also check out other movies coming soon, like The Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts.