Why James Gunn is directing Superman: Legacy

There was exciting Man of Steel news yesterday when James Gunn announced he would be directing Superman: Legacy. Thanks to a social media post, we now know why.

In February, James Gunn and Peter Safran – the men charged with the task of shepherding the Warner Bros. slate of DC shows and movies – announced a huge slew of imminent projects.

One was a movie called Superman: Legacy, which would introduce a younger version of the Kryptonian. Meaning actor Henry Cavill was out of a job.

A release date was announced – July 11, 2025 – as was the fact that James Gunn was writing. But the film didn’t have a director. Until now.

Why James Gunn is directing Superman: Legacy

James Gunn took to Instagram to explain why he’s decided to direct Superman: Legacy, with the main reason being his discovery of a “way in” to the story, with his script focussing on the character’s twin heritage. Here’s Gunn’s statement in full…

“Yes, I’m directing Superman: Legacy to be released on July 11, 2025. My brother Matt said, when he saw the release date, he started to cry. I asked him why. He said, ‘Dude, it’s Dad’s birthday.’ I hadn’t realized.

“It has been a long road to this point. I was offered Superman years ago – I initially said no because I didn’t have a way in that felt unique and fun and emotional that gave Superman the dignity he deserved.”

How Krypton and Kansas will influence script

Gunn continues: “Then a bit less than a year ago I saw a way in, in many ways centering around Superman’s heritage – how both his aristocratic Kryptonian parents and his Kansas farmer parents inform who he is and the choices he makes.

“So I chose to finally take on writing the script. But I was hesitant to direct, despite the constant pestering by Peter Safran and others to commit (sorry, Peter).

“Just because I write something doesn’t mean I feel it in my bones, visually and emotionally, enough to spend over two years directing it, especially not something of this magnitude.

“But, the long and the short of it is, I love this script, and I’m incredibly excited as we begin this journey.”

So with that script ready and the director in place, Gunn’s next job is to find a young actor to fill Henry Cavill’s sizeable Superman boots…

Superman: Legacy will hit screens on July 11, 2025, and you can read everything we know about the project here.