Superman: everything we know so far about James Gunn’s next DC movie (release date, trailer, cast, plot, and more)
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Superman’s DCU movie: key information
– Launching worldwide in mid-July
– First DCU Chapter One movie that’ll be released
– DC Studios co-head James Gunn on co-writing and directing duties
– Trailers released in December 2024, May 2025, and June 2025
– Full cast confirmed
– Story synopsis revealed
– Will draw inspiration from multiple DC comic series
– Could set up future DCU projects
– A pseudo-sequel movie is in the works
Get ready to look up. Superman, the first movie that’ll be released as part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe (DCU) arrives worldwide on July 11 (unless you’ve acquired a ticket for one its July 8 theatrical screenings, anyway).
With one of this year’s most anticipated new movies less than a month away, then, you’ll want to find out everything we know about it so far. In this definitive guide, you’ll learn more about its confirmed cast, story details, trailers, and possible impact on future DCU Chapter One projects.
Potential cast and story spoilers follow for Superman, so proceed at your own risk.
Superman release date
As mentioned, Superman will fly into theaters globally on Friday, July 11. Its official launch date was revealed in January 2023 when Gunn revealed the initial line-up for DCU Chapter One.
Lucky fans in the US can watch it earlier, though. DC Studios is holding early screenings – July 8, to be precise – via a partnership with Amazon Prime. Use the aforementioned link to buy your ticket and be one of the first to see the Man of Tomorrow’s latest film.
Meanwhile, on Threads, Gunn confirmed Superman‘s runtime is two hours and nine minutes. That’s inclusive of its end credits crawl and post-credits scene, too.
Superman trailer
Superman | Official Teaser Trailer – YouTube
Superman‘s first trailer was released last December and, while it teased plenty, Krypto the Superdog was the one thing I obsessed over for days after its unveiling.
Superman‘s inaugural teaser wasn’t unexpected. Gunn confirmed Superman‘s first footage would arrive on the previously mentioned date three days before its release. We were also treated to a 30-second teaser for Superman that made us believe that a man could really fly before it was, too.
Superman | Official Trailer | DC – YouTube
![Superman | Official Trailer | DC - YouTube]()
Lots more footage has been debuted since, including Superman‘s official trailer (see above) that confirmed the appearance of another villain that the titular hero will fight. For more details on this mystery individual, read my Superman trailer #2 breakdown piece.
Superman | Tickets on Sale Now – YouTube
One final trailer was released to celebrate tickets going on sale in mid-June, too. Check out this article on four crucial details that you might have missed in its latest teaser.
On top of that trio, DC Studios released the movie’s first extended clip in April, which revealed the jaw-dropping first-look at its Fortress of Solitude and the robot assistants that inhabit it. A behind-the-scenes featurette is also available if you want a peek behind the curtain on Superman‘s development.
Superman cast: confirmed and rumored
Potential spoilers follow for 2025’s Superman film.
Here’s the lengthy confirmed cast list for Superman so far:
- David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman
- Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane
- Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor
- Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern
- Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl
- Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt/Mister Terrific
- Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho
- Maria Gabriela de Faria as Angela Spica/The Engineer
- Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher
- Pruitt Taylor Vince as Jonatan ‘Pa’ Kent
- Neva Howell as Martha ‘Ma’ Kent
- Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord
- Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen
- Wendell Pierce as Perry White
- Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard
- Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant
- Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.
- Alan Tudyk as Kelex
- Christopher McDonald as Ron Troupe
- Terence Rosemore as Otis
The vast majority of these characters are household names, so DC Comics devotees and general audiences alike should know who many of them are. I’ll be compiling a cast and character guide on all of the aforementioned individuals soon so, if you’re in need of a refresher about some or all of the above, you can read more about them in the near future.
The only character who isn’t listed above but is confirmed to show up is Krypto the Superdog.
Kal-El’s loyal but boisterous canine companion’s appearance was all but confirmed when leaked image suggested Mr. Terrific would encounter Krypto at some point in the movie. Since then, Krypto, whose personality and likeness was inspired by Gunn’s own rescue dog Ouzo, but who was played by a different canine called Jolene (per Time magazine), has featured in various trailers and TV spots that confirm he’s part of proceedings.
As for other potential inclusions, Milly Alcock’s Supergirl is rumored to make a brief cameo. However, on Threads, Gunn says Kara Zor-El isn’t in Superman.
Meanwhile, Bradley Cooper, who voiced Rocket Raccoon in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy film trilogy, is reportedly playing Zor-El, aka Clark Kent/Kal-El’s biological Kryptonian father.
It’s also unclear who’s playing Ultraman, one of this movie’s secondary villains whose identity has been the subject of intense speculation. However, an unlikely source has seemingly confirmed one of Superman‘s biggest fan theories and revealed who Ultraman really is. Don’t worry, though, I won’t spell out his identity here.
Superman story synopsis and speculation
Here’s Superman‘s plot synopsis: “James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.”
The first thing to note is that the Man of Steel’s latest feature film won’t be an origins story. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Gunn revealed Supes has been operating as a superhero for three years by the start of this movie, so don’t expect to see Kal-El’s birth, Krypton’s subsequent destruction, Supes’ arrival on Earth, the emergence of his powers, etc.
Superman Soundtrack (2025) | Theme from Superman (Teaser Trailer Version) – John Murphy | WaterTower – YouTube
Unsurprisingly, Superman has been inspired by various stories from the legendary character’s 80 year-plus comic book history.
For one, when Gunn teased the DC superhero’s new suit last March, fans suggested this film is a reverse-engineered take on ‘Kingdom Come’, a 1996 Elseworlds four-issue run created by Mark Waid and Alex Ross.
According to The Direct’s David Thompson, Corenswet has also said it has cherry picked elements from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s ‘Superman: For All Seasons’ miniseries, and Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, and Jamie Grant’s ‘All-Star Superman’ comics.
Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s ‘Superman: The Warworld Saga’, Tom King’s ‘Superman: Up In The Sky’, and the character’s Golden Age comics are all big influences, too (per Gunn on Threads). As evidenced by composer John Murphy’s retooling the Christopher Reeve-starring films’ instantly recognizable musical theme (listen to it below), other Superman-led films have also inspired its tone and feel.
Superman won’t solely focus on the eponymous individual’s superhuman exploits, though. One of DC Comics’ iconic Trinity of heroes’ civilian life has been examined as much, if not more so, than his time wearing that legendary blue and red suit.
The DCU’s first film, then, will place as much emphasis on Kent’s home life alongside his surrogate human parents, his job as a roving reporter for The Daily Planet, and budding romance with Brosnahan’s Lane (they’ve been dating for three months by the time the story begins, Brosnahan told EW) as him rescuing Metropolis and its population.
Per Gunn, the DCU’s take on humanity has known about metahumans for 300 years at the start of this flick, so these superpowered marvels aren’t a novel idea to planet Earth’s most successful species.
And what of the rivalry – if it can be labeled as such – between the titular metahuman and his archnemesis Lex Luthor who, in this universe, runs the multinational company LuthorCorp rather than the traditionally-named LexCorp? Where does it stem for and why is the latter so hell-bent on taking Supes down a notch or seven?
“He [Lex] is someone who really worked hard for a long time in terms of science, himself, his intellect, and how he wants to be perceived,” Hoult told EW. “I wanted him to feel like he was as much alpha as possible, where he’s someone who’s, in his mind, done everything he possibly could for himself, but also for humanity in some ways. In his mind, he should be adored. And then… this superhuman… has come along, who all those things come naturally to in many ways. That gives Lex a deep, deep resentment.”
Where to watch every other live-action Superman movie
Want to know where to stream every live-action Superman movie (or films that he features in) to date? Read on:
- Superman (1978) – Max/Prime Video (US), Sky/Now TV/Prime Video (UK), iView/Prime Video (Australia)
- Superman II (1981) – Max/Prime Video (US), Sky/Now TV/Prime Video (UK), iView/Prime Video (Australia)
- Superman III (1983) – Max/Prime Video (US), Sky/Now TV/Prime Video (UK), iView/Prime Video (Australia)
- Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987) – Max/Prime Video (US), Sky/Now TV/Prime Video (UK), iView/Prime Video (Australia)
- Superman Returns (2006) – Max/Prime Video (US), Sky/Now TV/Prime Video (UK), Prime Video (Australia)
- Man of Steel (2013) – Max/Prime Video (US), Sky/Now TV/Prime Video (UK), Netflix/Binge/Foxtel/Prime Video (Australia)
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – Max/Prime Video/TNT/TBS (US), Prime Video (UK), Netflix/Binge/Foxtel/Prime Video (Australia)
- Justice League (2017) – Max/Prime Video (US), Sky/Now TV/Prime Video (UK), Foxtel/Prime Video (Australia)
- Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) – Max/Prime Video (US), Prime Video (UK), Prime Video (Australia)
How will Superman set up other DCU movies and TV shows?
We don’t know how Superman will set up other DCU projects, but it’ll be a jumping-off point for the DCU’s next three projects: Peacemaker season 2, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Lanterns.
Peacemaker‘s sophomore season, which arrives in mid-August, will feature Grillo’s Flag Sr is a major antagonistic role. Its first trailer also confirmed Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Maxwell Lord will cameo, so it’ll connect to Superman via that trio’s appearances. Gunn has also described Peacemaker 2 as “pretty important” to the DCU’s overarching narrative, too, so it’s as much a vital cog in the storytelling machine as Superman is.
Meanwhile, Supergirl’s next big-screen outing is inspired by Tom King’s literary series of the same name. If Kara shows up in Superman, the latter may set up her next adventure. For now, all we know is that it’ll arrive in theaters in June 2026, its first image teased a location that’ll be familiar to DC comic book fans, and a sizable Supergirl movie update confirmed Krypto will appear. For more details on this movie, read my definitive guide on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.
Lastly, Lanterns is an HBO TV Original that’s been described as a superhero version of True Detective. Its chief creative team was revealed in May 2024, with King, Damon Lindelof, and Chris Mundy leading the charge. Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler have been confirmed as its leads in John Stewart and Hal Jordan. It’ll also feature Fillion’s Gardner (per EW), so he’ll act as the bridge between this project and Supes’ latest live-action adaptation.
And what of Clark Kent’s own DCU future? A direct sequel isn’t in development, but Gunn has teased what “I’m working on is in some way… is it a straight-up Superman sequel? I would not say necessarily.”
Could be getting a World’s Finest starring Supes and Batman, a Trinity movie featuring the pair and Wonder Woman, or even a fully-fledged Justice League flick? That would be something, but I’d expect the Batman-starring The Brave and the Bold film and Wonder Woman’s standalone DCU movie to arrive first. We’ll see if I’m right in the months and years ahead.
For more DC-based coverage, find out how to watch the DC movies in order or see which DCEU films made it onto our best Max movies list. Alternatively, learn more about Creature Commandos season 2 and The Batman Part II, the latter of whom sits independent of the DCU.
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