Superman: Legacy release date – latest news for James Gunn's DC movie

But fans are excited for the new iteration of Superman and to see where he could go.

Plus, Guardians of the Galaxy director Gunn, who wrote the film, has revealed that he's also on board to direct.

He recently tweeted: "Yes, I’m directing Superman: Legacy to be released on July 11, 2025. My brother Matt told me 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."

He added: "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.

"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."

Gunn went on on to say that he was "hesitant" to direct at first – but eventually came round as he "loves" the script.

Read on for everything we know so far about Superman: Legacy!

When will Superman: Legacy be released?

Superman: Legacy will officially arrive in cinemas on 11th July 2025, meaning fans will still need to wait for a couple more years until they get to see the Man of Steel on the big screen once again.

The film will come after two TV projects on Gunn and Safran's slate - Creature Commandos and Waller - and will, according to Safran, really be the "launch of the DCU".

What will Superman: Legacy be about?

We know very little about the plot of Superman: Legacy at this point. What we do know is that the film will be written by James Gunn and that it will, according to DC's Twitter page, "focus on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing".

Gunn's recent Twitter post also suggest that the superhero's parents will be heavily involved in the film.

In a video posted to Twitter, Gunn explained that the film would be the "true beginning of the DCU", and that he is currently "having a great time" writing the script.

Meanwhile, Gunn and Safran also released some additional detail on the film together, with Safran saying: "(This) is really the launch of the DCU. The first two projects are an amuse-bouche for what’s coming up with Superman: Legacy.

"James is currently writing it. We’re hoping that he will direct it. It’s not an origin story. It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned."

Meanwhile, Gunn added: "With our stories, we want to take it away from good guy vs. bad guy. There are really good – almost saintly – people and Superman is among them. There are really terrible villains like Gorilla Grodd or the Joker. And then there’s everybody in between them, so there are all these shades of grey which allow us to tell complex stories."

Who will play Superman in Superman: Legacy cast?

At the moment we have no confirmation or detail when it comes to casting for the film - we only know so far who won't play Superman, and that is Henry Cavill.

After some to-ing and fro-ing as DC changed plans for its cinematic universe, Cavill posted on Instagram to say: "I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it's sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman.

"After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn't the easiest, but that's life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build."

Meanwhile, Gunn said on Twitter: "In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman's life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill.

"But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future."

Gunn also told Deadline once the new film had been announced that he didn't "fire" Cavill because he had never been cast in the film in the first place.

He explained: "We didn’t’ fire Henry. Henry was never cast. He was in a cameo, and that was the end of his story. A lot of people made assumptions which weren’t true. But for me, it’s about who do I want to cast as Superman and who do the filmmakers want to cast.

"For me, for this story, it isn’t Henry. I like Henry. He’s a great guy. I think he’s gotten dicked around by a lot of people, including former regimes of this company. But this Superman isn’t Henry for a number of reasons."

As for who will be cast in the role, for now all we can do is wait for further announcements...

Is there a trailer for Superman: Legacy?

There isn't a trailer available for the film just yet but you can watch James Gunn's announcement video, running through the first chapter of projects in the DCU, right here:

Superman: Legacy will be released in cinemas on 11th July 2025. Check out more of our Film coverage or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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