Henry Cavill's "Young" Superman Replacement Clarified By James Gunn After Backlash

DC Studios’ James Gunn is setting the record straight about Superman: Legacy as David Corenswet is replacing Henry Cavill as a younger Man of Steel.

SUMMARY

David Corenswet replaces Henry Cavill as the new Superman in DC Universe’s “Superman: Legacy.” Mixed responses about the new Man of Steel for the upcoming DC Universe have been circulating.
James Gunn confirms that “Superman: Legacy” is not a young Superman movie, but rather a Superman movie set in his 20s. It will focus on Clark being established as Metropolis’ hero without retelling his origin story.
“Superman: Legacy” will establish that superheroes already exist in this DC Universe incarnation, featuring recognizable costume fighters like Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, Metamorpho, and Lois Lane. Production is set to begin in early 2024.

After some confusion about David Corenswet taking over for Henry Cavill as DC Universe’s new Superman in Superman: Legacy, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has clarified his comments about the upcoming film. 2023 has been Warner Bros.’s biggest shake-up of all time when it comes to the DC brand, as the DCEU faces its end while the new DC Universe is replacing it. One of the key projects for the studio is Superman: Legacy, which will be part of the massive plans that Gunn and Peter Safran have for the DC Universe.

Even since Corenswet replaced Cavill as Superman for Warner Bros. and DC Studios, there have been mixed responses about the new Man of Steel for the upcoming DC Universe. Despite the fact that Superman: Legacy is still a few years away, some fans are curious about how DC Studios is tackling Superman for the new generation.

On Threads, @TheBadoneAndy asked Gunn about Superman’s existence as established in Blue Beetle, which will be tied into the DC Universe. The user wondered if Superman: Legacy will be set in the past since Blue Beetle establishes that Jaime Reyes is aware of Krypton’s last son in this continuity. Gunn didn’t take long to clear up what he is actually doing with Superman: Legacy, confirming that he “was never making a “young Superman” movie, just a Superman movie!” This comes after Gunn had talked about how this take on the DC icon will be somewhere in his 20s.

What Gunn Has Confirmed So Far About Superman: Legacy

Despite the ongoing Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes, there are actually a number of key details confirmed about Superman: Legacy, thanks to James Gunn. Since the beginning, Gunn has made it clear that Superman: Legacy will not be an origin story and actually focus on Clark being established as Metropolis’ beloved hero. Given the age range, the reboot will essentially follow Clark early in his superhero career, which allows the movie to set up the character without needing to repeat his earliest moments.

Superman: Legacy will establish that in this incarnation of the DC Universe, superheroes already exist, which is why the film will feature a number of recognizable costume fighters. Thus far, Gunn has tapped Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho. Gunn has assured that the inclusion of these DC characters is to help tell Superman’s story better and keep the titular hero as the lead, alongside Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane.

Once both strikes come to an end, Gunn will likely be able to disclose more details about Superman: Legacy, which is currently looking to start production in early 2024. It will be interesting to see what other cast members he ends up tapping for the film, and whether or not there are other DC superheroes being introduced. But for now, the world will have to wait patiently on more Superman: Legacy announcements.