James Gunn says he's not making a young Superman movie – clarifying confusion over Henry Cavill recast

James Gunn
(Image credit: Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer)

James Gunn has spoken more about Superman: Legacy, clarifying confusion following Henry Cavill's departure from the role in the process. 

On Threads, in response to a fan, Gunn wrote: "I was never making a 'young Superman' movie, just a Superman movie!"

The confirmation comes after Cavill's exit from the role. Following his post-credits appearance in Black Adam, Cavill announced he was back as Superman, then soon after shared he was back out. Gunn revealed that his Superman movie would focus on a younger version of the character, hence the recast. 

"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," Gunn wrote on Twitter after Cavill announced he would no longer be the Man of Steel

Later, David Corenswet was cast as the new incarnation of Clark Kent, with Rachel Brosnahan co-starring as Lois Lane. The film will also include Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl. 

The first project arriving as part of the new DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters is animated Max show Creature Commandos, with Superman: Legacy arriving in 2025 as the first film of the new universe. 

Meanwhile, the DCEU is still finishing up with the newly released Blue Beetle and the upcoming Aquaman 2. For even more on Blue Beetle, check out our explainers on: 

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

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