Ahead Of SUPERMAN's Release, James Gunn Reveals How Long Metahumans Have Been Around In The DCU

@SethBullock - Superman hasn't been the first superhero in DC comics continuity for decades. The JSA and Blackhawk Squadron are usually the first "superheroes", while Superman shows up in modern times. Though, metahumans far predate the modern concept of superheroes.

@SethBullock - it's 2025 and they want to keep the history more or less intact. For Superman to be the first superhuman the movie would have to be set in 1938.

@UltimaRex - No, he can be the first superhero in Earth-1 and just keep the JSA in Earth-2 like I've explained in my message above.

Or that's how I'd do it.

I don't want Superman to be just another random superhero in a world full of superheroes where the main superheroes are in a team called the Justice Gang, sorry, lol.

@roboticJohnson - Like I've explained in my messages above, it's possible to have the JSA in Earth-2, and the Cryme Syndicate in Earth-3, and The Authority in Earth-4, and the Watchmen in Earth-5, etc...

That's how I'd do it and that way Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc wouldn't be just some random superheroes in a world full of superheroes and the Justice League wouldn't be just the successors to the Justice Gang. 🤦

@SethBullock - respectfully, do you see the potential in Gunn’s approach though? All because Superman isn’t first doesn’t dilute the impact he will clearly have on all heroes. The film seems to be loosely influenced by Kingdom Come.

According to what little we know thus far, The Justice Gang is a corporate sponsored superteam and the authority might be the government’s.

Superman is one of the few super humans not bought or restricted. He’s free to do what he feels is right. I imagine this is the main source of inspiration for other heroes.

Superman will likely herald a new age of superheroes and eventually lead the Justice League.

I don’t think Superman has to be the first for his character to have meaning. In fact, Gunn’s approach allows us to see so many other heroes in DC without the slow burn build which would make them seem like a Marvel copycat.

You have to see the pros of this approach.

@SethBullock - yeah I got you, guess we all have our own idea of the "best" DC continuity. I prefer the one with the JSA having been a thing before superman. With superman being by far the most powerful hero ever known to the public. I like having the old Alan Scott Green lantern, Jay Garrick flash, and all them being heroes but not as powerful as the new age of heroes. To each their own

@SethBullock - Fair enough. I respect that.

I just don’t see why Superman being the first to be seen as super is that significant. I think it puts far more emphasis on his abilities and less on who he is. This way, yeah, an entire world will look at him and think “Oh, another one of those super guys. Whatever..” until that guy commits small acts of kindness and saves lives because of what is right. I think that’s what makes Superman super above all else. Not the abilities. Many heroes have those same powers as you’ve mentioned. But Superman stands a cut above the rest because he stands for Truth, Justice, and, well, whatever you want that third tenet to be.

I think that’s why Gunn is approaching it this way. If it’s just another movie where people are wowed by a superman then it’s a retread of Donner Superman and Snyder Superman and other instances.

Also, it crystallizes the conflict between Luthor and Superman more so. It’s not just Lex being obsessed with this being from outer space which we’ve seen before. Lex has seen many superhuman by now and probably is unimpressed by them and doesn’t think much of them. It makes it all the more significant when this guy— this Superman— shows up and he SHOULD be just like the others, easy to control, buy, belittle.

But he’s different . And that’s what frustrates Lex. Not that Superman is super. But that he is morally above Lex while being humble. I think it just makes for a more nuanced conflict than just being obsessed with an alien.

Also, not too hung up on heroes being old or young. Couldn’t care less. I think fans want a direct cinematic adaptation of their heroes where they remain young forever and I don’t think that’s interesting at all. Let’s look at these characters through new lenses as many times as we can!

@SethBullock - you're the only one who wants a multiverse.

So no, sorry lol.

@AC1 - I wouldn't mind the multiverse angle, but if there weren't any heroes before Superman, then you have to explain why there were metahumans since the time of Vandal Savage, yet none of them chose to use their powers to fight crime. Or you have to come up with a reason why metahumans suddenly started cropping up around the time of Superman, which would just get messy. It's fine in the comics because the comics are already messy, but they're starting a new film universe that's trying to preserve the rich history of metahumans—so it makes sense for them, and by extension superheroes, to be commonplace. But you can't have that AND Superman being set in the present day AND Superman being the first. Something's gotta give.
From everything we've seen and heard so far, I expect that superheroes such as the "Justice Gang" are mostly government or corporate puppets, and the arrival of Superman—and the eventual formation of the Justice League—will change the status quo and usher in the golden age of heroes in the DCU. I understand wanting Superman to be the first because it feels right. But I'm fine with him just being the best.

@UltimaRex - Well, iirc the DC Universe was the original multiverse and Earth-2 explained how there was an older different Flash or Green Lantern that was not Barry Allen or Hal Jordan, and I think that concept worked pretty well when writers knew what to do with it and when to do a crossover correctly without making it too crazy or too messy.

Only problem with the multiverse concept is how much Marvel has exploited it lately on their movies and tv shows, and they have not done a great job so far imo.

But like I've said before, if I was the writer of the modern comics or of these movies, I'd just keep the Justice League as the main superheroes in Earth-1, the Justice Society as the main superheroes in Earth-2 that appeared decades earlier in that universe, the Crime Syndicate as the main villain group in Earth-3, and I'd have a different Earth for The Authority, for the Watchmen, for The Avengers (eventual Marvel crossover), etc...

I think that works better than having all of those characters and teams in the same universe when originally they were not part of the same universe and Superman was supposed to be the first superhero that inspired all the other superheroes that appeared later.

It's not like if I'm trying to change everything too much, afaik this is how the DC Universe was originally designed, Superman was the first superhero and everybody else followed, and there was no Dr Manhattan, Apollo, Captain Marvel/Shazam or Captain Atom around that could be compared to him, plus there was a Justice League in Earth-1 and the Justice Society was placed in Earth-2 and other superheroes or supervillains were placed in different Earths, and they could crossover once in a while using an interdimensional portal or whatever they needed to use, it just worked and not every story where these superheroes from different Earths joined forces would need to have a multiversal megathreat with a Crisis In Infinity Earths every two days, once they found out that there are other Earths they could work together to defeat relatively smaller enemies when it could be necessary, not everything has to be a crazy convoluted multiversal story and most of the times the superheroes would just stay on their own Earths/universes, but knowing that if the Justice Society could need Superman's help there is a way to bring him to Earth-2 somehow.

I think that could work pretty well, or at least better than having a billion superheroes and superhero teams all together in the same place, which I think that makes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, etc, less special because there are too many other superheroes like them in the same place, and much more if many or even most of those other superheroes appear before them and before the Justice League is even formed, I just don't like that.

@TheJester187 - yeah, because you 'obviously' know so much more about the subject and how to build it than Gunn 😐😉

@TheJester187 - I thought clayface was going to be elseworlds?

@QuietStorm - It should be a Max series connected to The Batman. But noo Gunn wants to build his world out. If Superman is trash I don’t want shit else from him. But I know it will be good. So we stuck wit him. Which is cool I just hate how he is not prioritizing Brave and the Bold.

@TheJester187 - Wow. I had no idea. That f'd up. This Superman better be earth shattering good. Leave Reeves and his universe alone. The GA will still go and see iThe Batman 2 & 3 and all its spin offs and not worry about Gunn and his side of DC.

@ModHaterSLADE - ain't nobody watching that 😩😅

@JurassicClunge - Ain't nobody watching any of this. WB has ruined the DC brand.
Superman is gonna flop.

@Feralwookiee - I dont know man. Its a tough one to call. Superman used to be one of those characters like Spider-Man that would always make money. But does he still have that appeal? Its hard to say. Most non-comic readers seem to be Batman people nowadays.

@JurassicClunge - I did. It was decent🤷🏾‍♂️