SUPERMAN: LEGACY - 7 Rumors And Spoilers You Need To Know About James Gunn's DCU Reboot

SUPERMAN: LEGACY - 7 Rumors And Spoilers You Need To Know About James Gunn's DCU Reboot

As the ensemble expands, excitement for Superman: Legacy continues to build. Now, we're rounding up the biggest rumours surrounding James Gunn's reboot, from plot details to even more casting news...

Feature Opinion
By JoshWilding - Nov 23, 2023 12:11 PM EST
Filed Under: Superman: Legacy

Superman: Legacy is shaping up to be 2025's biggest superhero movie...at least in terms of the cast! While filmmaker James Gunn is assembling a massive ensemble for the first DCU movie, it's an undeniably exciting project and one DC fans are hoping to see do the Man of Tomorrow justice. 

David Corenswet is playing Clark Kent, with Rachel Brosnahan joining him as Lois Lane. Beyond them, superheroes, supervillains, and supporting characters have all been added to the mix, but Gunn isn't done yet. 

In this feature, we're delving into the biggest Superman: Legacy rumours - well, the ones which haven't been debunked by Gunn yet, at least - to give you a better idea of what to expect from the reboot's plot, characters, and place in the wider DCU. 

So, to see what may or may not be heading our way a couple of years from now, simply tap that "Next" button below!
 

7. "Apex" Lex Luthor

Lex-Luthor-Year-of-the-Villain-Vol-1-1-Textless-copy

All signs point to Nicholas Hoult playing Superman: Legacy's Lex Luthor, but in casting calls, the villain was dubbed "Apex." 

In the comic books, Lex captured Martian Manhunter and used him to gain Martian-based superpowers that made him strong enough to defeat the Justice League. Needless to say, anything along those lines would go a long way in differentiating Lex from previous big screen iterations and suggests this version won't need a super suit to battle the Man of Steel.

Instead, he may be physically formidable enough to take the fight to Supes, making him a mental and physical threat to Metropolis' protector. However, as this was only used in casting calls, it may be best to temper expectations. 
 

6. A Role For The Authority

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There was initially a great deal of speculation that Superman: Legacy would introduce the likes of Jenny Sparks, Midnighter, and Apollo to lay the groundwork for the eventual Authority movie. Later, it was said that was a misdirect to hide the inclusion of all those Justice League superheroes. 

However, The Engineer has since been cast and the same rumour revealing her involvement also mentioned Jack Hawksmoor, a.k.a. The God of Cities, and The Doctor. With that in mind, we expect to see both of them in the reboot. 

A Black actor is reportedly being sought for Hawksmoor, though we don't currently have any additional details on plans for The Doctor.
 

5. A Middle Eastern Subplot

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We've heard on multiple occasions now that at least part of Superman: Legacy will revolve around a conflict in the Middle East. The fictional nation of Bialya is said to be involved, and it's worth noting that's where the Blue Beetle Scarab originates from. 

Piecing together what we've learned, a relatively unknown Superman finds himself pulled into the global spotlight after attempting to retrieve missing Kryptonian technology which could hold the answers to his past. His fellow heroes disagree with his approach, while there's a chance Luthor is also involved in peace talks. 

We're guessing Supes is either mistaken for a terrorist or believed to be an American super-weapon. Either way, Gunn has dismissed claims of a Middle Eastern terrorist subplot being part of the movie but hasn't outright denied what you've read above!
 

4. Final Roles To Cast

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Since the SAG-AFTRA strike ended, we've been treated to a lot of Superman: Legacy casting news. However, even though Gunn is likely taking a break for Thanksgiving, the filmmaker is far from finished. 

It was recently revealed that an offer has been made to an actor for the role of The Daily Planet's Editor-in-Chief, Perry White. As a result, he's expected to be among the next wave of announcements. 

Gunn is also said to be on the hunt for Ma and Pa Kent, with actors in their 50s - 70s who are "lesser-known" names thought to be among those he's currently circling for two of the most important figures in Clark Kent's life. The reboot is also searching for a male in his 40s - 50s for a comedic role that's more than likely The Daily Planet's Steve Lombard.
 

3. Kurt Russell As Jor-El

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Earlier this year, a leaker claimed to have seen concept art from Superman: Legacy, revealing that Jor-El will indeed be part of the movie. There have been rumblings about the Fortress of Solitude (and Krypto) being part of this retelling, so we're guessing it's there Kal-El is going to communicate with his dear old dad. 

It was said that, "He's drawn as being tall, and I mean REALLY tall. Like, above 7 feet at least. His costume is sort of a mix between armor and fabric, with the armor bits being like a baby blue and the fabric being a crystal-y white. He has a blue House of El crest on his chest which glows, kind of like an LED."

"And here's the fun part. Take this with a grain of salt, as a ton of concept art uses random actors' faces on characters, but the specific art I've seen features Kurt Russell's face on Jor-El." If correct, the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 star will go from playing the evil Ego to the Man of Tomorrow's father!
 

2. Brainiac Is The True Big Bad

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There have been rumours about Brainiac from the start, and we've since heard he will indeed be Superman: Legacy's big bad. The villain's big screen debut is long-awaited and long overdue, meaning Gunn will make a lot of fans very happy by throwing him into the mix. 

That leaked concept art supposedly revealed that he's "a generic gray robot with green highlights" that features Brainiac's "signature headpiece." 

In the comics, Brainiac is commonly depicted as a superintelligent android from the planet Colu who is obsessed with collecting all knowledge in the known universe. We don't know how Gunn's version will differ, or who is set to play him, but many fans are convinced Hoult has been cast as Brainiac, and not Lex.
 

1. Michael Rooker Reunion

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It was recently revealed that Guardians of the Galaxy star - and Gunn's longtime collaborator and friend - Michael Rooker had been tapped to play the DCU's Sam Lane.

We'd have loved to see the Yondu actor tackle a less comedic role, though the filmmaker has since claimed the reports are incorrect. He didn't, however, outright deny that Rooker will have a role to play in Superman: Legacy

Steve Lombard would be a good fit, though we'd also be intrigued to see his spin on Perry White. A cameo as a minor DC Comics supervillain is another possibility but we're just excited to see these two work together again. 
 

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tmp3
tmp3 - 11/23/2023, 12:12 PM
Why would we “need” to know spoilers? You gotta think before you write sometimes, because half the headlines on this site feel like word salads lol
Origame
Origame - 11/23/2023, 12:15 PM
Ok, the middle east subplot rumor has already been debunk.

Also, I doubt they'd go through all the trouble of building up lex gaining Martian powers only to have brainiac be the real villain.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 11/23/2023, 12:29 PM
Debunked Mid East subplot. hack Wilding hacks.
Clara009
Clara009 - 11/23/2023, 12:32 PM
I don't know. The more I read of this movie the more crowded it feels.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 11/23/2023, 1:10 PM
@Clara009 - sadly, I am getting that feeling as well. I really wish Gunn would save Brainiac for the 1st Justice League movie and use a couple of other Supes' villains as kind of a warm-up (Metallo, Parasite, Livewire, Bizarro, Lobo, ect).
MaxPaint
MaxPaint - 11/23/2023, 12:50 PM
Matchesz
Matchesz - 11/23/2023, 12:54 PM
Hoping Nick is brainiac and they go older for lex luthor
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 11/23/2023, 1:10 PM
@Matchesz - Who would be your choice for Lex?
Feralwookiee
Feralwookiee - 11/23/2023, 2:11 PM
Apex Luthor sounds terrible imo.
After autistic whiny wimpy Luthor in BVS, we'd supposedly get a Luthor who can physically stand toe to toe with Superman?



How about giving us a briliant, cold, calcuating, businessman Luthor who is calm and collected and all about mentally and spiritually breaking Superman?
It really sucks, because we've never seen that Luthor on the big screen, with Hackman (not really) coming the closest to pulling it off.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the States, and to the rest of you, happy Thursday! 🤪
maxx
maxx - 11/23/2023, 3:15 PM
@Feralwookiee - this is exactly what they need to do - the cold calculating Lex. we’ve never seen it in the movies, it’s who the character is, and if they jump to Lex with powers then Gunn’s universe will be DOA for the majority of audiences.
SheepishOne
SheepishOne - 11/23/2023, 3:00 PM
Rumor has it superhero movies are on the way out, and DC blew its only chance to ride the wave.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 11/23/2023, 4:54 PM
I hope that if Lex and Brainiac show up, they're used to a bare minimum. Maybe even just to a scene each showing they're only pulling strings at best.

Rather see new characters (on screen atleast) be the villains. A Superman vs. Authority conflict sounds pretty compelling. Especially if it's done like Superman vs the Elite.
CaptainFlapjaks
CaptainFlapjaks - 11/23/2023, 11:09 PM
@bkmeijer1 - i would love to see metallo done on screen. Would be like superman vs terminator. Manchester Black would be ccool too. You could even do a take on red son and make him cyborg superman who thinks he is the real superman and that the other one is a threat.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 11/24/2023, 1:29 AM
@CaptainFlapjaks - I like those ideas (especially Metallo), but I also wanna see them so something completely new.

If they ever do Red Son though, I wouldn't mind it if they brought back Cavill for that.
CaptainFlapjaks
CaptainFlapjaks - 11/24/2023, 2:05 PM
@bkmeijer1 - yeah cavill would work for red son.
CaptainFlapjaks
CaptainFlapjaks - 11/24/2023, 2:08 PM
@bkmeijer1 - honestly, metallo should have been the villain for bvs. He has kryptonite to weaken superman but is still someone batman can fight somewhat realistically with the use of gadgets. Better choice than doomsday was.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 11/24/2023, 2:49 PM
@CaptainFlapjaks - never thought about that, but that actually could've worked a lot better. They even still could've used Zod to turn into a cyborg
CaptainFlapjaks
CaptainFlapjaks - 11/24/2023, 5:25 PM
@bkmeijer1 - yeah i was hoping lex would be using his body to create bizarro but then the trailer showed us doomsday. I dont know why they would put doomsday in the trailer. Anything doomsday related basically falls back to "oh i guess superman is dying in this one". And that is also an enemy you build up to. Like that should have been the final solo movie or a jl part 2 ending where darkseid unleashes doomsday on earth after his defeat. A final "f you" to supes and the league.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 11/24/2023, 5:39 PM
@CaptainFlapjaks - and it also took away attention from the titular conflict. Should've just kept it about the two coming to blows. Just don't see why it also had to be the Death of Superman, especially with him staying dead no longer than one movie.
CaptainFlapjaks
CaptainFlapjaks - 11/24/2023, 6:21 PM
@bkmeijer1 - yeah, i think if you are gonna do the death of superman, it needs to be an event. Something that has a lasting effect on the story for a while. If they wanted to do that this early, they should have killed him, and either in the batman, flash or wonder woman sequel they are protecting metropolis after supes death. Even luthor is trying to help out after seeing the error of his ways. Then you revive him in jl part 2 in the second or third act.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 11/24/2023, 6:24 PM
@CaptainFlapjaks - yup. Too bad they rushed it. Hope Gunn takes his time with both Batman vs Superman (or even Batman/Superman) and Death of Superman
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 11/23/2023, 6:22 PM
Don’t you tell me what I need
Arthorious
Arthorious - 11/23/2023, 11:29 PM
Didn’t we have an article the other day of Gunn dismissing no. 5?
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