Some names were finally thrown into the mix for the three lead roles in James Gunn's Superman: Legacy over the weekend, and we also learned that the director has spoken to one of his Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 cast members about potentially playing a new big-screen take on iconic DC Comics villain, Lex Luthor.
Now, insider @MyTimeToShineHello is claiming that this actor was none other than Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon), but it doesn't sound like they were able to make it work.
Reports indicate that Gunn has also met with Black actors for Luthor, who is being referred to internally as the "Apex" version of the character. Whether this superpowered take on Lex is the one we'll actually see in the movie remains to be seen.
Gunn would neither confirm nor deny any of the casting possibilities, but the trades believe that Nicholas Hoult (Renfield), David Corenswet (Pearl), Jacob Elordi (Euphoria), and Andrew Richardson (Extrapolations) are in contention to play Clark Kent/Superman, while Emma Mackey (Barbie), Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton), and Samara Weaving (Scream VI) have tested for Lois Lane.
Gunn reportedly turned in the first draft of his script before the writers' strike, but that doesn't mean the production won't be impacted going forward.
“Superman: Legacy is the true foundation of our creative vision for the DC Universe. Not only is Superman an iconic part of DC lore, he is also a favorite character for comic book readers, viewers of earlier movies, and fans around the world," said Gunn during the DCU slate announcement. "I can’t wait to introduce our version of Superman who audiences will be able to follow and get to know across films, movies, animation and gaming.”
Superman: Legacy is set to hit theaters in 2025.