James Gunn is believed to have completed writing Superman: Legacy's screenplay prior to the WGA strike and was deep in the casting process when SAG-AFTRA's members joined those scribes on the picket lines.
With production not slated to begin until next January, it's unlikely we'll learn anything significant about the DC Studios reboot for some time. However, has DC Comics just confirmed the identity of the movie's main villain?
In a social media post revealing which comics inspired Superman: Legacy, Action Comics #866 - #780 are among those mentioned.
The others are All-Star Superman, which we know Gunn is a fan of, and Superman: Birthright (one of the Man of Steel's best origin stories). However, those Action Comics issues revolved primarily around Brainiac.
Written by Geoff Johns with artwork by Gary Frank, it saw Clark Kent step up to protect Earth from the deadly villain. The fan-favourite bad guy's presence in Superman: Legacy makes a lot more sense than Lex Luthor being the movie's main antagonist (again).
While not confirmed, we can't imagine DC Comics plucked these issues out of thin air so we're definitely taking this as a hint Brainiac will indeed be part of the story Gunn plans on telling. The villain's big screen debut is way overdue and would get this movie off to a strong start.
"Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas," reads the movie's synopsis. "He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned."
David Corenswet is playing the Man of Steel, while Rachel Brosnahan has been tapped to star as Lois Lane. other recent casting additions include Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
Superman: Legacy is set to be released in theaters on July 11. 2025.