Superman: Legacy director James Gunn has debunked one of the longest-standing, and potentially controversial, rumors relating to the upcoming DCU reboot.
Several different sources have mentioned that part of Legacy's plot will revolve around some kind of conflict in the fictional Middle Eastern country of Bialya, which is where the Scarab in Blue Beetle originates from in the comics.
Specific details vary, but the gist was that the Man of Steel would be blamed for a terrorist organization getting their hands on powerful Kryptonian tech, and The Authority would be sent in to investigate.
It was generally felt that this aspect of the story would not go over very well given the current situation in Gaza, and one fan raised this concern on Gunn's recent Instagram post.
According to the filmmaker, the terrorist threat storyline "isn't true."
Gunn didn't elaborate, so there's a chance Bialya will still factor into the film and it's just the terrorist threat element that was fabricated. Either way, it's another reminder that you shouldn't pay too much attention to every rumor that gains a bit of traction online.
In addition to David Corenswet as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Legacy will feature Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
Members of the anti-hero team The Authority will also appear, and we recently learned that María Gabriela de Faría (Animal Control) has been cast as Angela Spica/The Engineer.
We're still not sure exactly how these other superheroes will factor into the story, but Gunn has previously revealed that Superman's dual-life as both Clark Kent and the Man of Steel will be explored in the film, suggesting that these characters will be his "super friends." Whether they'll be part of an actual team or not remains to be seen.
“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.”
Casting is currently underway for Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White, and now that the strikes are over, announcements should be forthcoming.
The Righteous Gemstones actor Skyler Gisondo was recently rumored to be a "top choice" to play Jimmy, while brothers Alexander and Bill Skarsgård are said to have tested for Luthor along with one-time Superman candidate Nicholas Hoult. Gunn has yet to weigh in on any of these reports, however.