SUPERMAN: LEGACY Production Designer Says James Gunn Has A "Crystal Clear" Vision For His Man Of Steel Film

SUPERMAN: LEGACY Production Designer Says James Gunn Has A "Crystal Clear" Vision For His Man Of Steel Film

The production designer for James Gunn's Superman: Legacy has shared that she's excited to work on the project since Gunn has such a clear vision for how he wants the film to look.

News
By MarkJulian - Jul 26, 2023 08:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman: Legacy
Source: ScreenRant

Superman fans have bid adieu to Henry Cavill and are ready to embrace David Corenswet as James Gunn looks to reset the DC cinematic universe with Superman: Legacy.

Despite some actors carrying on from the DCEU, Gunn has previously revealed that the new DC Studios film canon starts with Superman: Legacy.

Gunn apparently has a strong vision for his Superman film, as the film's production designer, Beth Mickle, shared with Screen Rant that  Gunn knows precisely how he wants his film to look.

Said Mickle:

"That does mean I am doing the new Superman film, and it couldn't be more of an honor. I'm very happy. We're all very excited to be a part of the team. We're very lucky that he comes with a crystal clear vision of what he wants his movies to be. And that's not often the case."

"A lot of times you're really finding it, or a lot of times a production designer and the costume designer find it for the director. But he comes always with a brilliant first draft of the script, which is also very rare, and a really clear idea of how the movie's going to be shot, what he wants it to feel like. He has strong references. He has fantastical musical references, and he's really articulate about it. He really lays out this wonderful roadmap for my team and me and the other creative departments to follow."

The release date for Superman: Legacy is currently slated for July 11, 2025. There will be no live-action DC Comics adaptations released in 2024, and Legacy is currently the only upcoming DCU project with an announced release date.

The film is being written and directed by James Gunn and will be a reboot of the Superman franchise.

Currently, David Corenswet will play Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan stars as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion will portray Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced has been cast as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi will bring Mister Terrific to life, and Anthony Carrigan will portray Metamorpho.

Several more roles, including who will play Jimmy Olsen and Lex Luthor, were on the verge of being cast before the SAG-AFTRA strike began.

With a 2025 release date, the ongoing strike shouldn't have a tremendous impact on when Superman: Legacy will hit theaters, but it all depends on how quickly the actors and studio producers can come to an agreement. 

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philinterrupted
philinterrupted - 7/26/2023, 8:21 AM
What ?!?!? Henry Cavill isn’t Superman anymore?! This is the first I’m hearing of it….
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 7/26/2023, 8:22 AM
That’s good to hear
TheFinestSmack
TheFinestSmack - 7/26/2023, 8:28 AM
I mean...shouldn't he have a clear vision?
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 7/26/2023, 10:35 AM
@TheFinestSmack - he should but as she said , that’s not always the case with directors.
mastakilla39
mastakilla39 - 7/26/2023, 8:29 AM
Snyder had one too just saying....doesn't equate to a good movie. But I have to admit Gunn's pitch sounds more promising than Snyders.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 7/26/2023, 8:34 AM
@mastakilla39 -

As I’ve said, Gunn just really needs to embrace the traditional golden age Superman ala 1930s-50s. It’s not only a way to differentiate from what we’ve seen before in live action but also to stick close to the comic source material.
I mean, for goodness sakes, he just hired a Jewish kid to be Superman, just like Shuster and Segal envisioned.
Make Superman like Cap A. He’s a Boy Scout and seems outdated but you can’t help but love him for it and deep down you want to be like him and root for him.
mountainman
mountainman - 7/26/2023, 9:19 AM
@HulkisHoly - These days, with how cynical people, Hollywood and media in general have become, a traditional story of a genuinely good person taking on evil could be just what people need if done well.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/26/2023, 12:29 PM
@mastakilla39 - I have no doubt that Gunn will bring his A game and we'll all love it. The critics might love it too.

But it's not even about quality (if it was the Top 100 Grossing Movies would be a wildly different list).
It's about strategy.
Make no mistake, this will fail. It will fail because he's also using the same strategy Snyder employed; Superheroes simply exist and will pop up with no explanation like a cartoon for 5 year olds.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 7/26/2023, 12:46 PM
@mountainman -

Completely agree.
If nothing else you’ll make tons of money by appealing to traditional, non-woke, pro -freedom majority of the population.
The majority of the world and even the western world is growing tired of radical leftist politics in film.

Barbie is the only feminist film that’s made a profit recently and that’s because it’s marketing has a huge child appeal and it hid how 3rd wave feminist/ sexist it was. Heck, I almost went to go see it before I found out it was all about how stupid men are.

Just make Superman non political, comic accurate, and a hero to look up to.
mountainman
mountainman - 7/26/2023, 12:53 PM
@HulkisHoly - I really haven’t paid much attention to all the Barbie drama because I simply just don’t care about Barbie as an IP. But hasn’t Barbie always been pretty feminist? Like old school feminism not this modern shit. Before women were in the workplace much, there were Barbies that were multiple professions. There have been multicultural Barbies for ages. If any franchise makes sense to be feminist, it seems like Barbie makes sense.

Side note aside, I agree that studios that make quality movies devoid of modern social messaging are likely to do well. Take away Barbie, and most movies that have done well in the post-COVID box office are like that. Even the political messages in Avatar 2 are tame by modern standards. Being against whaling or imperialism are not controversial subjects today. Top Gun 2 had politics, but it was America vs generic “evil” country with missiles. Pretty generic. GOTG3 was about not abusing animals or trying to over control society. Mario was about finding yourself and defeating the bad guy. No Way Home was about honoring the past. Pretty basic themes all of them.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 7/26/2023, 2:07 PM
@mountainman -

Yes Barbie has always been feminist which isn’t bad, but modern feminism isn’t about equality or respect, it’s about destroying the “patriarchy” and demonizing men for just existing, which is the type of spiteful attitude the new Barbie movie has which is why reviews from people are coming out and it’s getting bad reviews.

I agree with your assessment of the other films you listed and it makes perfect sense.
RolandD
RolandD - 7/26/2023, 6:50 PM
@HulkisHoly - “non-woke, pro freedom majority”?
CoHost
CoHost - 7/26/2023, 11:40 PM
@HulkisHoly - The new guy isn't Jewish. His dad was but you're mother has to be in order for you to be one. That's literally their law, especially Orthodox.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 7/27/2023, 12:21 PM
@CoHost -

My mistake. Just Jewish blood but not literally Jewish according to their law.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 7/26/2023, 8:34 AM
So I guess what I took from that is get ready for Clark or Superman to be dancing around in the opening scene of the movie.

TheShape9859
TheShape9859 - 7/26/2023, 8:38 AM
I'd love to see a period type Superman film...along the lines of Adventures of Superman. Too bad he's not using Starman and a fee other songs I'd have loved to heard in the movie.
Fogs
Fogs - 7/26/2023, 9:53 AM
@TheShape9859 - I believe this would be the best approach. Having supes in the 1930's would be the best decision. Specially if they're keeping the secret identity thing.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/26/2023, 8:39 AM
Superman Returns has underrated production design. Not a single other Superman film has touched this production design.

VictorAlonzo
VictorAlonzo - 7/26/2023, 9:01 AM
@GhostDog - that's like buying a gold 🚽. Yeah, it's pretty, but it's still full of 💩.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/26/2023, 9:15 AM
@VictorAlonzo - that movie really pops, even years later. Remove the dumb kid storyline and its pretty good as a modern homage to the Donnerverse.
mastakilla39
mastakilla39 - 7/26/2023, 9:21 AM
@VictorAlonzo - IMO Superman Return is better than Man of Steel. Sometimes less is more.
Fogs
Fogs - 7/26/2023, 9:55 AM
@mastakilla39 - I wouldn't go that far but I'll say I like Supes' character better there, yeah.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 7/26/2023, 10:27 AM
@mastakilla39 - They’re both shitty Superman movies
Mixedsuperman
Mixedsuperman - 7/26/2023, 10:35 AM
@GhostDog - I guess I'm one of the few that didn't like the retro designs that much. I envision Metropolis as very futuristic. Almost to the point of the cities in like Westworld. To me Superman Returns looked more like Gotham. That's the aesthetic that fits Gotham IMO.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/26/2023, 10:46 AM
@Mixedsuperman - I don't disagree and I think Metropolis is the city of tomorrow for a reason but I appreciated the art deco and retro sensibilities with Metropolis in Returns because it still leant to a sense of wonder about the city. Made it seem like a JEWEL of a place.

Returns is a homage to Reeve and a retro time too, so the design helped there as well. I think it should be a little art deco blended with a smart city.
mastakilla39
mastakilla39 - 7/26/2023, 11:33 AM
@Fogs @PlusUltra - with SR you just have to remember that its technically Superman 3 and not a full reboot. SR is way better than Superman 3 and 4 which were atrocious. Most Superman films suck so its slim pickings lol.

SR structurally felt more like a complete film with Superman realizing he's a father, while MoS had too much going to the point where nothing really pays off at the end of the film.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 7/26/2023, 11:35 AM
@mastakilla39 - They all suck except Superman 1 & 2. But I’d rather watch 3 & 4 with Reeves than either Man of Steel or Returns, because they at least have Reeves going for them. The others two are just straight asswater
VictorAlonzo
VictorAlonzo - 7/26/2023, 12:17 PM
@mastakilla39 -... 🙄🤨... really?
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 7/26/2023, 12:25 PM
@GhostDog - While I agree it gets boring at points, and the Donner fanservice goes too far at points, the movie is criminally underrated, and now people feel "uncomfortable" talking about it because of Singer and Spacey...which I think is ridiculous.
Mixedsuperman
Mixedsuperman - 7/26/2023, 12:50 PM
@GhostDog - I feel you. Give me straight up futuristic like this.

[URL=https://wallpapercrafter.com/136765-futuristic-city-futuristic-science-fiction-digital-art-concept-art-artwork-fan-art-3d-cgi-cyberpunk-.html][IMG]

I like the idea that it reminds him of his faint memories of Krypton and that's we Clark feels drawn there.
CoHost
CoHost - 7/26/2023, 11:43 PM
@PlusUltra - Would you watch Batman & Robin if Michael Keaton was still Batman?
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 7/27/2023, 1:12 PM
@GhostDog -

THIS!!! ☝️☝️☝️☝️

Returns is a terrible film but the design for Metropolis was very inspired by the original 30s comics and that’s Exactly the right approach that the new film should take.
Metropolis should have as much character as Reeves’ Gotham did in The Batman.
PartyKiller
PartyKiller - 7/26/2023, 8:50 AM
Gunn is stuffing the movie with cameos trying to buy a hit with cheap fanservice. But The Flash proved that the movie audience doesn't give a [frick] about DC cameos.
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