There's a lot of excitement and intrigue surrounding James Gunn's Superman, the movie that will launch DC Studios' DCU. Fans remain eager for a new trailer (despite recently getting a 5-minute sneak peek and featurette), and it's rumoured to drop later this month.
DC Studios is separate from Warner Bros. in the same way that Marvel Studios largely stands apart from Disney. However, studio heads Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca still have their finger on the pulse, and told SmartLess hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes that they've seen an early cut of the reboot.
"I used to chase James as a producer when he did 'Slither' and started with his low-budget movies," Mike De Luca explained. "He’s really unique and I think DC is in great hands with the two of them."
"We’ve seen an early cut of 'Superman,' and I don’t want to bury the lead, there’s a lot of marketing about to roll out ahead of its release, but he really understood the assignment," the executive continued. "His heart’s in the right place, his aim is true, and we’re really excited about their new version of DC."
His fellow co-Warner Bros. Pictures Chairman, Pam Abdy, added, "Yeah, James is great."
De Luca went on to explain that DC Studios does indeed bypass them, reporting directly to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. He and Abdy have been criticised for their handling of the DC brand, specifically Joker: Folie à Deux, an overpriced box office flop.
"We actually have to stipulate: DC reports directly to David Zaslav, we don’t oversee it, but we were big supporters of Peter and James taking the job," he confirmed. "Our advice when we were asked was it doesn’t need another career executive, it needs a storyteller in charge."
"We were really impressed with Pixar — they brought Pete Docter, who’s a filmmaker in from the field, to be chief content officer and preside over their slate of movies," De Luca concluded.
How much stock should we put into this praise? Hands-off with Superman or not, they also report to Zaslav, so they're bound to say the right things on behalf of Warner Bros. Even so, it's hard to imagine them being this positive about the movie unless they truly believe it's something special.
You can hear more from De Luca and Abdy in the player below.
Superman, DC Studios' first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures.
In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.
The movie stars David Corenswet in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
Also appearing are Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell, and Milly Alcock.
Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.