Overview
- In 2022, Warner Bros. executives Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy explored hiring Michael Bay to direct a standalone Henry Cavill Superman film before James Gunn and Peter Safran assumed leadership of DC Studios.
- Christopher McQuarrie’s proposed Man of Steel 2—including a universe-spanning clash between Superman and Green Lantern—was abandoned in favor of a fresh reboot for the DCU.
- James Gunn’s new DCU officially begins on July 11, 2025, with Superman starring David Corenswet alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
- With a production budget of $225 million, insiders say the film must surpass $700 million at the global box office to validate Warner Bros. Discovery’s decadelong strategy.
- Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has branded Gunn and Safran as the studio’s creative power duo to build an interconnected universe that can rival the MCU.