What’s that on the screen? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the long-awaited first trailer forJames Gunn’s reboot of the DC iconSuperman. StarringTwistersandHollywoodstarDavid Corenswetas the Man of Steel, the movie will be the big screen beginning of the newly emerging DCU, with Superman expected to take center stage. As very well he should.
You can check out the epic first footage fromSuperman, which is due to fly into theaters in the United States on August 23, 2025, as the first installment of the DCU’sChapter One: Gods and Monsters, below.
Written and directed by James Gunn, who is best known for the MCU’sGuardians of the Galaxytrilogy and the DC movieThe Suicide Squad,Supermanwill be led byDavid Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, with the rest of the cast comprised of Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt / Mister Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason / Metamorpho, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica / The Engineer, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Jonathan Kent, Neva Howell as Martha Kent, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Alongside the trailer, you may check out the official synopsis forSupermanbelow.
“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.”
Every Movie in the DCU Will “Stand By Itself,” According to James Gunn
While the DCU is sure to draw comparisons with the MCU, James Gunn who, alongside Peter Safran, is the head of the newly emerging comic book movie franchise, has revealed how theDC saga will differ from its Marvel counterpart. Whereas the MCU is always looking ahead, pushing the next project in each new movie or TV show, Gunn wants the DCU movies to largely stand on their own. He explained recently toThe Wrap:
“Everything needs to stand by itself. I don’t want somebody to have to go see this movie and be relying on anything else. If this sets up stuff in ‘Peacemaker,’ which it does, then that’s great. But that is never, ever, ever, with me, going to be something that I’m going to sacrifice even a moment or a beat in a story for, especially a movie.”
James Gunn Reveals What Inspired His ‘Superman’ Reboot & It Should Please Snyder Fans
The DCU director was influenced by a lot of previous ‘Superman’ projects.
But what of the comic book movie action that’s sure to take place inSuperman? Well,Gunn has taken inspirationfrom what initially seems like a surprising place…but actually makes a whole lot of sense.
“Being able to shoot stuff in the sky… is really hard. So we took a lot from films like Top Gun: Maverick. We shoot a lot of our action with actual drones flying in and around Superman and the people that he’s flying with, The Engineer and whoever else that he’s fighting up in the air. And we did that on sound stages. We got these really small, crazy drones now. We’ve got some of the best flyers in the world here who are working with it.”
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.' rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
