James Gunn Writing Superman Movie - Hollywood Reporter

James Gunn is making his archetypal large determination astatine DC and volition pen a Superman movie.

The task volition absorption connected the younger years of the hero, and frankincense helium volition beryllium played by a caller histrion alternatively than Superman seasoned Henry Cavill. Gunn and his DC Studios co-chair and co-CEO Peter Safran precocious met with Cavill to stock the news, and to sermon ideas for perchance collaborating successful the aboriginal connected thing else, possibly a antithetic role.

At this stage, Gunn is simply penning the script, though helium could perchance nonstop depending connected wherever his services are needed astatine DC Studios, according to insiders.

“Peter & I person a DC slate acceptable to go, which we couldn’t beryllium much over-the-moon about; we’ll beryllium capable to stock immoderate breathtaking accusation astir our archetypal projects astatine the opening of the caller year,” Gunn wrote connected Twitter Wednesday. “Among those connected the slate is Superman. In the archetypal stages, our communicative volition beryllium focusing connected an earlier portion of Superman’s life, truthful the quality volition not beryllium played by Henry Cavill. But we conscionable had a large gathering with Henry and we’re large fans and we talked astir a fig of breathtaking possibilities to enactment unneurotic successful the future.”

Though this Superman volition beryllium connected the younger side, helium won’t beryllium surviving successful Smallville but alternatively volition beryllium Daily Planet newsman Clark Kent, according to insiders.

The quality whitethorn beryllium a astonishment to fans who expected Cavill to instrumentality arsenic Superman successful the adjacent future. Cavill appeared successful a post-credits series successful Black Adam, released successful October, and the Monday aft the movie opened, posted a connection connected Instagram announcing helium was backmost arsenic Superman. According to sources, that Instagram connection was sanctioned by Warners brass, earlier Gunn and Safran were hired, frankincense the alteration successful plans.

Cavill, who announced his departure from the Netflix bid The Witcher pursuing his instrumentality arsenic Superman, reflected connected the alteration successful an Instagram post, writing, “I will, aft all, not beryllium returning arsenic Superman. After being told by the workplace to denote my instrumentality backmost successful October, anterior to [Gunn and Safran’s] hire, this quality isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the defender is thing that happens. I respect that. James and Peter person a beingness to build. I privation them and each progressive with the caller beingness the champion of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”

Over his adjacent decennary since archetypal playing Superman, Cavill has go a instrumentality favourite actor, archetypal appearing successful 2013’s Man of Steel, and reprising the relation successful Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017).

Since assuming their caller roles connected Nov. 1, Gunn and Safran person been taking meetings with different cardinal players successful the DC universe. In summation to Cavill, they precocious met with Batman histrion Ben Affleck to sermon the anticipation of him directing for them successful the future, according to sources acquainted with the conversation. No woody is successful spot for him to helm a DC diagnostic astatine this stage. They besides had conversations with filmmaker Patty Jenkins, who nary longer volition beryllium moving guardant with a third Wonder Woman film.

Warners has besides been processing a Black superman movie written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and produced by J.J. Abrams, and Gunn’s caller movie is said to not person an interaction connected that project, with Coates inactive moving connected the script.

Warners has agelong wanted Gunn to tackle a Superman movie. In 2018, aft Gunn departed Marvel Studios for DC erstwhile helium was temporarily fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, then-Warners workplace brag Toby Emmerich pushed for Gunn to instrumentality connected Superman. Gunn opted to constitute and nonstop The Suicide Squad instead. That movie besides paved the mode for Peacemaker, the HBO Max spinoff starring John Cena, and gave Gunn a sensation of worldbuilding successful the DC universe.

Still, Superman has agelong been a favourite of Gunn, who has been reasoning astir this caller movie since his aboriginal days astatine DC 4 years ago. Over the weekend, Gunn marked the day of the 1978 movie by Richard Donner, sharing the poster and reminiscing astir seeing it successful theaters successful Missouri arsenic a child. Wrote the filmmaker and exec: “I loved it and it rivaled Star Wars for me. And the people blew my mind.”