Superman (2025 film)

Did You Know?

• John Murphy composed the score, using a new version of John Williams's Superman March theme.
• The film only features two licensed songs: Punkrocker by Teddybears & Iggy Pop, and 5 Years Time by Noah and the Whale.
• The end credits feature the original song The Mighty Crabjoys Theme, written by Gunn with Foxy Shazam members Eric Nally and Devin Williams.

Plot

Superman prevents Boravia from invading Jarhanpur and tells President Vasil Ghurkos to stay out of that country. In Metropolis, the Hammer of Boravia beats Superman for the first time, and the hero escapes to his Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica with his superpowered dog Krypto. Lex Luthor’s ally Angela Spica, known as the Engineer, follows them. Inside the Fortress, robots heal Superman with concentrated solar radiation and play a damaged message from his Kryptonian parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, who sent him to Earth to save him from Krypton’s destruction. Only the first half of the message works. Returning to Metropolis, Superman loses again to the Hammer, who is secretly Luthor’s metahuman Ultraman. Superman agrees to an interview with his girlfriend and Daily Planet colleague Lois Lane, but they argue over the legal and ethical issues of his actions in Boravia. Luthor sends a kaiju to attack Metropolis as a diversion while he, Ultraman, and the Engineer break into the Fortress, overpower the robots, capture Krypto, and restore the full Kryptonian message. Superman fights the kaiju alongside the Justice Gang—Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl—and saves civilians, but Mister Terrific kills the monster against Superman’s wishes. Luthor broadcasts the restored message, and Superman is horrified to hear his parents telling him to conquer Earth and take many wives to repopulate Krypton.

Production

Warner Bros. planned for Man of Steel to start a shared universe, the DC Extended Universe, and announced a sequel in October 2014 with Henry Cavill set to return. Zack Snyder said they considered imprisoned Kryptonians and Brainiac as antagonists. A sequel was in active development as a top priority in August 2016. Matthew Vaughn was Warner Bros.'s top choice to direct by March 2017. After the troubled production of Justice League, Warner Bros. reevaluated its approach, and by the end of 2017 a sequel was not coming anytime soon. James Gunn began work on a new Superman film around August 2022. In October, he became co-CEO of DC Studios with Peter Safran. Gunn was revealed to be writing the film in December. The title Superman: Legacy was announced in January 2023; Gunn was confirmed to direct in March 2023; Corenswet and Brosnahan were cast that June. The subtitle was dropped by the end of February 2024, when filming began in Svalbard, Norway. Production primarily took place at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with location filming around Georgia and Ohio. Filming wrapped in July.

Marketing

In January 2023, the film was announced with an image from the first issue of All-Star Superman, which Gunn later reposted in March when he confirmed he would direct. Filming began in February 2024, marked by Gunn sharing a picture of the Superman logo; observers noted its resemblance to the Kingdom Come design, though it kept the traditional yellow and red colors. That April, Safran promoted the movie at Warner Bros.'s CinemaCon presentation, joined by Gunn, Corenswet, and Brosnahan via video. The panel revealed the full emblem, and Gunn said he planned to attend the next year's event with the cast to kick off a "Summer of Superman." In early May, Gunn released a first-look image of Corenswet in costume, showing him suiting up as an alien-like threat looms in the background. Discussion centered on the return of red briefs, missing from the Man of Steel outfit, and the costume's elements were likened to Jim Lee's New 52 design. The pose and background attack prompted speculation about Superman's characterization and his possible enemies. Later in May, a Fortress of Solitude display inspired by the film appeared at Warner Bros.'s Licensing Expo booth in Las Vegas.