Guardians of the Galaxy writer and director James Gunn has revealed he will now direct his own movie script for the new Superman movie which will kick off the first part of the rebooted DC Multiverse.
Sharing the news on Twitter, Gunn said Superman: Legacy will release in July 2025 and he had been initially hesitant to take on the project.
Superman: Legacy will be the first big-screen feature of the Gunn-Peter Safran era of the DC universe.
However, it will not feature Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel, as the film will focus on a younger version of the Clark Kent character.
"It has been a long road to this point. I was offered Superman years ago - I initially said no because I didn't have a way in that felt unique and fun and emotional that gave Superman the dignity he deserved," Gunn said.
"Then a bit less than a year ago I saw a way in, in many ways centering around Superman's heritage - how both his aristocratic Kryptonian parents and his Kansas farmer parents inform who he is and the choices he makes.
"So I chose to finally take on writing the script. But I was hesitant to direct, despite the constant pestering by Peter Safran and others to commit (sorry, Peter).
"Just because I write something doesn't mean I feel it in my bones, visually and emotionally, enough to spend over two years directing it, especially not something of this magnitude.
"But, the long and the short of it is, I love this script, and I'm incredibly excited as we begin this journey. #UpUpandAway."
Gunn also said the release date of the film was special to him - but he initially hadn't realised why it was so personal.
"Yes, I'm directing Superman: Legacy to be released on July 11, 2025. My brother Matt told me when he saw the release date he started to cry.
"I asked him why. He said, 'Dude, it's dad's birthday.' I hadn't realised. I lost my dad almost three years ago. He was my best friend. He didn't understand me as a kid, but he supported my love of comics and my love of film and I wouldn't be making this movie now without him," Gunn said online.
The feature is one of the many projects Gunn and Safran teased as part of what they have dubbed as Chapter 1: God and Monsters.
It will contain an overarching story told via different TV shows and films. Other titles include Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and The Authority.
