Superman returns to theaters — only now, along with saving the world, he must prove that Warner Bros. has finally found, without a doubt, a winning strategy for superheroes this time around.
DC Studios, a newly formed Warner division dedicated to superhero content, announced Tuesday its plans to reboot Superman on screen for the first time in a generation, bringing the yet-to-be-cast Superman: Legacy to 7. It was tentatively scheduled to be released in theaters in May. 2025. James GunnThe director known for “Guardians of the Galaxy” is writing the script and may also direct the movie. The film focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian legacy with his human upbringing.
“He’s kind in a world that thinks kindness is outdated,” said DC Studios CEO Peter Safran, who shares Gunn’s title.
Additionally, Superman: Legacy kicks off a (Marvel-style) story that will unfold in at least 10 interconnected movies and TV shows, with new versions of Batman, Robin, Supergirl, Swamp Thing, and Green Lantern. It is included. These popular DC Comics characters are joined by lesser-known figures from the DC library, such as Creature His Command and Time His Traveler Booster Gold. His one on the show explores the mythical island of Themyscira, home of Wonder Woman.
The 10 projects will be rolled out over 4-5 years. At that point, his second batch of related movies and shows will come out, expanding the ‘Superman: Legacy’ story to nearly his decade, which will likely help. David ZaslavChief Executive Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery, to keep his promise to Wall Street about growth.
“Part of our strategy is to get out of DC completely,” Zaslav said at an RBC Capital Markets event in November. Discovery acquired Warner Bros. last year as part of a $43 billion merger.
If all comes to pass, the Superman: Legacy project universe will add to the roster of unrelated superhero movies left over from previous Warner Bros. administrations. These films, all sequels, include Shazam! Wrath of the Gods, The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Joker: Forri-a-Do, and Batman—Part II.
Warner Bros. and DC Comics became part of the same conglomerate in 1969, and the studio has produced over 40 movies and at least 30 television shows (including cartoons) using DC characters. However, on Wall Street, the DC Library has been widely viewed as underutilized. That’s because competing comics-to-screen company, Disney-owned Marvel, provided an example of what’s possible.
Over the past decade, Marvel has been a blockbuster machine, delivering a series of interconnected superhero movies that have collected $23 billion at the global box office. Films based on DC characters and released by Warner Bros. generated around $9 billion during that period.
Warner Bros., which invented the big-budget superhero movie with “Superman” in 1978, has been under pressure to get its act together. Ditched the studio’s decentralized approach to — film and television divisions developed material separately, sometimes causing friction — and Gunn and Saffron became responsible for delivering superhero movies, series and animation. rice field.
“The stakes are huge, both for us and for Warner Bros. Discovery,” Saffron said.
Gunn called Warner’s old system “pretty messed up.”
“Nobody cared about mint,” he added. “They were handing out IP like party favors to creators who smiled at them.”
Superhero movies continue to perform well at the box office, but a glut of movies has raised concerns that studios are exhausting audiences.
“I think it’s true,” Gunn said of superhero fatigue. “The stories have to be diverse and different. Hmm.”
