Ahead of principal photography on Superman: Legacy, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has confirmed that J.J. Abrams’ Black-led Superman movie has not been scrapped and is still in development at the studio.
Responding to a fan on the social media platform Threads, Gunn revealed that Abrams’ Superman movie, which was announced back in February 2021, is being developed as a DC Elseworlds project.
Abrams’ Superman movie was one of several Superman projects in development under the old DC leadership, alongside a Henry Cavill-led Man of Steel 2. When Gunn and Peter Safran took over as heads of DC Studios in late 2022, Man of Steel 2 was officially scrapped to focus all attention on Superman: Legacy, which will kick off a new shared universe for Warner Bros. and DC.
Until now, fans were unsure if the project was still happening given the lack of updates since Gunn and Safran’s appointment. At this time, Abrams is attached to the project only as a producer, with no plans to direct the feature. Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing the screenplay, which has been reported to revolve around a Black version of the Big Blue Boy Scout.
DC Studios doesn’t mind having multiple versions of one hero on the big screen
While some fans have wondered if having multiple versions of the same character on the big screen at once will confuse casual audiences, DC Studios seemingly doesn’t think it will be a problem. In addition to Superman: Legacy and Abrams’ Superman movie, DC will release two different takes on Batman in theaters within a few years of each other.
First up will be The Batman Part II, starring Robert Pattinson, in October 2025, followed by The Brave and the Bold, featuring a yet-to-be-cast actor in the title role. The latter will be set in the DCU, co-existing with Superman: Legacy and other Chapter 1 projects that will be released in the mid-to-late 2020s. While not featuring the Dark Knight, the DC Elseworlds movie, Joker: Folie à Deux, starring Joaquin Phoenix as an alternate version of Batman’s big bad, is also set to be released this October.
Written and directed by Gunn, Superman: Legacy hits theaters on July 11, 2025. Abrams’ Superman movie does not yet have a release date.
