Superman Release Date, Plot, Cast, Trailer, And More for the Upcoming DC Movie

It has been over a decade since audiences have watched Superman fly across the big screen in a major solo release. But this summer, that will change with the release of James Gunn’s Superman. Intended as the flagship launch for Gunn’s new vision of the DC Cinematic Universe, there’s a lot more than just Kal-El’s box office viability riding on the success of this new release.

It would be fair to say that since 1978’s Superman: The Movie, every live-action Superman solo film has been met with a fair share of pre or post-release controversy, leaving many fans wondering whether or not the Man of Tomorrow is simply too outdated for modern audiences. However, this promises to be a unique on-screen depiction of the character, with a director who has proven to be one of the most successful filmmakers of the superhero film adaptation era. So let’s hope it delivers the crowd-pleaser fans have been demanding.

Is Superman Coming Out?

Yes! Despite Henry Cavill playing the role since starring in 2013’s Man of Steel, Cavill was officially retired after a final cameo in 2022’s Black Adam, with David Zaslav being adamant on greenlighting a new Superman film and choosing a “Kevin Feige” to oversee the budding new incarnation of DC Studios.

Shortly after the release of The Suicide Squad in 2022, James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, and shortly after that, Gunn announced that Superman was crucial to the plans the two of them had developed moving forward. In December of 2022 Gunn announced that he was writing a new Superman film, and in March of 2023 it was confirmed that Gunn would be directing the film as well.

When Is The Superman Release Date?

Luckily, fans won’t have to wait too long to see Superman back in theaters, as the release date for the film is July 11, 2025.

What Is the Plot for Superman?

Unlike a lot of comic book films in this day and age, Gunn and co. have successfully kept much of the plot for Superman under wraps. The film’s brief official synopsis emphasizes “humor and heart” and mentions focusing on a Superman who’s “driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind,” which is already a notable step in a new direction after the self-seriousness and massive stakes of the Snyder years.

Alongside the official plot synopsis, Gunn has revealed many of the key inspirations for the film, including Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman as well as their New 52 ongoing series about young Superman, Mark Waid’s Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, Alan Moore’s Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, Geoff Johns’ 2008 “Braniac” storyline, alongside numerous adaptational efforts such as Superman: The Animated Series and the Fleischer cartoons.

Just parsing a few of the storylines pulled for inspiration, one commonality in a few of them is the presence of Braniac, a villain that litters the history of unmade Superman adaptations, from the Wachowskis to Kevin Smith. He’s an iconic villain with a presence in many of Superman’s famous stories and it would make perfect sense for him to be introduced here, especially considering Gunn has talked about how part of the film is about Superman reconciling his Kryptonian and Earth parentages. While the film isn’t an origin story it’s certainly safe to assume that it will, in part, be about Clark slowly finding his place amidst a world that’s not exactly his own.

Of course, with the presence of a few members of the Justice Society as well as Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, it can also be assumed that we’ll get to see the beginnings of the relationships that will define Clark’s place as a hero. It’s doubtful that this first film will be a full on Superman vs. Lex story but it seems obvious that in some way we’ll see the first steps to what will become a lifelong hatred on Lex’s part, and we’ll also get to see those first forays into the wider pantheon of heroes that Superman will eventually belong to.

Who Is In The Cast of Superman?

Between the expected cast of a Superman film as well as the Justice Society characters dropping in, Superman is shaping up to have a pretty massive cast.

• David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman. The Last Survivor of Krypton, raised a normal human child by adoptive parents in Kansas, now hiding his true nature as a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet. Corenswet’s version of Clark is fairly young, around 25, which gives Corenswet a real opportunity to grow and come of age with the character.
• Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. A headstrong and willful reporter at the Daily Planet, who eventually grows to become Clark’s lover and one of the most important people in his life.
• Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The multi-billion dollar owner of the scientific research company LexCorp and the bitter rival of Superman, whom he hates for a variety of reasons based on the source material but most notably for his stubborn insistence that Superman’s altruism is insincere and false.
• Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen. The trusted newspaper photographer at the Daily Planet and eventually Superman’s Best Pal.
• Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner. Arguably the most annoying and perpetually angry of the Earth Green Lanterns, and famously a recipient of a one-punch knockout by Batman.
• Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl. A winged superhero armed with a mace, most famously portrayed in the Justice League animated series. There are several different incarnations of Hawkgirl in the comics complete with different origins, and as of right now it’s not confirmed whether or not Isabela is playing Shiera Hall, Shayera Hol, or Kendra Saunders.
• Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt/Mister Terrific. A genius billionaire and Olympics-level athlete who fights crime using various self-created gadgets.
• Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho. Initially an adventuring archaeologist, Mason becomes a superhero after encountering a cursed artifact that turns his body into a shifting mass of chemicals and elements.

Is There a Trailer For Superman?

Yes, there is currently an official teaser trailer that was released on December 19. With the movie’s release date fast approaching, DC and Warner Bros. will certainly be releasing more trailers and TV spots as well.

How Many Superman Movies Will There Be In Total?

With Superman marking the beginning of Gunn’s new DC Cinematic Universe, it’s impossible to say right now but it’s not presumptuous to assume that if this one does well, there will be quite a few more Superman solo films starring Corenswet. Writing the character so young initially implies that the intention is for us to see him grow older, which means that hopefully we’ll get to see this version of Superman through several crucial events in the character’s mythos.

Of course, Superman is a major player in the wider DC Universe, so even if it’s a while before we get another solo film he will more than likely show up in some of the other projects planned for Gunn’s “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.” With Supergirl: World of Tomorrow slated as the next scheduled release in 2026, it seems very safe to say that we will be seeing a lot more Superman moving forward.