DC's live-action cinematic journey has been a roller coaster of highs and lows, particularly in recent years. Dwayne Johnson's portrayal of Black Adam was positioned to be a transformative moment for the DCEU, but the film's box office fell short of expectations, despite making nearly $400 million. Compounding this disappointment, Henry Cavill, who had reprised his role as Superman in Black Adam and was slated for a headlining clash between the two superheroes, was excluded from future DC projects.
The DC Studios went through a major reforming recently with the acclaimed director, James Gunn, famous for his work on Guardians Of The Galaxy, being appointed as Co-Ceo and Co-chairman of DC Studios along with Peter Safran. Gunn revealed the roadmap for DCU chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, which will also recast Superman among a few other superheroes. David Corenswet has now been cast as the Man of Steel in the upcoming Superman: Legacy, which is arguably the most awaited superhero movie right now and will finally answer this one big question.
Do Audiences Care About Superman?
Superman is among the earliest Superheroes to have existed and has been around for several decades in several iterations through media such as comic books, live-action films, and even animated movies. The 1950s Adventures of Superman was one of the earliest live-action superhero series made and set a base for future superhero movies. Superman is a role assumed by several actors throughout the years, although Christopher Reeve is regarded as the best actor to have played Superman.
Henry Cavill was the last actor to play Superman in movies, with his debut in 2013's Man of Steel. Despite the character's popularity, Superman hasn't been in a solo movie for over a decade which could also be attributed to the poor direction by DC Studios. On the other hand, the MCU had been ruling superhero cinema with back-to-back box office winners. General audiences seem to prefer MCU movies, although the case is different with Superman. While it may not be the case with other DC superheroes, almost everyone is familiar with Superman and Batman.
While the general audiences may not like DC movies due to the past few underwhelming releases, nobody will miss out on Superman. It's safe to say that audiences will show up for Superman: Legacy and whether they like it or hate it will determine the future of DCU considering it is the first movie in the new universe. It will also be a step by James Gunn to fix the image of DC's live-action projects in the eyes of the general audience.
Can James Gunn Win Over Superman Skeptics?
The last Superman movie released in 2013, Man of Steel, did $668 Million at the box office which was a respectable number. Man of Steel was also a darker and grittier take on Superman and delved more into his human side. James Gunn's new Superman: Legacy will be doing the opposite of what Man of Steel did which many are skeptical about since its different take is what made Man of Steel special in the first place. Superman: Legacy will not be an origin tale of Superman but will be a more vibrant, optimistic, and heroic tale of Superman and will take inspiration from Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman run.
James Gunn has already proven himself to be a talented Superhero director with The Suicide Squad and the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, which are also one of the most successful MCU movies of recent times. Since general audiences are already familiar with Superman himself and James Gunn at the helm, Superman: Legacy is already looking to be an exciting release. An early description of the film reveals that Superman: Legacy will include all aspects that make Superman appealing in the first place, such as Lex Luthor as the main villain, an already established Superman, and if rumors are true, it may even include Krypto.
Previously, there were concerns that the movie would feature too many Superheroes such as Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner, and more. However, James Gunn did clarify that Clark Kent and Lois Lane will be the main protagonists and the rest of the superheroes will just help tell Superman's story better.
However, the most considerable step that Gunn has to face is winning over the trust of Snyder fans who are still extremely disappointed over Henry Cavill's recasting and are expressing their disinterest in David Corenswet's casting. Initially, Ben Affleck was also questioned when he was cast as Batman, but audiences soon began to love him so something similar may happen with David Corenswet but only time will tell.
Superman: Legacy must be a financial success for DCU to move forward as it is the first entry in the new universe. Considering the recent box office failure of DCEU movies, Superman: Legacy has a lot riding on its back but James Gunn can be trusted with it all.