“Who knows…”: James Gunn Finally Talks About Superman: Legacy’s Flying Rumors Regarding its Potential Villains

James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy holds utmost importance as part of the new DC Universe. A lot of hope and expectations hinge on the movie, as it is expected to revamp and revitalize the entire comic book universe with the tale of the last son of Krypton. Both James Gunn and Peter Safran want to breathe new life into DC, and that will have its starting point in Superman: Legacy. 

The secrecy around Suparman: Legacy will put many Marvel movies to shame. Hardly anything is known about it thus far apart from the fact that filming is set to begin in 2024. As the movie starts to take shape after the SAG-AFTRA strike, many are wondering who will be the main antagonist in the film. Recently, James Gunn took to Threads and Bluesky to answer some questions about the potential villains in Superman: Legacy. 

James Gunn finally opens up about Superman: Legacy and its potential villain

When asked by user @KennySparks90 on Threads about whether the director is thinking about bringing iconic Superman villains like “Brainiac, Metallo, Cyborg Superman or Mr. Mxyzptlk,” James Gunn replied diplomatically. “Who knows?” He said, before claiming that he was fully focused on making Superman: Legacy for the time being.

Also Read: “He isn’t making a movie. He’s making a universe-launcher”: James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy Bombing Could Fail DCU, Says Industry Insider

On Bluesky, when James Gunn shared that he got himself a new phone, a fan took it as a sign of the director hinting at Brainiac’s return to DC. The director was quick to point out that it was “most notably not” a sign of the same. He also joked that people were convinced that everything was code for “Brainiac in Legacy these days.”

While Nicholas Hoult is the top choice to play Lex Luthor as of now, his contract has not been signed yet. Also, it is not known whether Lex Luthor will be the primary villain in Superman: Legacy. If Lex Luthor is only a secondary threat in the movie, it might be time to announce the minor villains who might also be planned for Superman: Legacy. Brainiac appears to be the perfect choice for the announcement, as things stand.

Also Read: Superman: Legacy Screen Testing Has Reportedly Begun

One thing that worked for Man of Steel was making Superman face a grand threat in the form of General Zod and his army, which put Earth at risk. Brainiac, as a spacefaring cosmic predator, is perfect to take up that mantle from General Zod and become a threat to the iconic superhero. Many fans think that Brainiac is one of the most underrated villains in the Superman universe and needs to be given more attention. Hence, it would be interesting to see if, and how these two face off on the big screen. 

Kurt Russell addresses Superman: Legacy casting rumors

Kurt Russell has been a part of the James Gunn cinematic universe in the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. When asked whether he will play Superman’s biological father, Jor-El, in DC’s upcoming Superman: Legacy, he told ComicBook enthusiastically that he is not opposed to the idea:

“Yeah! Yeah, I’ll take on Marlon Brando! I mean there was something awesome about the way he was just looking around – I don’t care that he was looking at his lines – he’s crazy great to watch! You know what: we don’t know a lot about Jor-El. Maybe there’s a version… I never heard this, so I don’t know. James Gunn was a blast to work with though, so you never know.”

Also Read: James Gunn’s Decision to Introduce Lex Luthor in Superman Legacy Might Be His Most Genius Move Yet

James Gunn has already said that Superman: Legacy will not be the origin story of Superman. So, chances are Jor-El will already have an established dynamic with the character in the movie. That in itself will be a fresh take, considering most Superman debut movies have shown Jor-El and Superman discovering each other for the first time. 

Superman: Legacy is slated to come out on July 11, 2025