What’s Come Before in this look at the making of Superman 2025: October 2022, November 2022, December 2022
Writing Begins, Titles Leak, and Superman Takes Center Stage
As the new year dawned, James Gunn and Peter Safran entered the spotlight with mounting pressure and sky-high expectations. DC Studios had been officially formed, a new Superman film was confirmed and a fandom still reeling from the departure of Henry Cavill waited for answers. January 2023 became the month where Gunn began pulling back the curtain—incrementally, but with increasing clarity—on what would become Superman: Legacy.
The month began with swirling speculation. Gunn had confirmed in December that he was writing the script himself and that the project would feature a younger Clark Kent, not another origin story. While a director had yet to be named, industry insiders and fans alike assumed that Gunn might step behind the camera, given his close personal investment in the material.
On January 5, 2023, Variety published a detailed overview of Warner Bros. Discovery’s film slate under CEO David Zaslav, with one key takeaway being that Gunn’s Superman film was “the first priority” of the new DC Studios regime. According to Variety:
“Sources say that Gunn has been quietly working on the Superman screenplay for several months, with insiders suggesting he may also direct. Gunn and Safran’s plan is expected to chart out the next eight to ten years of DC storytelling across film, TV, and animation.”
Meanwhile, Gunn continued to engage directly with fans on social media, fielding questions about the tone, influences and future of Superman in this new continuity. On January 6, a fan asked if Superman would retain his idealistic qualities. Gunn replied with reassurance:
“Superman is a huge priority, if not the biggest priority. Truth, justice, and the American way.”
—James Gunn, Twitter reply, Jan. 6, 2023
One of the most talked-about moments of the month came on January 13, when a leak began circulating online regarding the potential title of the film: Superman: Legacy. The information had not been officially confirmed by Warner Bros., but insiders at The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline quietly corroborated the title off the record. It would be another few weeks before Gunn would confirm it publicly, but by mid-January, Superman: Legacy was already gaining traction among fans and journalists alike.
On January 20, Empire Magazine published a digital feature on the future of the DC Universe, quoting James Gunn extensively. When asked whether the new Superman would reflect a more grounded, human approach, Gunn responded:
“For me, Superman’s humanity is everything. He’s not just some god flying above us, disconnected from the world. He was raised as Clark Kent. That’s who he is. The world sees him as Superman, but he’s Clark.”
—James Gunn, Empire Magazine, Jan. 20, 2023
This quote became one of the most widely circulated of the month, retweeted by Gunn himself and reposted by numerous entertainment sites as a clear mission statement for the film. His emphasis on Clark’s dual identity—his Kryptonian birthright balanced with a Midwestern upbringing—suggested a story rooted in empathy, morality and legacy, as the eventual title would reinforce.
Fans also picked up on a lesser-noticed but significant thread running through Gunn’s replies on Twitter: his repeated reference to All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely as a guiding influence. Asked directly by a fan whether All-Star would inspire the tone of his Superman script, Gunn responded:
“All-Star Superman is one of the most beautiful comics ever written and a huge inspiration.”
—James Gunn, Twitter reply, Jan. 22, 2023
By this point, it had become increasingly clear that Gunn’s approach to Superman was not going to follow the darker, brooding tone that had dominated the Zack Snyder era. Instead, he appeared to be reaching for a balance between myth and humanity—a spiritual successor to the tone of Richard Donner’s original 1978 film, but with modern sensibilities and deeper emotional undercurrents.
The month concluded with a sense of mounting anticipation. Gunn announced that he and Safran would unveil their first DC Studios slate—including the new Superman film—in early February 2023. That message came in a brief but high-impact post on January 31, which simply read:
“We’re ready. Tomorrow begins a new chapter.”
—James Gunn, Twitter, Jan. 31, 2023
And with that, the stage was set. After years of development purgatory, aborted sequels and speculative projects, a new Superman film—grounded in character, written by the studio head himself and imbued with optimism—was officially moving forward.
February would bring the first public title reveal and further details about the direction of the DC Universe. But in January 2023, the seeds were planted. Superman wasn’t just back—he was becoming the centerpiece of an entirely reimagined world.