‘Superman: Legacy’: Rachel Brosnahan Promises “A Sense Of Humor” In James Gunn’s Film: “I Feel Like It’s Being Made With So Much Love”

After “Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom” ended the DCEU with a whimper (albeit a successful whimper relative to the DCEU’s other three 2023 releases), it’s time to look ahead to James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s franchise reboot. And the DCU can’t be a middling, clunky, and visually uninspired as the DCEU right? Well, let’s wait and see on that, considering audiences must wait until July 11, 2025 for Gunn’s “Superman: Legacy.”  

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But Variety reports (via Entertainment Tonight) that new Lois Lane Rachel Brosnahan at least promises Gunn’s film will have more life and humor than many of the DCEU entries. In the actress’ words, her take on Lois Lane will be “feisty, marvelous, and fiercely intelligent,” with David Corenswet‘s Superman also being more upbeat than Henry Cavill‘s recent iteration. So, “Superman: Legacy” will be lighter fare than the oh-so-serious tone of “Man Of Steel,” “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice,” and “Justice League“; got it. One may only hope in that department.

“I’ve really enjoyed the collaboration with James Gunn so far,” Brosnahan told ET. “Every single person involved in this production is such a perfect nerd for Superman. We all grew up watching the movies. Some of us were reading the comics. So I feel like it’s being made with so much love. And I think this Superman will have a sense of humor.” And Brosnahan stressed that she and Corenswet will bring new energy to “Superman: Legacy.” “We’re excited to both put our own spin on things and honor the material we love so much,” she added.

It comes as little surprise that Gunn plans to have his version of Superman be more humorous than Zack Snyder‘s grim and gritty take on Clark Kent/Kal-el. Gunn’s lone DCEU installment, 2021’s “The Suicide Squad,” was the funniest and wackiest of the lots, with many considering it the franchise’s best installment despite diminishing returns at the box office. But post-pandemic theaters may have had something to do with that, as well as fan anticipation that, despite the humorous touch of Gunn’s “Guardians Of The Galaxy Films,” “The Suicide Squad” would be too much like David Ayer‘s reviled 2016 film that followed the same crew. But that’s the old DCEU, and this is the new DCU. Let’s turn the page with Gunn, shall we?

Hype is high right now for “Superman: Legacy,” especially with its many members of its ensemble cast resembling their comic book counterparts. Along with Corenswet and Brosnahan, the first movie to DCU Chapter One “Gods And Monsters” includes Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl. Okay, so Hoult maybe isn’t a perfect match for bald-headed Luthor, but maybe he’ll bear a more striking resemblance after makeup. Joining that crew is Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho and Edi Gathegi and Mister Terrific. That’s a lot of potential cameos for “Superman: Legacy,” something Gunn poopooed last December as “one of the worst elements of recent superhero films.” But maybe these roles will have more prominence than mere bit parts.

Then there’s the hulking shadow of “superhero fatigue” on the horizon for Gunn to deal with. But the DC Studios co-head isn’t scared of it by any means. “I think there is such a thing as superhero fatigue,” Gunn said to Rolling Stone last year. “I think it doesn’t have anything to do with superheroes. It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character. We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they’re these incredible characters that we have in our hearts. And if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen, it gets really boring.”

So from that quote, one may intuit that Gunn’s “Superman: Legacy” won’t have a “bunch of nonsense onscreen” like token cameos and visually inert greenscreen VFX. Right? Right? Don’t expect Gunn’s film to completely change the superhero movie formula, but if “Superman: Legacy” at least has more warmth, liveliness, and charm than Zack Snyder’s DCEU movies, that’s a win.