DC Boss Says James Gunn Is the Greatest Superhero Filmmaker of Our Generation

Warner Bros gave a big preview of their new Superman movie during their presentation at CineEurope this week. It’s the first time Jeff Goldstein, the studio’s President of Global Theatrical Distribution, showed off the company’s international side at the event. He wrapped things up with 30 minutes of never-before-seen footage from the upcoming DC film.

This Superman movie, which hits theaters in July, stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

The footage started off with scenes that some people had already seen back at CinemaCon in April. But the real treat came with new exclusive material that hasn’t been shown anywhere else. Before the clips played, a local musician took the stage and performed the classic Superman theme on electric guitar, setting the mood.

Then a special video message from DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran played, since they couldn’t be there in person. They’re currently kicking off a global promo tour starting in the Philippines.

In the message, Peter Safran talked about how much this film means to the new DC Universe. He called Superman the start of a new chapter for DC and gave a special shout-out to James Gunn, who wrote and directed the movie.

“James is, for my money, the greatest superhero filmmaker of our generation,” Safran said. “I wouldn’t do any character without James. But it was when he called me and said, ‘I have a way in,’ that I really knew we were onto something.”

Safran said the story really explores the mix between Superman’s Kryptonian roots and his human side. “It spoke to me about what is it that makes us the people we are today,” he added.

The film doesn’t start with Clark Kent as a total rookie. According to Safran, “Where we enter the story, Clark has been a reporter at the Daily Planet for a little while, the early stages of his career. He and Lois have been dating for about three months.”

It’s not just a quiet intro, though. Audiences are quickly dropped into a version of Metropolis where superheroes, supervillains, robots, and even magic are totally normal. Safran described it like this: “It’s kind of like spotting a celebrity — you’re like, ‘Whoa, that’s pretty cool,’ not, ‘What did I just see?’”

He also talked about the casting of David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, saying they were the perfect fit.

“It’s very much a Superman and Lois Lane movie,” he said. “Lois is not a secondary character by any means. There was simply no doubt that David Corenswet embodied everything we were looking for in Superman and Clark Kent. And when he and Rachel read together, they each elevated the other. You’re just like, ‘That’s Lois Lane.’”

Safran is clearly excited for fans to see what this new Superman film has to offer. He also teased Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which is set to come out in June 2026 and will be directed by Craig Gillespie.

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