James Gunn Confirms Maxwell Lord Owns Unfinished Hero Headquarters in ‘Superman’

James Gunn has confirmed that a major superhero location will appear in the upcoming Superman movie, and it’s not just a simple cameo. According to Gunn, the iconic Hall of Justice is in the film, but with a twist. It’s not finished yet, and it’s owned by someone unexpected: Maxwell Lord.

“You see the Hall of Justice and you see that it’s not even finished yet… and it’s owned by Maxwell Lord and he owns the Justice Gang,” Gunn revealed. He shared this in a recent interview, making it clear that the new DC Universe will come with some big changes.

The new Superman movie is being written and directed by James Gunn. It stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent, also known as Superman. Rachel Brosnahan is playing Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult will be Lex Luthor.

The rest of the cast includes Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. This is the first film in the brand-new DC Universe, which Gunn is helping build along with producer Peter Safran.

The movie tells the story of Superman trying to balance his Kryptonian roots with his life on Earth. It’s not a full origin story, but it will show Clark at the start of his career as a superhero.

Gunn first started writing the script around August 2022. Not long after, he was announced as the co-head of DC Studios. The film was originally called Superman: Legacy, but the “Legacy” part of the title was dropped by early 2024. Filming kicked off in Svalbard, Norway, and later moved to different spots in Georgia and Ohio. Most of the production happened at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, and the movie officially wrapped filming in July.

Some parts of the movie were shot at Cincinnati’s Union Terminal, which has a strong connection to the Superman world. The building actually inspired the Hall of Justice, first seen in the Super Friends cartoon.

The show was made by Hanna-Barbera, which was owned by Cincinnati-based Taft Broadcasting. In July 2024, fans spotted filming taking place at Union Terminal, complete with a Metropolis flag and even parts of the Lytle Tunnel shut down for scenes.

Maxwell Lord, the businessman who now apparently owns the unfinished superhero base, is being played by Sean Gunn, James Gunn’s brother. Sean was cast in the role for future DCU stories, but now it turns out he’s already showing up in Superman. Pedro Pascal previously played the same character in Wonder Woman 1984, which was part of the older DC film universe.

This new version of Superman is pulling inspiration from many classic comics, especially All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. According to the cast, the film is being made with a lot of respect for the original comics. Rachel Brosnahan said that many people working on the movie grew up loving Superman and are putting a lot of heart into it.

Milly Alcock is also set to appear as Supergirl, Clark’s cousin Kara Zor-El. She was seen testing in costume on set and will go on to star in her own movie called Supergirl

Superman will be released in the U.S. on July 11, 2025, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It’s the first live-action chapter in the new DC Universe, called Gods and Monsters. James Gunn’s take on the character and the world around him is setting the stage for a whole new era of superhero movies.

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