‘Superman: Legacy’ Is About to Find Its Lex Luthor, and More Casting News on James Gunn’s New Film
‘The Flash’ is crashing down at the box office; the film has received a tepid response from critics and audiences, pointing out unsatisfying story developments, bad visual effects, and even worse fan service. It doesn’t matter if you like ‘The Flash’ or not. The fact is that it has become a huge blow for both current and future DC Films. It seems like the brand is all but dead in the minds of audiences, who are already even deserting Marvel and have enjoyed a fervently loyal fan base until now. This is why Superman: Legacy, the new film from current DC Films leader James Gunn, is such an important movie for DC and the entire genre.
The film is expecting to lock down its casting this week, so there expect confirmation on these rumors in the coming days. More than any other film in recent memory, it seems like the casting of ‘Superman: Legacy’ has undergone a level of scrutiny not often seen in the industry. It makes sense, though. Marvel struggles to keep its fan base happy and has lost many casual viewers.
The genre is passing through a rough patch, so returning to one of the most important superhero characters feels like the reset the entire genre needs. Continuity has been killing Marvel, and inconsistency has been killing DC in the same regard.
James Gunn will try to soft-reboot the universe by giving us a new Superman and new versions of the mythical characters accompanying him in his adventures. So far, the rumors point out that the auditions are focusing on six actors to play the characters of Clark Kent and Lois Lane specifically.
Those actors are Tom Brittney, David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, Phoebe Dynevor, and Emma Mackey. Finding the right combination is vital, as the relationship between Clark and Lois will always be one of the main components of every Superman film. We expect confirmation on our protagonists in the coming days.
But those are not the only news, it seems James Gunn has also been looking for the third pillar of the Superman mythos, which is Superman’s favorite archenemy, Lex Luthor.
The rumors point out that both Alexander and Bill Skarsgard compete for the right to take on the mantle of one of the most recognizable supervillains in history. Alexander Skarsgard is coming out of his impressive run in ‘Succession,’ where he already played a millionaire egomaniac. Meanwhile, Bill comes from his role in ‘John Wick 4’, where he also played a villainous rich man with delusions of power. It seems both brothers did their pitches for the character without even noticing it.
On the other hand, James Gunn has been very vocal lately about why it seems there is actual superhero fatigue among audiences. He argues that there is a “Bad story fatigue” and will try to resolve that issue with the new schedule of DC projects coming on the horizon. Gunn recently delivered a win for Marvel with his latest Guardians of the Galaxy film.
Who do you think will get the Clark Kent and Lois Lane roles? And which of the brothers do you prefer to take on the mantle of Lex Luthor, Alex, or Bill? ‘Superman: Legacy’ is expected to come sometime in 2025.
