James Gunn Claims Superman’s Connection to Lanterns Won’t Distract From the Movie

Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. But can the Man of Steel launch a cinematic universe without setting up sequels, spinoffs, and stories set in the budding DC Universe? According to James Gunn, the writer-director of next summer’s Superman movie and the co-head of DC Studios with producer Peter Safran, the answer is “yes.” While DC diehards may spot a stray reference or two to future installments in the DCU — including the upcoming Peacemaker Season 2 and HBO’s Green Lantern series Lanterns — Gunn’s Superman mostly stands alone.

“Maybe two little things, two moments,” Gunn told ComicBook when asked about his film’s connections to the larger cinematic universe during a visit to the Superman set. “Basically, if something is there just to set up something else, f-ck it. For all I know, those things can be cut by the time we get to the editing room, because something has to exist for this movie. And if that works in tandem with setting up characters that exist in other media, then that’s great.”

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Gunn has confirmed that his sci-fi superhero epic takes place between the events of the Max adult animated series Creature Commandos and the second season of Peacemaker, with all three featuring Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. The expansive Superman cast includes Nathan Fillion as the Guy Gardner Green Lantern, suggesting a potential link to Lanterns, which Gunn and Safran describe as “an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.”

“If [Superman] sets up stuff in Peacemaker, which it does, then that’s great,” Gunn said. “But that is never, ever, ever, with me, going to be something that I’m going to sacrifice even a moment or a beat in a story for, especially a movie. With TV, you’ve got a little bit more leniency to be able to do that. But in a movie, every beat has to be in there for the movie itself.”

Asked about Superman feeding into Lanterns, Gunn teased, “Are seeds being planted? Yes, there are seeds being planted. But that is never going to be the predominant thing in any scene for me. It’s always about getting to the next scene. What’s in the moment? How are we making this movie the best it can be? And it’s going to stay like that as much as I can possibly make it like that.”

In addition to David Corenswet as Kal-El/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as reporter Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Superman’s archnemesis Lex Luthor, the film features Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as Pa and Ma Kent, with Skyler Gisondo, Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover, Christopher McDonald, and Wendell Pierce rounding out the cast as Clark and Lois’ colleagues at the Metropolis-based Daily Planet.

While Superman isn’t an ensemble like the Gunn-directed Guardians of the Galaxy or The Suicide Squad, the first film in the new DCU will introduce some established superheroes: besides Fillion as Green Lantern, there’s Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.

“I love Mr. Terrific. These characters all get their moment in the sun,” Gunn said. “They all have their moments. They’re not just cameos, these are the characters. They’re supporting cast, but Mr. Terrific is the main character of those characters. He actually has a big part of the plot. And so that was fun.” In the end, Gunn added, “It was about balance.”

Previously titled Superman: Legacy, the reboot “tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas,” per the synopsis. “He is the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.”

The first chapter of the DC Studios slate, Gods and Monsters, includes Superman (July 11, 2025), Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (June 26, 2026), Clayface (Sept. 11, 2026), and the animated Dynamic Duo (June 30, 2028). The feature films The Authority, Swamp Thing, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold are currently undated, while season 2 of Peacemaker is slated for late 2025 on Max. TV projects in development include HBO’s Lanterns, Waller, Booster Gold, and the Themyscira-set Wonder Woman spinoff series Paradise Lost.