James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy has plans to film in both Cleveland and Cincinnati, according to the Ohio Department of Development. Those two particular cities have history with the Man of Steel, and already have fans wondering whether certain buildings might show up in the movie. Why? Well, for starters, Superman was actually created in Cleveland, where Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster lived growing up. A trip to the Siegel house could be a great, emotional moment for hardcore fans, even if that’s less likely than the Cleveland skyline just standing in for Metropolis. The city’s big skyscrapers but somewhat generic look have allowed it to stand in for plenty of other cities onscreen, including New York in parts of Marvel’s The Avengers.
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The production, codenamed “Genesis,” will take advantage of tax credits offered in the state, as reported by several sources including The Superman Homepage. And, of course, it isn’t just Cleveland that has fans intrigued.
The Cincinnati Union Terminal building is an architectural gem — and served as the visual inspiration for the Hall of Justice in Super Friends. An edited version of the building was used in the Arrowverse for exterior shots of its own Hall of Justice in the “Invasion!” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths” events.
Superman: Legacy stars David Corenswet as the title character, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Reports emerged soon after the SAG-AFTRA strike wrapped up, suggesting that the movie is likely to start production in the spring, giving it about a year and a half from the first day of filming until its theatrical release. That’s roughly in line with Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, which started production in November of 2021 and was released in April of this year.
Little is known about the story of Superman: Legacy, other than that it will involve a version of Superman who is settled into his role as the world’s protector, but who also has a network of allies to fall back on. Gotham‘s Anthony Carrigan is set to appear in the movie as Metamorpho, and other superheroes in the film include Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi). Superman’s origin story, already shown in a number of prior film adaptations, won’t take up a significant amount of real estate in Legacy, according to prior statements from Gunn.
Gunn is lining up some familiar talent on the project, with cinematographer Henry Braham (The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3); production designer Beth Mickle (The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3); costume designer Judianna Makovsky (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Avengers: Endgame); and art director David Scott (Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Spider-Man: No Way Home). Casting is by Yellowstone and Oppenheimer‘s John Papsidera.
