Posted in: CW, Max, Movies, streaming, TV | Tagged: arrowverse, brandon routh, David Corenswet, dc studios, dcu, james gunn, superman

Superman Represents "The Best of Humanity": Routh Talks Man of Steel

With James Gunn's Superman hitting in 2025, Brandon Routh offered some insights into what The Man of Steel's true strengths are.

When it comes to writer/director James Gunn's upcoming Superman, there isn't exactly a lack of folks who are more than happy to offer their thoughts, suggestions, and advice on just about every aspect of the DC Studios feature film. But when Brandon Routh – who played The Man of Steel in 2006's Superman Returns and the "Kingdom Come" version in 2019-2020's Arrowverse crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths" – has some insights to share with current Superman, David Corenswet, it's something definitely worth paying attention to.

"I think the biggest thing for me about Superman is always recognizing the non-physical superpowers that he has. It can be cheesy to relate it to the 'teach a man to fish' story, but quite literally, that is how I see it, and it's very apropos to being the thing. If you save people all the time, everywhere, maybe they never learn how to save themselves. That doesn't mean that you don't save them, but it just means that the teaching, the personality, the aspect, the human communication, the understanding Superman can give us of inclusion," Routh shared during ACE Superhero Comic Con 2024 (reported by Popverse)

Rough continued, "To me, Superman is pure love; he doesn't judge. He has to make some hard choices and stop people from doing bad things, but my goal for Superman is that he's the guy that everyone can be in their person… maybe without all the flying and all the other stuff. But he's an example, the best of humanity, and he could teach us to do it, not just by his actions, but by calling out the truth."

Superman: A Look Back at The Journey So Far…

"Overjoyed to be announcing the start of principal photography on SUPERMAN today, February 29, which just so happens to be – coincidentally and unplanned – Superman's birthday," Gunn wrote as the caption to his post presenting the famous "S" on his Superman's costume, before confirming the change in the film's title. "When I finished the first draft of the script, I called the film Superman: Legacy. By the time I locked the final draft, it was clear the title was SUPERMAN. Making our way to you July 2025."

Here's a look back at a screencap of Gunn's Threads post sharing a group shot of the cast (and with Nicholas Hoult definitely in Lex Luthor mode) from the table read:

"After the table read with the #Superman cast. Eve, Mr. Terrific, Superman/Clark, Otis, Lex, producer Peter Safran, Jimmy, Metamorpho, Lois, Hawkgirl, me, Guy, The Engineer all together for the first time! What a wonderful day." Gunn wrote as the caption to his Instagram post showing off the team:

The Announcement…

Here's a look back at Gunn's tweet from March 2023 making the announcement that he would be writing and directing Superman: Legacy, followed by the full, heartfelt text of the message he shared while confirming what's been rumbling around social media since the previous week:

"Yes, I'm directing Superman: Legacy to be released on July 11, 2025. My brother Matt told me when he saw the release date he started to cry. I asked him why. He said, 'Dude, it's Dad's birthday.' I hadn't realized," Gunn wrote in the opening to his series of tweets announcing the news. "I lost my Dad almost three years ago. He was my best friend. He didn't understand me as a kid, but he supported my love of comics and my love of film, and I wouldn't be making this movie now without him. It has been a long road to this point. I was offered Superman years ago – I initially said no because I didn't have a way in that felt unique and fun and emotional that gave Superman the dignity he deserved. Then a bit less than a year ago, I saw a way in, in many ways, centering around Superman's heritage – how both his aristocratic Kryptonian parents and his Kansas farmer parents inform who he is and the choices he makes."

DC Studios' Superman stars David Corenswet (Hollywood) as Superman/Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane. In addition, the Superman: Legacy cast includes Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nicholas Hoult (The Great) as Lex Luthor, Wendell Pierce (HBO's The Wire) as Perry White, Isabela Merced (Sicario: Day of the Soldado) as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class) as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion (The Rookie) as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan (Barry) as Metamorpho, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer, Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, Pruitt Taylor Vince (Murder One, Lady in the Lake) as Jonathan Kent/"Pa Kent," Neva Howell (Ghosts of the Ozarks) as Martha Kent/"Ma Kent," Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live) as Daily Planet sports editor Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad) as Daily Planet gossip columnist Cat Grant, and Christopher McDonald as skilled Daily Planet reporter Ron Troupe. Composer John Murphy (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Kick-Ass, The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3) will score the film.

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