As the upcoming DC movie casts Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi to play the roles, director James Gunn responds to a fan's question why the film features so many superheroes.
- Jul 12, 2023
AceShowbiz - "Superman: Legacy" is going to feature a superhero crossover. After tapping David Corenswet in the lead role of Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman himself, the movie has added more actors to play Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Mr. Terrific.
First revealed by Vanity Fair, the new addition to the cast are Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner a.k.a. Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders a.k.a. Hawkgirl and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific. Sharing the news via his Instagram page, director James Gunn also wrote, "Hooray! Welcome to the Superman: Legacy cast, @isabelamerced as Hawkgirl, @iamedigathegi as Mister Terrific, and my old pal @nathanfillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner!"
Celebrating the casting news, "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" star Merced posted a picture of Hawkgirl and a screenshot of the article and thanked Gunn for the "best birthday gift." She wrote, "@jamesgunn gave me the best birthday gift," as she just turned 22 years old on Monday, July 10.
Over on Threads, a fan reacted to the news by asking Gunn why the movie features so many heroes as there were also reports that The Authority may also be included. "Super excited for this, love the castings!! However, I gotta ask: What compelled you to put these characters into a Superman story?" the fan posed the question.
Responding to the question, the filmmaker assured, "They fit the story I'm telling. Story always comes first." In a follow-up post, he went on stressing that the "primary story" of the film "most definitely" revolves around Superman and Lois.
In late June, it was officially announced that Corenswet landed the lead role in "Superman: Legacy", with Rachel Brosnahan starring as Lois Lane. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn and his DC co-chair Peter Safran made the decision after shooting screen tests over the weekend of June 17, with Nicholas Hoult and Tom Brittney also in contention to play Clark Kent and his alter ego, and Emma Mackey and Phoebe Dynevor shortlisted for the Daily Planet reporter.
While other details of the project have been kept under wraps, Gunn recently nixed the idea of telling Clark's origin story in the upcoming movie. When a fan asked about the idea of him using the "All-Star Superman" storyline as inspiration, he said, "I think we've seen his origin enough in film at this time!"
"Superman: Legacy" is currently scheduled for release on July 11, 2025, with filming expected to take place next year. Further cast members, including who will play Lex Luthor and The Authority, will be brought in in due course.
