Fans are worried that James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ has too many characters in it.
James Gunn is known for large ensemble casts and knows how to write for them.
No one has ever complained about the numerous characters in ‘The Godfather’.
Every time a new trailer or TV spot for ‘Superman‘ is released, the internet is abuzz with people saying that there are too many characters. The concerns are that if there are too many characters, the story would be difficult to follow, there would be too many side plots to give the core story the time it needs, and the film would end up too oversaturated.
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The thing is, James Gunn is well known for his large ensemble casts. This is his wheelhouse, so there is no reason to be worried. He thrilled Marvel fans with the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy‘ trilogy, and his ‘The Suicide Squad‘ success surely had something to do with DC Studios handing him the reins as co-CEO.
On top of that, this feels like just another reason for people to complain about something they aren’t even that passionate about, as no one has ever said the same about ‘The Godfather‘, which has just as many characters.
The Prominent Characters In ‘Superman’ All Make Sense For The Story We Assume Is Being Told
(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
One of the biggest thing that fans need to remember about ‘Superman’ is that this is technically the introduction into James Gunn’s DCU, as it is the first feature film. Yes, ‘Peacemaker‘ is (mostly) cannon and ‘Creature Commandos‘ is included yet animated, but this is the real start of Gunn’s plans. Because of this, it is necessary to establish the world that these heroes live in. Superman is not the only hero, and opting not to include any others would only hurt the believability of the story.
How many times have people asked where the Eternals or Namor were during the events of ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ and ‘Avengers: Endgame‘ and why they never came to help? Even if Marvel tries to offer a reason, most viewers do not accept it. James Gunn is avoiding this response to ‘Superman’ by showing where the main characters of the DCU are during these events and establishing that they do exist in this world.
David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent / Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luther, can you imagine a story that only involves the three of them? Not only would it likely get very boring, very quickly, it risks being repetative and too closed off.
Adding in nurmerous characters (that are likely to not be a major part of the plot, mind you) such as Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr will bring in subplots and round out the universe, making it more realistic while simultaneously setting up for what is to come in future films and television projects.
If Anyone Can Handle An Ensemble Cast, It Is James Gunn
It is hard not to laugh at the idea that ‘Superman’ has too many characters when you look at who is behind it all. James Gunn is writing and directing, and if anyone knows his way around an ensemble cast, it is that man. He is a genuis when it comes to plucking characters out of obscurity and telling an emotional, exciting, and action-packed story around them.
While Superman, Lois Lane, and Lex Luther are undoubtedly household names, several other characters in ‘Superman’ are not. Those who do not read DC Comics and don’t immerse themselves in these worlds, probably have never heard of Mister Terrific or Steve Lombard. James Gunn excels at bringing these types of characters to life.
If you look at character list for ‘The Suicide Squad’, it has just as many, if not more, than ‘Superman’ does. There were two complete rosters in that movie and fans still soaked it all in and loved nearly every moment of it. James Gunn is brilliant when it comes to giving every character, big or small, their time to shine and justifying their reason to exist in that universe. There is no reason to believe he will not do the same with ‘Superman’.
No One Has Ever Said ‘The Godfather’ Has Too Many Characters
(L to R) James Caan, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and John Cazale in ‘The Godfather’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The final point to make in this arguement is that no one has ever said ‘The Godfather’ had too many characters – and there are at least fifteen prominent characters in that movie. They do not all need a backstory for it to make sense that they exist in the world. Viewers don’t complain that the plot gets lost because there are so many of them, and ‘The Godfather’ certainly is not considered a bad movie (not even remotely).
This is just one example of a beloved film having multiple characters, each with a job to do to drive the plot forward even if you don’t know about their upbringing or their deep dark secrets. A movie can have one hundred main characters and still be good if the writing and the story being told is good.
James Gunn himself pointed out that ‘Oppenheimer‘ has three times as many speaking roles as ‘Superman’ does and promises that the film will not confuse anyone in an interview with IGN. Plus, ‘Superman’ isn’t even out yet, so can we please normalize saving the criticism of a movie until after you watch it?
(L to R) David Corenswet and Krypto in ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram account.
With David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Gunn has been busy making the movie under great scrutiny, his concept for Superman seen as partly defining the way ahead for DC on screens big and small.
Now, though, barring any planned additional footage shoots, Gunn is headed into the post-production stage ahead of the movie’s release next year. We can likely expect at least the first teaser before the year is out.
“And that’s a wrap,” Gunn posted on Instagram about wrapping. “God bless our cast and crew whose commitment, creativity, and hard work have brought this project to life.”
David Corenswet as Superman in James Gunn’s ‘Superman’. Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram.
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran, Gunn’s co-chief of DC Studios (and a producer on the movie) said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
Who is appearing in ‘Superman’?
(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Alongside Corenswet and Brosnahan, there’s an eclectic, sprawling cast.
That’s the main ensemble; we can expect an appearance from Gunn’s brother Sean (a regular in his movies, who has played the likes of Kraglin and provided the on-set reference performance and voice for Rocket Raccoon in the ‘Guardians’ franchise) as the villainous Maxwell Lord.
David Corenswet as Superman in James Gunn’s ‘Superman’. Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram.
Preview:
James Gunn has revealed the first look at David Corenswet in ‘Superman’
The movie is still shooting in Atlanta.
‘Superman’ will be in theaters on 11th July next year.
Given the intense scrutiny of James Gunn’s new ‘Superman’ film –– which, if not already burdened enough by having to launch the latest iteration of the DC superhero figurehead also has to cinematically kickstart the filmmaker’s vision for the overall DC movie and TV universe –– it’s hardly surprising that he chose to get out ahead of those wanting to snap a paparazzi shot of new star David Corenswet in his Superman suit.
In a fun twist from the usual Super-introduction, the shot appears to show Corenswet’s Clark Kent calmly pulling on one of his suit’s boots instead of the standard, all-action first look. And that’s despite some giant threat seemingly outside the window, looming over Metropolis. But we’ll say this: Corenswet certainly looks the part, though some fans are certainly drawing comparisons to Henry Cavill’s ‘Man of Steel’ look.
Filming has been underway on the movie for a couple of months now, with production happening in Norway for some Fortress of Solitude location work and its homebase of Atlanta.
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What’s the story of ‘Superman’?
(L to R) Rachel Brosnahan, David Corenswet and director James Gunn on the set of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram account.
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran, Gunn’s co-chief of DC Studios (and a producer on the movie) said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
Who is appearing in ‘Superman’?
(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Alongside Corenswet as Clark Kent/Supes, Rachel Brosnahan will be Lois.
That’s the main ensemble; we can expect an appearance from Gunn’s brother Sean (a regular in his movies, who has played the likes of Kraglin and provided the on-set reference performance and voice for Rocket Raccoon in the ‘Guardians’ franchise) as the villainous Maxwell Lord.
And finally, Milly Alcock is likely to have a cameo as Kara/Supergirl, Superman’s cousin, ahead of her own movie debut.
Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell are playing the Kents in ‘Superman’.
James Gunn is directing the new movie.
‘Superman’ will be out on July 11th, 2025.
The cameras have been cranking for a while on James Gunn’s new ‘Superman’ movie, the reboot he’s looking to have kick off –– on the big screen, at least –– his and DC Studios’ co-CEO Peter Safran’s vision for the DC universe going forward.
And though Gunn has previously said that he won’t necessarily be diving back into all the iconic origin narrative points of Clark Kent/Superman’s story, it does appear there is room for both of his parents to appear.
The Wrap reports that Pruitt Taylor Vince has been cast as Jonathan Kent, the farmer who, with wife Martha, discovers an infant Kal El in a crashed spaceship and adopts him as their own, raising Clark to be a good man who channels his parents’ morals when he discovers his powers.
In a separate story, the outlet has revealed that Neva Howell will play Martha. Jonathan in particular tends to be a tragic figure, the character dying when Clark is a young man. Whether that holds true here (or if he’s only seen in flashback) remains to be seen.
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What’s the story of ‘Superman’?
(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton story (though that and now clearly his time in Smallville will factor in) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois Lane will already be an established reporting star.
Safran said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
That’s the main ensemble; we can expect an appearance from Gunn’s brother Sean (a regular in his movies, who has played the likes of Kraglin and provided the on-set reference performance and voice for Rocket Raccoon in the ‘Guardians’ franchise) as the villainous Maxwell Lord.
(Left) Wendell Pierce at the ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ Season 1 World Premiere Event. Credit: Jordan Strauss. Copyright: Amazon Studios. (Right) Perry White. Photo: DC Comics.
Preview:
Wendell Pierce has joined ‘Superman’.
He’ll play Perry White for writer/director James Gunn.
The movie has started shooting.
The cameras are now rolling on James Gunn’s next superhero outing, his first as boss of the DC Comics-based movie universe alongside Peter Safran.
David Corenswet is playing the title character (as well as his alter ego, reporter Clark Kent), with Rachel Brosnahan as colleague and love interest Lois Lane.
Now we know who will be playing their boss, Daily Planet editor Perry White –– ‘The Wire’ and ‘Jack Ryan’s Wendell Pierce has won the role.
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What’s the story of ‘Superman’?
New ‘Superman’ logo. Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois will already be an established reporting star.
Perry White: History
(Left) Perry White. Photo: DC Comics.
White first appeared as a character in the 1940s radio serials based on Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel’s comics and has been a fixture in Superman-related stories ever since.
We can also expect an appearance from Gunn’s brother Sean (a regular in his movies, who has played the likes of Kraglin and provided the on-set reference performance and voice for Rocket Raccoon in the ‘Guardians’ franchise) as the villainous Maxwell Lord.
(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Preview:
James Gunn has announced that ‘Superman: Legacy’ is now just ‘Superman’.
Film has commenced in Atlanta.
David Corenswet plays the title character.
February 29th, in case you weren’t aware of this particular nugget of comic book trivia, happens to be Superman’s birthday, at least in DC canon (partly picked to explain why he doesn’t seem to age as quickly as other characters).
It’s also the day that James Gunn kicked off production on his new movie about the character. And the writer/director used to occasion to announce that, somewhere between his first and final draft of the script, the title has changed from ‘Superman: Legacy’ to simply… ‘Superman’.
Gunn hit Instagram to announce both the start of the shoot and the new, simple title:
And, per the post’s illustration, the filmmaker also gave us a sneak peek at the insignia to be worn on the chest of his Superman, framed by frosty particles we can assume come from Supes’ famous Fortress of Solitude.
What’s the story of ‘Superman’?
New ‘Superman’ logo. Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran, Gunn’s co-chief of DC Studios (and a producer on the movie) said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
That’s the main ensemble; we can expect an appearance from Gunn’s brother Sean (a regular in his movies, who has played the likes of Kraglin and provided the on-set reference performance and voice for Rocket Raccoon in the ‘Guardians’ franchise) as the villainous Maxwell Lord.
(Left) Milly Alcock in ‘House of the Dragon.’ Photo: Ollie Upton / HBO. (Right) DC Comics’ Supergirl from writer Tom King’s ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.’ Photo courtesy of DC.com.
Preview:
Milly Alcock has won the role of Supergirl the DCU.
She will first appear in James Gunn’s ‘Superman: Legacy’.
The character will also lead ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’.
James Gunn has found the person he wants to play Kara Zor-El –– AKA Supergirl, the superpowered young woman who is Superman’s cousin –– in ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’.
Milly Alcock, best known for playing the young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s first season of ‘Game of Thrones’ spinoff ‘House of the Dragon’, has landed the much-sought-after role in the DC Universe being overseen by Gunn and his fellow DCU boss/producer Peter Safran.
While such casting announcements –– this one came via The Wrap –– usually sit in the rumor sphere before the studio comments, Gunn has taken to Instagram to confirm Alcock’s presence in the DCU.
‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ will be a big-scale sci-fi film based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s comic run. It features a “darker, harsher” version of Kara Zor-El raised on a surviving chunk of Krypton who sees everyone around her die.
This is what Gunn said at the time of the announcement:
“This is a very different type of Supergirl. In our film, we see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from, you know, the time he’s an infant, versus Supergirl, who was raised on a rock chip-off of Krypton and watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life, and then came to Earth when she was a young girl and is much more hardcore. She’s not exactly the Supergirl we’re used to seeing.”
Who else was in the running for Supergirl?
Emilia Jones in ‘CODA’
Alcock got the role after an audition and a screen test, and the other two main contenders were Emilia Jones (who starred in Oscar winner ‘CODA’ and appeared in last year’s ‘Cat People’), and Meg Donnelly, known for the Disney ‘Zombies’ movies.
Donnelly also had some experience with Supergirl, as she has voiced the role in several animated DC outings.
Milly Alcock in ‘House of the Dragon.’ Photo: Ollie Upton / HBO.
‘Superman: Legacy’ has a release date scheduled for July 11th, 2025. Given that it has yet to find a director, the Supergirl movie has yet to lock in a date.
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
Since losing her husband Mal (Edi Gathegi) in a drunk-driving incident, Sophie (Judy Greer) has struggled to manage crippling grief, a full-time job, and the demands of parenting her devastated teenage daughter (Faithe Herman). When her husband’s best friend Jabir (Payman Maadi), a former physicist, reveals that he has been building a time-bending machine that could restore her former life, Sophie will be faced with an impossible choice—and unforeseeable consequences.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker Jared Moshé about his work on ‘Aporia,’ developing the screenplay, the themes he wanted to explore, the rules of time travel, creating the look of the time machine, Sophie and Mal’s relationship, how things change when he returns, their obsession with “fixing time,” and assembling his excellent cast.
(L to R) Judy Greer and Edi Gathegi in Well Go USA Entertainment’s ‘Aporia.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about developing the screenplay and the themes that you wanted to explore with this movie?
Jared Moshé: So the idea for the screenplay came about when I was becoming a dad for the first time. Suddenly, the world became a lot scarier, everything felt a lot more uncertain. It just became scarier. I was trying to figure out how to wrestle with that. I found that as an artist, the best way to do that is sometimes through my art. So I wanted to do a movie that explored someone grappling with uncertainty, and trying to find a way to control the world, to a way that they understand it and bring it back to that place. While I was trying to figure out how to do that story, I remember this weird, crazy idea I’d had for a gun that could murder people in the past. I had this idea and I was like, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with that.” And then I was like, “Oh, what if a character has to use that to try to regain control of her life?”
Judy Greer in Well Go USA Entertainment’s ‘Aporia.’
MF: So, it’s sort of playing off of the “going back in time to kill Hitler” idea, is that right?
JM: Right. It’s totally like that. But on a much more personal level. One of the things I think, is we like to talk about the world and this big space, but our worlds are really small, and our worlds are the lives we build for ourselves. So it’s a lot easier for someone to justify using it for their world, than it is for like, “Oh, well, I’m going to kill baby Hitler,” because who knows what that would do?
(L to R) Payman Maadi and Judy Greer in Well Go USA Entertainment’s ‘Aporia.’
MF: Every movie or TV show has their own specific rules about time travel. What were the rules of time travel that you wanted to establish for this story?
JM: I wanted to try to keep it as simple as possible, when I was putting up this world. For this story, I thought about how to do it in a way that felt somewhat scientifically plausible and didn’t give any easy answers. So the rules I set forth with the machine, I thought it was a particle accelerator, and it could create a particle and it could send it back in time. If somehow you get it in someone’s head, it can cause basically, an aneurysm or a stroke. I was like, “All right, well if you’re doing that, the machine can only do really one thing. Kill someone.” Because if you shot a particle back in time to a wall, what’s going to happen? So the machine can only kill. Then two, you can’t un-kill. It’s like you fired the bullet, it’s out of there. So there’s no take backs. Then three, being sort of inspired by the way quantum physics works and relativity, I figured if you use the machine, you observed a change in the timeline. So you remember the original timeline, not the new one you’ve created.
Payman Maadi in Well Go USA Entertainment’s ‘Aporia.’
MF: Can you talk about designing the look of the time machine? What did you want that to look like on screen?
JM: I wanted it to look like a piece of crap. I wanted the most powerful machine in the world to look like a piece of junk. I gave my production designers two instructions. So I had two production designers on this movie. Kati Simon, who handled the world and everything else, and Ariel Vida who handled the machine. I gave her two pieces of instruction, direction. First was that it’s a particle accelerator. The second one was, make it look like a fire hazard. I want this thing to feel like it’s going to burn down. It’s more likely to burn down the building than it is to actually do what he says it does. She went in there and she learned how to weld. She grabbed things from junk shops. She would take stuff she found on the side of the street, like old jukebox parts. She rented the main part of it and then just went crazy. Our philosophy was, we don’t know what actually works and what doesn’t work, because our characters don’t know what actually works and what doesn’t work. They’ve tried to build this thing so many different times, and so many different times it’s caught on fire, blowing all the fuses. The fact that it does the work is just almost a miracle.
(L to R) Faithe Herman and Edi Gathegi in Well Go USA Entertainment’s ‘Aporia.’
MF: Can you talk about how Sophie and Riley are dealing with Mal’s death in the original timeline, and how their lives change after Jabir offers Sophie this rare opportunity to bring Mal back?
JM: So I think Sophie, played by Judy Greer, my idea for this character is she’s created her life to be this very controlled thing. She went to nursing school, she became a nurse because she understood there’s always going to be need for nurses. We’re always going to have our life in front of us. She built this little life. They’re not rich, they live month to month. They rent, they’re not particularly well off, but they built out a little life that they’re really proud of and live in. And it’s been taken, when the movie starts, that’s been ripped away from her. Suddenly this one thing that she’s sort of built her whole life towards is gone and that grief is overwhelming. It’s like, the expectations of what you’re setting out to be just change completely. Adding to that grief is the fact that she has always been the provider for her family. Her husband Mal, played by Edi Gathegi, was kind the stay-at-home dad. He got his disability checks and he stayed at home. He raised their daughter Riley, played by Faithe Herman. So not only was she struggling with her life being blown up in a way she doesn’t understand, but also, she suddenly has to take on this whole other role. She’s not just the provider anymore. She’s the provider and the mother, and she has no clue how to do that, and no trust in her abilities to do that. Meanwhile, Riley, played by Faithe Herman is struggling so hard to connect to her mom. To try to find a place in this world when the one figure who was always there for her, her dad, was gone. It’s just suddenly made the world a lot darker and a lot scarier. So when Mal returns, things are still more complicated than Sophie thought, because as much as she thought she wanted this life back together, they spent the last year essentially apart because he was killed eight months ago. She remembers the eight months where he’s dead. He’s living in the eight months where he’s alive. Riley’s living in the eight months where he’s been alive. So suddenly, Sophie finds herself like this outsider in her own family, and she’s struggling to understand why, and what’s going on? What is all she missed? What does that mean about her connection with Mal? Meanwhile, Mal notices how strange Sophie is acting, because Sophie’s almost gushingly excited. “I have you back. You’ve been dead. This is amazing.” He has no clue. It’s like, “Why are you hugging me so much? This is weird. Why aren’t you being your normal self?” So it creates this disconnect that she wasn’t expecting, and they both have to grapple and figure out how to make it work.
(L to R) Edi Gathegi and Judy Greer in Well Go USA Entertainment’s ‘Aporia.’
MF: Can you talk about the bond that Sophie, Mal and Jabir form together and their obsession with “fixing time”?
JM: Well, I think it was really important to me when I was coming up with this story, that there was no real bad guys. I mean, I guess other than maybe Darby (Adam O’Byrne) at the beginning, but even he’s not a real bad guy in that way. But there’s no bad guys. There’s not one of them that is evil or has evil motivations. Not one of them is going to get corrupted by this power. It’s much more about, they each sort of realize they have this incredible thing in front of them. They want to use it to fix things in different ways. For Payman Maadi, who plays Jabir, he’s sort of already figured out all the moral conflicts of this. He feels like, all right, he’s done the trolley problem in his head a hundred times, and he knows what decisions he’ll agree with. So he sees this as a great opportunity to make the world a better place. Whereas, Sophie is much more concerned about what’s going on in the repercussions of the choices she’s already made, and the dangers of using this machine. She kind of wants to find a way to fix things, fix her mistakes, and she doesn’t know if the machine is the best way to do that or not. Meanwhile, Mal’s like, “Oh my gosh, this is an incredible thing.” He’s kind of like the guy who’s left out of it. They all got to use it but he didn’t. There’s a part of him that’s like, “There’s this incredible thing I’m part of. I want to be able to do something with it, but I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m a little late to the party.” As much as they all care about it and connect, and have this obsession with this thing, the most powerful machine in the world that’s sitting in Jabir’s bedroom, they don’t know what is the best way forward.
(L to R) Edi Gathegi and Payman Maadi in Well Go USA Entertainment’s ‘Aporia.’
MF: Finally, can you talk about assembling your excellent cast?
JM: I love my cast so much. I don’t know how I got so lucky, honestly, to get them. So, Judy Greer is just an incredible talent of an actor who’s been around for so long, and for so long she’s had to do supporting role parts, the best friend or the sidekick. But that sort of belies the talent that she really has as an actor. You see it comes through. It comes through in ‘The Descendants,’ it comes through in ‘Halloween,’ it even comes through in ‘13 Going On 30.’ You can see it in these little moments. So, I felt like she is one of the most expressive faces out there. I really wanted someone who can convey the maelstrom of emotions that Sophie is feeling, and that’s why I thought Judy would be the perfect actor for this. Then also, I kind of like the idea of this story being focused on the people you don’t expect to be the center of movie, and Judy was perfect for that just on a sort of metal level. We got her the script. Luckily for us, she responded to it and she and I had a great conversation, and we were able to attach her. Then once we had Judy and we needed to figure out who our Mal was going to be. One of the things I love about Edi Gathegi as an actor is the way he can use stillness. Judy is all energy and emotion, and she can really show everything. Eddie is very still and emotes so powerfully with the slightest gesture or just his eyes. It’s like his body will be still, and there’ll be a world of emotion and meaning in a look. I felt like he was the perfect foil to put with Judy, because he’s the stillness and feels more like the rock in the relationship, which is what Sophie feels he is, and that they would play really well together. Thankfully they did. Then the last one was Payman Maadi, who he’s a huge Persian actor. I mean, when I saw ‘A Separation,’ I was just like, “Who is this guy?” He should be a huge movie star in America, and hopefully he will. When I was trying to find the right actor for Jabir, who is a character who understands who he is and is very self-aware, but has made some choices that someone might say are morally ambiguous. I think it’s really important to have someone who embraces empathy, because he’s a very empathetic character. So much of the movie is his story as much as it’s theirs, and the choice, especially given where the film goes. I wanted an actor who could portray that empathy. Luckily, Payman was available and was able to do it, and it was just incredible having all three of them together.
Judy Greer in Well Go USA Entertainment’s ‘Aporia.’
(Left) Isabela Merced in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Rosaline,’ exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios.(Center) Nathan Fillion at the premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ (Left) Edi Gathegi in ‘Aporia.’
Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi are the new recruits (though in Fillion’s case, we somewhat suspect Gunn had been looking for a role for his regular collaborator before he even started the search for Supes.)
They’ll be playing Guy Gardner (a Green Lantern), Hawkgirl and Mister Terrific, respectively.
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Who is Guy Gardner?
Green Lantern Guy Gardner. Courtesy of DC Comics.
Fillion (who has appeared in many of Gunn’s previous movies, including ‘The Suicide Squad’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’) will be Gardner, one of the main ring bearers of the Green Lantern corps. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, he first appeared in the pages of Green Lantern #59, published in March 1968.
According to Vanity Fair’s Anthony Breznican, who broke the news of the latest casting, he’ll stay true to his comics background: Gardner is known as an abrasive, sometimes obnoxious presence (something we know Fillion can do while still be remaining fun). The character is known for his iconic bowl cut haircut, which will be a part of the actor’ look in the film.
Who is Hawkgirl?
Hawkgirl from DC Comics. Courtesy of DC Comics.
Merced, known for playing Dora The Explorer in ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold’ is on to play Hawkgirl, a warrior who favors swords, spears, and maces. She’s been seen on TV in ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’, but this is a new actor and take on the character.
Who is Mister Terrific?
Mister Terrific (Michael Holt). Courtesy of DC Comics.
Finally, we have Gathegi (seen in the ‘Twilight’ movies and most recently on Apple TV+’s space drama ‘For All Mankind’), who has been cast as Mr. Terrific. Also known as Michael Holt, he’s not only a skilled combatant but one of the world’s most brilliant inventors and tacticians, orbited by the floating T-Sphere weapons he designed.
(Left) David Corenswet in Netflix’s ‘The Politician.’ (Right) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
‘Superman: Legacy’ is scheduled to land in theaters on July 11th, 2025 –– that’s right, just about two years from now. So, if long waits are your kryptonite, we can only apologize.
(Left) Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account. (Right) Superman. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.com.
