James Gunn's upcoming Superman (formerly Superman: Legacy) will officially introduce several key Justice League heroes to the new DCU.
The DCU's first movie will see Superman enter a world populated with existing heroes and villains. This comes as the new rebooted slate gets underway and plans to introduce many more iconic heroes such as Batman in the coming years.
James Gunn's Superman Casts Justice League Heroes
The cast of James Gunn's Superman includes actors for five (potentially six) Justice League heroes who will head up the start of the new DCU.
Details of each of the heroes and their actors are explored below:
Superman (Clark Kent)
Kal-El, better known as Clark Kent or Superman, requires no introduction to any Justice League enthusiast and can be instantly recognized by his iconic red, blue, and yellow costume and blossoming cape.
Hailing from the destroyed alien world of Krypton and after a lifetime being raised in the farmlands of Kansas, Earth's sun offers Clark Kent unimaginable powers of flight, super-strength, super-speed, freeze breath, heat vision, and more.
Replacing Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel is David Corenswet, an up-and-coming actor with recent credits in The Politician, Hollywood, and Pearl. Ahead of Superman, he will take to screens later this year in the disaster flick Twisters.
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Green Lantern (Guy Gardner)
A member of the Green Lantern Corps, Guy Gardner, will appear in Superman, bringing with him all the familiar powers of the emerald space-cops through a will-powered ring and the ability to create glowing constructs from pure imagination.
Guy Gardner will only be the first Green Lantern to appear in the DCU before Hal Jordan and John Stewart lead the way in Max's Lanterns. It's currently unclear whether Gardner is set to join his fellow space cops for the streaming series.
Nathan Fillion will portray the Green Lantern following his leading role in the viral cop drama The Rookie. He previously worked with Superman director James Gunn during his time in the MCU with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
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Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders)
Another legendary member of the Justice League to feature in Superman is Hawkgirl, aka Kendra Saunders. Her introduction follows the big-screen debut of Hawkman in Black Adam, played by Aldis Hodge, whose future is uncertain.
With origins going back to the planet Thanagar, Saunders embodies the soul of her ancestor and the original Hawkgirl to become the latest hero, donning a set of wings and wielding a powerful mace into battle with the Justice League.
Hawkgirl will be played by Isabela Merced, who was recently seen in a superhero project in Madame Web after roles in Dora the Explorer and Instant Family. She will soon appear in HBO's The Last of Us Season 2 as Dina.
Mr. Terrific (Michael Holt)
Michael Holt is one of the greatest minds in the DC universe which he used to develop his iconic T-spheres. These powerful flying drones can be utilized for various purposes including combat, in which he is also a strong martial artist.
Better known as Mr. Terrific, Holt entered the superhero game after the accidental deaths of his wife and unborn child. He would go on to join several teams such as the Justice League and the Justice Society, and he even found his own with the Terrifics.
Edi Gathegi will play Mr. Terrific in Superman after the actor once played Darwin in X-Men: First Class and held other roles in StartUp and For All Mankind.
Metamorpho (Rex Mason)
Metamorpho is perhaps the least-known of the Justice League heroes set to appear in Superman. Otherwise called the adventurer Rex Mason, he gained his unique powers from a radioactive meteorite he found in an Egyptian pyramid.
After the incident, Mason became able to shape-shift his body into various forms and elements, including turning part or all of him into solids, liquids, or gases.
Metamorpho will be played by Anthony Carrigan, who took two dips into the DC mythos before in Gotham and The Flash. Other recent credits for the actor are Barry, Bill & Ted Face the Music, and more.
BONUS.) Supergirl (Kara Danvers)
Kara Danvers, aka Kara Zor-El, is the older cousin to Clark Kent who was sent to Earth to protect him but ultimately her pod went off course and she arrived years later. Now, she follows in his footsteps on Earth as Supergirl, brandishing a similar powerset and donning an outfit akin to her cousin.
Supergirl has not been officially confirmed to appear in Superman, with James Gunn stating on Threads he "never even said she was in the movie" when news broke about casting for the Kryptonian hero.
Regardless, her appearance in Superman would make sense ahead of her starring in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Based on the comic of the same name by Tom King, the movie is reportedly set to enter production later this year from director Craig Gillespie and writer Ana Nogueira to become the DCU's second movie.
The DCU's Supergirl will be brought to life by Milly Alcock, who found fame in 2022 as the young Rhaenyra Targaryen in the first half of HBO's House of the Dragon Season 1, a spin-off to Game of Thrones.
When Will the DCU's Justice League Assemble?
Superman will kickstart the new DCU as Clark Kent enters a world filled with existing heroes such as those explored above. That said, it's unclear if these heroes are operating together under an umbrella such as the Justice Society or whether they are scattered around and working alone.
Currently, it seems more likely the latter will be the case, as Superman ushers this world into a new and more hopeful era of heroes. This tonal shift ought to be the first step toward one day assembling the Justice League in the DCU whenever a threat powerful enough to unite Earth's heroes finally comes along.
But fans shouldn't expect to see the Justice League unite anytime soon, as there are plenty more characters who will need projects before then such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, and Martian Manhunter, while the likes of Batman already have a solo movie on the docket with Brave and the Bold.
As it will undoubtedly take many more years to introduce all of these important players, it would be shocking to see the new Justice League assemble to conclude Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters anytime before 2029 or 2030.
That said, there will likely be plenty of teases and smaller crossovers to come before then, with Superman already set to include seven major heroes. Just as was the case with the MCU over a decade ago, fans should prepare for years of build-up and cryptic hints before this new team assembles.
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Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
