James Gunn is currently shooting his Superman film which will kick off the new DCU. The DCU head has envisioned an elaborate plan for his new universe that fans hope will re-ignite the franchise and bring back its glory days. David Corenswet is set to play the Man of Steel and fans can’t wait for what the director has in store.
Before the shoot began, the whole cast had a table read together and Gunn posted a photo with them on his social media. It seems the grandsons of Superman’s co-creator Jerry Siegel were also present at the time and they gifted Gunn with a reprint of the first comic issue that Superman appeared in.
James Gunn Gets a Priceless Gift from Jerry Siegel’s Grandsons
James Gunn is taking on the responsibility as the co-CEO of DC Studios to bring forward a new DCU that fans will be proud of. He is directing the first film of his DCU Superman with David Corenswet playing Clark Kent/ Superman. The film is currently shooting and is scheduled to release in July next year.
Recently, the whole cast had a read-through of the film’s script before shooting began and it seems Gunn got visited by family members of the person responsible for Superman’s existence. Michael and James Larson, the grandsons of legendary comic writer Jerry Siegel visited Gunn on set. They even gifted Gunn a reprinted issue of Action Comics #1.
In a photo involving Gunn and the Larsons on X, Gunn expressed his gratitude to the Larsons for visiting him and gifting him such a valuable gift. He also gave a shoutout to Siegel, who co-created Superman in the 1930s (the character first appeared in the 1938 issue of Action Comics #1). He wrote,
“A gift from Jerry Siegel’s grandsons Michael and James Larson – a reprint of the first issue of Action Comics signed by Jerry. It’s been great having Mike and Jim around keeping Jerry’s spirit alive in the birth of the DCU! Here we all were on the day of the cast read-through. #Superman”
A gift from Jerry Siegel’s grandsons Michael and James Larson – a reprint of the first issue of Action Comics signed by Jerry. It’s been great having Mike and Jim around keeping Jerry’s spirit alive in the birth of the DCU! Here we all were on the day of the cast read through.… pic.twitter.com/8FeSO4gSFn
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 27, 2024
In addition to Superman, Siegel created other DC characters such as Doctor Occult, Superboy, and the Star-Spangled Kid. He also worked for Marvel Comics, co-creating the villain Plantman along with Stan Lee. Outside of these two franchises, Siegel also wrote for Archie Comics and Fleetway Publications.
Such an incredible gesture is something that Zack Snyder didn’t receive during his tenure at DC. It seems the Larsons are fully confident in Gunn’s vision for the film and believe that he will bring something unique and impactful that will do justice to their grandfather’s legacy.
James Gunn Provides Update on the Release Schedule of the Waller Series
Last year, James Gunn announced a series of projects that will be a part of the first chapter of his DCU. One of them was the series focused on Amanda Waller starring Viola Davis. In the aftermath of the Hollywood strikes, people expected that many of the DCU projects would be delayed. Gunn provided an update about when fans can expect the Waller series to premiere on Max.
On Instagram, Gunn stated that writers Jeremy Carver and Christal Henry are hard at work crafting some great things for the show. Since the schedule was affected by the strikes, he revealed that the Waller series will come after Peacemaker season 2. He wrote,
“Yes, Waller’s still happening & Jeremy & Christal are hard at work writing great stuff, but the schedule was impacted by the strikes so Waller will come after [Peacemaker] in the larger order of things.”
The series will see the return of Amanda Waller after the events of Peacemaker Season 1. As of 2024, the animated series Creature Commandoes is set to premiere on Max later this year and Gunn has written all the episodes of the show.
Superman will hit theaters next year on July 11, 2025.