Superman: Legacy is due in theaters over two years from now, meaning the world will be subject to relentless false leaks, speculation, casting rumors, and everything in between and beyond until the Man of Steel makes his grand return to the big screen in the summer of 2025.
With James Gunn having turned in his first draft of Legacy just days before the writers’ strike, it’s safe to say that whatever’s in store for the inaugural live-action DC Universe film is at least roughly locked in as far as characters and plot beats go, but that’s not going to stop the internet from delivering a list of demands to Gunn every other week.
That being said, there are some folks out there who have the proper experience, and therefore the authority, necessary to maybe steer him in the right direction, and Kevin Smith, the mind behind the Clerks films and once a Daredevil and Batman scribe, is one of those people.
Whilst tweeting his love for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and excitement for Legacy, Smith cheekily suggested to Gunn to not include a giant spider fight in the third act of his film.
This was in reference to the obstacles Smith faced during his own experience trying to make a Superman blockbuster; back in the early 90s, a producer Jon Peters (An American Werewolf in London, Tango & Cash) purchased the rights to Superman from Warner Bros., and Smith was hired to write a script for Superman Lives. Peters’ list of demands included having Superman fight a giant spider in the third act, as well as not allowing him to fly, and also having him wear a black suit instead of his iconic red and blue one. Needless to say, Peters was a few panels short of a comic book in the Superman department, so to speak.
It never happened, thankfully, and Smith is now free to advocate for the exclusion of as many giant spiders as he pleases. Of course, Gunn might not be so easily swayed.
In any case, here’s to competent comic book creators and keeping Jon Peters as far away from Superman as possible.
Superman: Legacy will release to theaters on July 11, 2025.