DC Cinematic Universe ( The James Gunn era)

I don't frequent the Internet's manosphere (because ), but apparently it has already decided -- based on no actual information whatsoever -- that Superman: Legacy is going to feature a "girl boss" Lois who will overwhelm and overshadow poor soy boy Clark. I ran across the following comments to a YouTube video about Brosnahan as Lois:

I feel like as much as these guys hate the made-up film they already see in their minds, I kinda love it. Sounds like a fun dynamic. Here's hoping they're on to something.

 

Unlike most Superman films made up to this point, I'd like to see more of Lois' past explored about what made her THE Lois of the present. Films (particularly in this era) obviously lack the creator patience to dive into that kind of character work, but it would be interesting, rather than everyone slotted into their best-known personality from the start.

 

It's an interesting thought, and I'm always in favor of more focus on Lois. I'm not sure the problem is so much one of "creator patience," however, as audience expectations. Feature films starring these characters are occasional and expensive beasts, with only two and a half hours or so to play with. I don't know that I want to see Brosnahan's talents devoted to giving us "proto" Lois Lane, and then having to wait another few years for the chance to see her let loose on the fully-formed character (assuming a sequel even gets made). That approach was part of what made the last cinematic portrayal of Superman so controversial.

It may be that TV series are better suited to giving us extended "origin" stories. For example, Smallville spent several years getting its initially teenaged Lois behind that reporter's desk at the Planet.

 

Anybody remember that "Metropolis" show about a pre-Superman Lois Lane going up against evil billionaire scientist Lex Luthor which was briefly in development in the early days of HBO Max?

 

Oh, I so do. I will forever regret that we never got that. Though I think it was actually planned for the DC Universe streaming platform, pre-HBO Max.

Also, as I recall, it wasn't actually about Lois "going up against" Lex. Instead, in a somewhat oddball premise, they were to be teamed up, X-Files style, to investigate strange occurrences in Metropolis.

Googling ... ah, yes, here we go:

https://deadline.com/2018/01/metrop...-lane-lex-luthor-gotham-producers-1202273592/

I'm sure some would have complained about a Superman-less "Superman" series, but Lois and Lex are both great characters in their own right, and to my mind, the two most important members of the franchise's supporting cast. I would love to have had Metropolis's versions of both characters to add to their decades-long screen legacies.

 

I want to not believe.

 

The latest from Gunn on Threads:

He also writes that, "The Art Department Imps have been decorating the #SupermanLegacy offices," and shares the following photos:





Some great books and great images in those pics. Cool to see Clay Mann's gorgeous Lois Lane cover for Action Comics #965; a print of that art adorns my own wall. Also interesting that a couple of Supergirl pieces are included. I wonder if Gunn might introduce the DCU's Kara in Legacy? I would certainly welcome that news more than Metamorpho or Mr. Terrific.

 

I wouldn't be at all surprised if she popped up somewhere else before Woman of Tomorrow, and Legacy would be the most likely place for that to happen.

 

Gunn said on Threads today that he has his finger on the trigger waiting to announce more Legacy castings as soon as the strike ends.

I'm hoping we're done with non-Superman characters, and these will be announcements for Lex or Jimmy or Perry or Kara or Cat Grant or Ron Troupe or Steve Lombard or John Henry Irons or Bibbo Bibbowski or Bill Henderson or ....

 

https://twitter.com/jamesgunn/status/1723391758544064876?s=46&t=4gRLv-uovddel5zbS4TQ9g

 

That's got to be one of only movies this early in production that hasn't been pushed back.

 

Ana Noguiera has been signed to write the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow movie https://deadline.com/2023/11/supergirl-woman-of-tomorrow-dc-studios-writer-1235612035/amp/

 

Goddammit, Captaindemotion, you ninjaed me. Oh, well, since my post was already in progress ....

The Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow film adaptation has found its screenwriter:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/m...rl-movie-woman-of-tomorrow-writer-1235646953/

Very pleased to see this moving forward. I'm almost as excited about this project as I am Superman: Legacy. I'm a huge fan of Supergirl, and as I've posted a couple of times before, the WoT graphic novel is a thing of beauty and astonishment, easily one of the small handful of best standalone books DC has ever published. It's getting a hardcover Deluxe Edition next year, and despite my impoverished state, I'll be happily double-dipping.

 

Excellent. Now, if only Gunn and co. can be persuaded to cast Sasha Calle to complete the circle.

 

It won't be Calle, that wouldn't make much sense. Since we have a young Superman in play.

Supergirl will probably be a blonde teenager, matching the comics. Not Calle's Elseworlds take.

Assuming this film even sees the light of day (I wouldn't bet on it now).

 

I do feel like she would be a good fit for Tom King's version of Kara.

Gunn is singing Nogueira's praises:

https://deadline.com/2023/11/james-gunn-ana-nogueira-supergirl-woman-of-tomorrow-script-1235612194/

 

Some casting news for Superman: Legacy, with Venezuelan actress María Gabriela De Faría joining as The Engineer https://deadline.com/2023/11/superman-legacy-maria-gabriela-de-faria-villain-role-1235612761/

 

Zero knowledge of character or actress, so I guess I have no strong opinion on this? Other than the fact she's being described as a "villain" (and evidently also part of the Authority, another property about which I have no knowledge, other than that Gunn has a movie in the works), so at least not another C-list DC superhero taking up screentime.

 

Before the MCU, Iron Man and Thor were considered C-list superheroes. The Guardians of the Galaxy were maybe D-list. Most moviegoers don't read the comics anyway, so whether a character was big in comics is completely irrelevant to the movies.

 

Yeah, but here's my thing: I have no desire for any other superheroes in a Superman movie -- A, B, C, D, all the way to Z. (Folks like Supergirl and Steel excepted, because they are actual Superman family characters.)

I well realize this is not an opinion shared by all, or even most. I have also been sagely counseled that it's too early to doomcry. Maybe Gunn has some genius plan that will make my concerns seem silly to me in retrospect. I sincerely hope so, because I so want to love this movie.