Ever since Henry Cavill was fired from his role as Superman, and James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as co-presidents of the DC universe; fans have wanted to know the same thing: Who will play Superman? While Gunn has been clearing up rumours and answering fans’ questions about the DCU since he first took it over, one thing he and Safran have remained tight-lipped about is Superman, namely, who will be taking him over. As a result, Superman: Legacy has become one of the most highly anticipated movies. The upcoming film will be written and directed by Gunn, who described his iteration of the character as a “big galoot”. While he hasn’t yet revealed who will be playing the character, Gunn has been more than happy to confirm which actors aren’t playing Superman on Twitter and during the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 premiere, including Chris Pratt.
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James Gunn Confirms Chris Pratt Won’t Be Superman
During the premiere of the final Guardians of the Galaxy film, Variety asked Gunn what he is looking for in the next Superman:
“It’s hard, but we’re looking. We actually have some really great choices which I’m excited about. But it has to be somebody who has all the humanity Superman has, but he’s also an alien. It has to be someone who has the kindness and compassion Superman has and it has to be somebody you want to give a hug. All the Supermen have been good, we just have to add to that story.”
The interviewer came to a conclusion and interjected to ask if Chris Pratt was being considered for the role. Gunn smiled as he answered, “It’s not Chris Pratt. If he were a few years younger, maybe,” then started laughing.
That’s one more actor fans can cross off their list, though I don’t think many had ever thought Chris Pratt would be Superman.
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Gunn and Safran on Superman: Legacy
Superman: Legacy is set to reboot the DC universe in 2025, and Gunn and Safran seem as excited about the film as fans are.
Expanding on his “big galoot” comment, Gunn said that Superman is a “big ol’ galoot. He’s a farmboy from Kansas who’s very idealistic. His greatest weakness is that he’ll never kill anybody. He doesn’t want to hurt a living soul. I like that sort of innate goodness about Superman; it’s his defining characteristic. He’s not ‘All-Star Superman,’ by again, I’m a huge fan of ‘All-Star Superman,’ and I’m very inspired by [that series].”
Peter Safran emphasised that the upcoming film would not be an origin story but instead focus on “Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth and justice, and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
Gunn has further confirmed that Superman: Legacy won’t be a comedy film but will be sincere.
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TL;DR
- James Gunn confirmed Chris Pratt won’t be Superman at the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Premiere.
- Gunn described his version of the character as an idealistic “farmboy from Kansas”.
- Peter Safran emphasised that Superman: Legacy isn’t an origin story.
