Superman is widely expected to become one of the biggest movies of the year when it flies into theaters this summer. However, a recent lawsuit put the film’s release in select countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada, into question. Those are major markets where having a theatrcial run is vital to the DCU project’s box office prospects. Fortunately for Warner Bros., a judge has ruled in their favor and sealed the fate of James Gunn’s DC superhero film.
As reported by Bloomberg, a federal judge has dismissed the case between Warner Bros. and Warren Peary, the nephew of Superman co-creator Joseph Shuster. The estate of the late Schuster alleged that the studio did not have the rights to release the film in select territories due to an apparent lack of foreign copyrights to the original comic book storyline. With the ruling, Superman will be able to be released in theaters without a hitch in key markets such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland and Australia. Suffice it to say, the Kryptonian hero won’t have to resort to staying in his Fortress of Solitude.

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It was always doubtful any kind of outcome would find Warner Bros. not being able to release their most highly-anticipated project. After A Minecraft Movie and Sinners broke box office records, all eyes are on Superman to continue the hot streak for the studio. WB famously decided to bank most of their 2025 theatrical slate on big-budget, auteur-driven projects from filmmakers like Bong Joon-ho and Paul Thomas Anderson. At first, things were looking dicey for the studio, whose execs were facing scrutiny in trade headlines over the first quarter of the year. However, their decisions have paid off as of late, and Superman is in good shape to jumpstart the rebooted DC Universe with a big boom.
Warner Bros. Exec Says What Fans Want To Hear About ‘Superman’

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Motion Pictures Group co-chair Michael De Luca recently revealed his first reaction to viewing James Gunn’s Superman. Of course, the exec sang the film’s praises, revealing it has Gunn’s “trademark heart and humor” with “jaw-dropping” action sequences. He described it as a “five-star” experience, and while it is clear Gunn’s fingerprints are all over it, De Luca would go on to reveal the film’s distinct influences. Yes, it has some resemblance to Richard Donner’s 1978 classic, but fans will be delighted to learn that Superman is a “big hunk of epic sci-fi” clearly inspired by All-Star Superman.

“I would say in spirit, it is closer to that, but it’s also a big hunk of epic sci-fi. It has a little bit of what I loved about Guardians of the Galaxy, but it’s true-blue Superman. The conflict sources that he uses for inspiration, All-Star Superman and the like are in there, too. It is really a love letter to what has made Superman endure for almost a hundred years. He managed to get it all in there.”

Gunn has been open about what previous works have influenced his upcoming DCU film. So, hearing that it is inspired by All-Star Superman, while also sharing some qualities with Guardians of the Galaxy, should be a motivating factor to see the film in theaters this summer. Of course, not everyone loves the filmmaker’s humor-driven work, but judging by the success of his MCU trilogy, Superman is in a good spot to succeed with general audiences and diehard fans of the character.
Source: Bloomberg

Superman

Release Date

July 11, 2025

Director

James Gunn

Producers

Lars P. Winther, Peter Safran