Summary

Filmmaker James Gunn responds to concerns about overcrowding in Superman: Legacy, comparing it to the number of characters in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Some fans worry that the abundance of characters in superhero films like Captain America Civil War and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 can lead to bloated stories and lack of character development. The example of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame shows that having a large number of characters can lead to meaningful and emotional interactions, suggesting it may not be an issue for Superman: Legacy.

Who would have thought Superman: Legacy would ever be compared to The 40-Year-Old Virgin? Divisiveness has always been a part of the online culture, and now a fan is calling out filmmaker James Gunn for including too many characters in his upcoming Detective Comics Universe (DCU) film Superman: Legacy. Gunn took to social media to discuss his favorite songs of 2023 when someone brought up the question of overcrowding the movie on Threads. @pharhud wrote:

“James, don’t you think there is too many characters in Superman: Legacy? I just feel like there won’t be much time for Superman himself.”

@jamesgunn responded:

“I don’t understand this fear. There are less characters than in 40-Year-Old Virgin. Did you think Steve Carell got enough time?”

It turns out that the fear of having too many characters in Superman: Legacy is a legitimate concern for some fans. @weaselcatcher isn’t bothered by the notion, personally, but the Threads’ user did point out the fact that superhero flicks like Captain: America Civil War, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man 2 are all arguably guilty of committing the sin of excess.

Related: Superman: Legacy: James Gunn Needs to Avoid This Big Mistake With His Adaptation

Are There Too Many Characters in Superman: Legacy?
DC Studios/DC Comics

James Gunn’s first official entry in the DCU hasn’t even taken flight yet, but some fans worry that Superman: Legacy might be a little too crowded for the new Man of Steel (David Corenswet) already. @phrankvalencia also addresses the concern, but is still clearly supportive of the project. The user said in the same Threads post:

“I hope you are right James, but we know from previous films when you have too many characters the film can be seem bloated and the character development for the main character suffers. It takes balance, but I admit seeing Superman interact with other DC characters does sound very cool. I honestly hope you succeed.”

Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame are arguably the two leading examples of the old cliché, the more the merrier. The Russo Brothers included an almost countless array of characters in those Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) entries which included a vast number of meaningful and emotional superhero interactions.

@iofrosteminus cited these MCU films when arguing that more characters won’t be an issue for Superman: Legacy, and even a reference to Christopher Nolan’s historical drama Oppenheimer found itself in the mix:

“Did people complain about too many characters in Infinity War or Endgame? Or Oppenheimer? I wonder how many characters would be the sweet spot for them. It is a strange one. Unless it’s specifically a one-man-show, I don’t understand this concern either.”

At the time of this writing, the Last Son of Krypton will only be flanked by a handful of super-powered characters that Gunn has gone on record and confirmed — a couple of those being Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern and Hawkgirl. Indeed, fans should resign themselves to the fact that more characters are sure to be included. While speculation on the internet runs rampant, as to whether it will be Brainiac or Lex Luthor, it’s important to remember that Superman: Legacy hasn’t even officially cast its villain yet.