Superman: Legacy gets New Title, Costume, Possible Behind-The-Scenes Image
Superman has taken flight… and I don’t mean Superman: Legacy – at least, not anymore. In an Instagram post, James Gunn revealed an image begging to be on a poster, one with Superman’s chest covered in snow (from the Fortress of Solitude, perhaps?) that shows off a bit of the design for Superman’s suit in his upcoming film. In the post, Gunn announced that production began today, which is Superman’s birthday (Gunn says this is a coincidence, but I’m not sure); he also announced that the film will no longer be called Superman: Legacy but will now be known as… Superman. So get ready for another movie we’ll have to use dates to differentiate from a previous film. (Although Superman (1978) is often called Superman: The Movie, so maybe that will become a more steadfast rule – unless the new one sucks, of course.) You can see Gunn’s post and the new Superman logo below:
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As annoying as it’ll be for those of us who write about superhero movies (I know, I have a tough life; don’t cry for me, Art and Nina), changing the title to Superman is a smart move. I know Gunn says this came about organically because the finished script demanded it, but I suspect it’s more of a marketing thing. Calling it Superman: Legacy makes it sound like just another of the many Superman stories out there, and since his last bunch of cinematic appearances have been, to say the least, underwhelming (the coolest one was a cameo that ultimately went nowhere), that doesn’t feel like a must-see moviegoing experience. But if you just call it Superman? Now, that’s something to get excited about. It feels good to say “Superman.” And a movie that’s just called Superman feels not only important but essential; you have to see Superman. It also feels like a proper start to a new DC Universe; of course, it all starts with Superman. It also helps alleviate the feeling that this movie is so stuffed with superheroes that Superman could be diminished in his debut; now, the title is unabashedly Superman, centering him as the focus.
As for the S, well, it could definitely be worse, but I wish they’d just do the classic design. I’m tired of the obsession with jazzing up Superman to make him look cooler. This design is sort of like the one from “Kingdom Come,” although with the traditional yellow background instead of black; I guess that’s why Gunn posted an image from the graphic novel a while back. “Kingdom Come” is my second favorite comic story, but I wouldn’t have gone with this look; I like the old-school S, and I don’t think a new spin needs to be put on it every time. But, again, it could have been a lot worse, and I’m not going to complain too much about this design. Interestingly, an image claiming to be from the Superman set has popped up online, as shared by X user Aaron Sparrow:
Looks like we might ACTUALLY be getting a traditional #Superman film from James Gunn.
I don’t love the short cape… but everything else is there. Bright. Colorful. Hopeful. And with strongman shorts intact?! 😮
Do we dare to hope, even though it so long ago left these lands? pic.twitter.com/leny2ik58X
— Aaron Sparrow™ is a JERK! (@Aaron_Sparrow) February 29, 2024
I’m not sure I believe this is real. This is only the first day of principal photography; it’s a little soon for behind-the-scenes pics. And the suit’s texture seems different than the one in the image Gunn shared, which has the scale-like effect from the DCEU costume (which I could do without, to be honest). If it is real, I mostly like it; it’s got the classic color scheme, and David Corenswet looks great as Superman, although the cape should be a little longer, in my opinion. As before, all we can do is wait and see, but I want to love Superman.
