What is James Gunn looking for when casting the next Superman?

‘Superman: Legacy’ is only one of ten confirmed projects for the rebooted DC universe led by the new CEO’s James Gunn and Peter Safran. As per the reboot, Henry Cavill will not be returning to play the Kryptonian superhero.

While promoting ‘Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3′, Gunn told reporters that while he hasn’t found the new Superman yet, he knows exactly what he’s looking for.

“The next Superman has to be someone who has all the humanity that Superman has, but he’s also an alien,” Gunn explained. “It’s gotta be somebody who has the kindness and the compassion that Superman has and be somebody who you want to give a hug.”

Everything we know about ‘Superman: Legacy’ so far

The story will follow a young Superman as a cub reporter in the fictional city of Metropolis. The film will be directed by Gunn who has directed several superhero movies before such as the entire ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ trilogy and ‘The Suicide Squad’.

In a recent tweet, Gunn revealed that “costumes, production design and more are now up and running.”

While the cast has not yet been announced, it’s slated for a 2025 release.

Casting Marvel actors in DC roles

Gunn is no stranger to casting his co-workers over at Marvel into his DC projects. Idris Elba, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Rooker and Taika Waititi have all played a Marvel role before being cast in Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’.

Pom Klementieff, who plays Mantis in the ‘Guardians’ movies, says she’s in talks to join the DC universe.

“We’ve had conversations and we’re making plans already,” Klementieff said. “But nothing is confirmed yet.”

Will Poulter, who plays Adam Warlock, was also asked if he’ll be crossing over to DC, but said no.

“No, I’m grateful to be in this for the period of time that I am,” he said. “Grateful for that alone.”

When asked if Pratt would be up for the Superman role, Gunn responded with, “It’s not Chris Pratt. If he was a few years younger, maybe.”