James Gunn’sSupermanmay not take flight as planned in certain countries. The estate ofJoseph Shuster, the original creator of the Man of Steel alongsideJerry Siegel, is suingWarner Bros. Discoveryand DC Comics to prevent the release ofthe summer superhero blockbusterin key territories including Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. Filed by the estate’s executorMark Warren Peary, the suit claims that the studio doesn’t hold the rights to distribute the film in those areas, and seeks “damages and injunctive relief for Defendants’ ongoing infringement” in those countries, alongside “declaratory relief establishing the Shuster Estate’s ownership rights across relevant jurisdictions.” Warner Bros. has asserted they’re ready to fight, responding that they “fundamentally disagree with the merits of the lawsuit.”
Shuster’s estate’s assertions stem from an issue involving foreign copyright laws. Back in 1938, both Shuster and Siegel assigned the worldwide rights of Superman to its predecessor, which covered most countries. In the case of territories like those mentioned above, however, the suit cites their specific laws,saying that there are provisions that allow any assignments to expire and for the rights to return to the creator 25 years after their death. Since Shuster and Siegel have been gone since 1992 and 1996 respectively, the estate claims that any releases in those countries have actually violated the copyright for the past few years by not getting their direct authorization. Moreover, a jury trial was also requested to resolve this dispute, with the lawsuit adding that “defendants’ acts of direct infringement have been willful, intentional, and purposeful, in wholesale disregard of and indifference to the rights of Plaintiff.” In addition to seeking monetary damages, Schuster’s estate is also pursuing a cease and desist order to prevent Warner Bros. from using Superman without a license.
This isn’t Warner Bros' first rodeo with Superman lawsuits—they previously succeeded in beating a lawsuit by Peary over a copyright termination in 2013—but this specific litigation is coming at a time that’s sure to stick in the studio’s craw.Supermanwillbe the first film of the new DCUunder Gunn andPeter Safran, playing an integral role in setting up what’s next in the wider cinematic universe. It also marks the long-awaited return of DC’s golden boy to the big screen after the end ofHenry Cavill’s tenure,formally introducingDavid Corenswetas Clark Kent. Anticipation is running extremely high, withthe first trailerbecoming the most watched and discussed online in DC and Warner Bros. history after exceeding 250 million views anda million social media posts in just 24 hours. Even the possibility of a delay in any territory is unwelcome for Warner Bros., though they seem confident in their ability to move past this quickly.
What to Expect from James Gunn’s ‘Superman’
Gunn’s take onSupermandraws inspiration froma wide range of source materialfrom the first comic toSuperman: The Animated Seriesto captureboth sides of the heroas a Kryptonian hero and as Clark Kent. The trailergave a tease of all of it, from the enormous pressure he faces as Earth’s protector to his passionate love for Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), his work at the Daily Planet, and the threat ahead of him fromNicholas Hoult’s ruthless and cunning Lex Luthor. In summation, Gunn has described it as a film about the struggles one man faces in his everyday life, especially given how complicated that life is. The one thing we know for certain it’s not, though,is an origin story.
Supes will also get to rub elbows with other heroes like Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathigi), which hints at the wider universe that will continue to be fleshed out in the DCU. Beyond Luthor, there’s also another threat lurking inAngela Spica, aka The Engineer(María Gabriela De Faría), from The Authority, who has been described as one of the movie’s main villains. Corenswetfound a lot of inspiration in his fellow actorsand how their characters view Superman, setting up a unique and nuanced rendition of the beloved hero.
As of right now,Supermanpremieres in theaters on July 11. Stay tuned here at Collider for more updates on the hotly-anticipated debut of the new DCU as they come out.
