Does Superman have too many characters? James Gunn speaks out on the worry that the upcoming film has a cast too big to actually follow.
For the most part, the conversation around Superman has been surprisingly positive. However, there has been one thing that has worried fans ever since James Gunn dropped ‘Legacy’ from the title: the cast. Not who was cast (though some people still have hammers ready to throw at Nathan Fillion), but rather the size of the cast, with some worried that it may be too big to effectively wrangle.
On paper, this makes sense. James Gunn absolutely packed the Superman cast with fan-favorite characters. This includes Superman, Lex Luthor, at least three henchmen, six Daily Planet staff members, the Justice Gang, Metamorpho, Rick Flag Sr., Ultraman, Maxwell Lord, The Kent family, and one very good super dog. This not to mention any other cameos that might arise from other DC Universe projects, and any new characters fans don’t even know about!
Is The Superman Cast Too Big?
Yet it wouldn’t be a news story about Superman without James Gunn setting the record straight. The director recently sat down with Esquire to talk about the upcoming DC Universe project. When asked about the film’s stacked cast, Gunn remarks that fans aren’t going to be confused by how many characters there are, especially as it has less speaking roles than Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer.
“No, not really. Because I’ve screen the movie for so many people and people aren’t confused,” Gunn remarked when asked if he was worried about audiences adjusting to the new world of the DC Universe “…Just because they have insignias on their costumes or superpowers doesn’t mean they’re not like any other supporting character. Oppenheimer has three times as many speaking roles as we do. So people are fine.”
It does definitely feel as though the worries about the size of the Superman cast are overblown because half of them are in super suits. So it’s good that James Gunn didn’t let that mentality take over when crafting the DC Universe’s debut film. Though even then, juggling such a big cast is a tough act, one that won’t fully be successful until the project hits the silver screen next month.
Superman is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
