Superman: James Gunn Debunks Controversial New Villain Rumors

DC's Superman reboot is now in production, with writer-director James Gunn spearheading a new era for the man of steel. Plenty of rumors have swirled around Superman, trying to guess what plot or surprises might be in store for the film ahead of its planned release in the summer of 2025. One recent one has concerned the film's villain, suggesting that there could be a clone or evil alternate version of Superman (David Corenswet), potentially engineered by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). The rumor has been speculated about a lot in recent days, with some fans worrying it might be too similar to previous big-screen storylines like Nuclear Man in Superman IV: A Quest for Peace or even Doomsday in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. On Friday, Gunn took to Threads to debunk the rumor altogether, confirming that Clark and Lex remain the central rivalry of Superman.

"The primary protagonist of Superman is, shockingly, Superman," Gunn's post reads. "The main villain of Superman is, shockingly, Lex Luthor. I don't know where all the stuff is coming from that it's something other than this. There are so many stories coming out every day it's difficult to deal with and everytime I strike something down I'm giving it attention. So, I'll say again, don't believe anything unless you see it HERE (& why would you want to know everything before the movie comes out anyway?) ❤️🧜‍♂️"

What Is Superman About?

Per DC Studios, Superman tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and a better tomorrow, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned. 

"We got James Gunn and Peter (Safran) working very hard on DC, which is going to be a very big growth driver for this company," Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav explained last year. "We are very bullish on DC. The Superman script first draft is done. Gunn is on a mission from god. It is a really good moment to prove out on DC what we got and how strong it is globally for long-term sustainable growth."

Who Will Star in Superman?

Superman will also star Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Terence Rosemore as Otis, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica / The Engineer, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt / Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason / Metamorpho.

"We've been having a lot of great conversations, David and I, with James Gunn, the director," Brosnahan revealed in a recent interview. "We've been talking a lot about where this project fits into the canon of the Supermans that we know. So hopefully, this'll be... we'll be putting our own stamp on things."

What do you think of James Gunn debunking the newest Superman rumors? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Superman is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.