James Gunn’s ‘Superman: Legacy’ is being beaten to the punch by another Man of Steel reboot

James Gunn made Man of Steel fans’ month with his exciting recent announcement that Superman: Legacy has officially entered pre-production. Although he’s told us not to expect any Clark Kent casting in the immediate future, costuming, production design, and other elements of the movie’s development are underway, which means we’re one big step closer to the Last Son of Krypton’s cinematic rebirth become a reality.

And yet the more we find out about what Gunn has planned for his take on Kal-El, it’s becoming clearer that Legacy may end up having its thunder stolen by an entirely different reimagining of the daddy of DC. While this alternate interpretation likely won’t hit the same cultural impact as a new Superman movie, from what we know it’ll actually touch on many of the same storytelling bases as Gunn’s project, which may mean it’ll have to stave off unwanted comparisons from followers of all things DC.

This other reboot in question is My Adventures With Superman, the upcoming animated series which just debuted its first teaser trailer this April. Starring Jack Quaid as the titular tights-wearing hero, the Adult Swim series is set to focus on Clark’s early days as the protector of Metropolis as he balances learning to be a superhero while embarking on his journalism career at The Daily Planet and cultivating a romance with Lois Lane. Honestly, we predict that’s a description you could copy and paste for Legacy too.

The only currently revealed plot details inform us that Legacy will tell “the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas.” So Gunn’s movie will undoubtedly zero on Supes’ early days as well. What’s more, while the synopsis suggests it might be located in Clark’s hometown, the currently ongoing Superman & Lois indicates that’s unlikely, meaning a Metropolis setting is far more plausible.

In addition, MAWS is being pitched as a superhero-flavored romantic comedy series, and we can be sure that Gunn will inject plenty of his signature sense of humor into Legacy. A unique filmmaker like the Guardians of the Galaxy man will obviously bring his own sense of style to the table, but with My Adventures With Superman hitting Adult Swim this summer, whatever he cooks up may feel somewhat familiar by the time Superman: Legacy flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.