James Gunn Says Maxwell Lord Controls Incomplete Superhero Base in ‘Superman’

James Gunn is giving fans a fresh look at Superman’s world, and it comes with some big surprises. One of them? A huge superhero base is in the new movie, but it’s not what you’d expect.

Gunn says this familiar spot, known from past cartoons and comics, is still under construction. And it’s not being run by heroes. Instead, it’s owned by none other than Maxwell Lord.

In a recent interview, Gunn shared, “You see the Hall of Justice and you see that it’s not even finished yet… and it’s owned by Maxwell Lord and he owns the Justice Gang.” That twist alone sets the tone for how different this version of Superman is going to feel.

The movie is simply called Superman, dropping the original subtitle Legacy. It’s written and directed by James Gunn, and it’s the very first film in the new DC Universe he’s creating with producer Peter Safran.

David Corenswet takes on the role of Clark Kent, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult playing Lex Luthor. The cast also includes Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced.

This new story will show Superman figuring out how to live between two worlds, his Kryptonian past and his life on Earth. It’s not a full reboot of his origin, but we’ll see him at the beginning of his journey as a hero.

Gunn started working on the script in 2022. Around the same time, he took over as co-CEO of DC Studios. Filming started in Svalbard, Norway, then moved to Georgia and Ohio, with most of the work done at Trilith Studios in Atlanta. By July, filming had wrapped.

One of the filming locations was Cincinnati’s Union Terminal, the real-life building that inspired the Hall of Justice in the old Super Friends cartoon. That show was made by Hanna-Barbera, which was owned by a Cincinnati company, Taft Broadcasting. When filming took place at Union Terminal in July 2024, fans noticed the Metropolis flag flying and part of the Lytle Tunnel closed off for scenes.

In this version of the DCU, the Hall of Justice, or what looks like it, belongs to Maxwell Lord. He’s played by Sean Gunn, James Gunn’s brother. Fans may remember a different version of the character played by Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman 1984, but that was part of the older film universe.

The new Superman pulls from classic comic book stories, especially All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. According to Rachel Brosnahan, the whole team behind the film really cares about the source material. “A lot of us grew up with these stories,” she said, and it shows in how much attention and care is going into the movie.

Another big moment is the debut of Supergirl, played by Milly Alcock. She filmed her first scenes as Kara Zor-El on the Superman set and will go on to star in her own film, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

Warner Bros. is releasing Superman in theaters on July 11, 2025. It’s the official start of the new DC Universe, which Gunn has called “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.” With unexpected characters like Maxwell Lord playing big roles, and new versions of fan-favorite heroes, it looks like this Superman is going to be something different.

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