Superman may be grounded before it even takes off. The estate of Superman creator Joseph Schuster is suing Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics over the movie’s release in certain countries.
Superman is one of the oldest superheroes ever. Writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster created him in 1938. In almost a century at the forefront of pop culture, the rights surrounding Superman have become a complicated, tangled affair. And with the release of the new Superman movie this summer — the first in the new DC Studios universe from James Gunn and Peter Safran — the movie has already come under significant rights issues.
On July 11, the all-new Superman movie will hit theatres. The flick promises to be one of the biggest releases of 2025. David Corenswet will make his debut as the Man of Steel, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Milly Alcock as Supergirl. The movie certainly takes on board James Gunn’s signature style. It looks funny, whimsical, and wild. Watch the trailer:
What exactly is going on?
As reported by The Wall Street Journal (h/t Deadline), Mark Warren Peary, the executor to the Shuster estate, appeared in Federal Court in the Southern District of New York, claiming “damages and injunctive relief for Defendants’ ongoing infringement in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, as well as declaratory relief establishing the Shuster Estate’s ownership rights across relevant jurisdictions.”
“These foreign copyright laws were specifically designed to protect creators like my Uncle Joe. That is what we’re fighting for here,” Peary added.
The suit claims that DC Comics’ rights to the Superman character expired in countries like Australia, Canada, and the U.K. in 2017 and 2021. The Shuster estate wants to work things out for the movie, however. Lawyer Marc Toberoff has explained that they “seek just compensation for Joe Shuster’s fundamental contributions as the co-creator of the character.”
Naturally, this situation puts the release of Superman in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, in jeopardy. However, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery has already made it evident that the matter will be approached with steadfast determination. “We fundamentally disagree with the merits of the lawsuit, and will vigorously defend our rights,” they said.
We will keep you updated on how this lawsuit progresses. Superman opens July 11. It’s one of the most anticipated superhero movies of the year. Will you be watching?
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