April 26, 2025: The much-awaited Superman: Legacy, directed by James Gunn, is officially set for a global theatrical release on July 11, 2025, following a crucial legal victory for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) and DC Comics.
According to Deadline, the lawsuit was filed in January by Mark Warren Peary, executor of the estate of Joe Shuster, one of Superman’s original creators. Peary’s legal action sought to block the film’s release in several countries, including Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Australia, claiming that DC and WBD were infringing on international copyrights still held by the Shuster estate.
However, US District Judge Jesse Furman dismissed the lawsuit this week, ruling that U.S. federal courts lacked jurisdiction over copyright claims based on foreign laws. “The Court concludes that it lacks subject-matter jurisdiction over this case,” Furman stated in a 13-page order.
The dismissal is a major relief for WBD and DC, who have been engaged in decades-long legal disputes over the rights to Superman, a character Siegel and Shuster sold for just $130 in 1938. In a statement, Warner Bros declared:
“We are pleased with the court’s decision to dismiss this baseless lawsuit. As we have consistently maintained, DC controls all rights to Superman.”
Peary’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, known for previous Superman-related legal battles, has not yet commented, but legal experts suggest he may pursue a similar suit in a different court.
The lawsuit argued that under copyright laws in nations with British legal traditions, rights revert to an author’s estate 25 years after their death. Since Shuster died in 1992, the estate claims they regained foreign rights between 2017 and 2021, which they allege were infringed upon by DC’s continued international use of the character.
Despite the controversy, fans can now look ahead to James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, the first film in DC’s new cinematic universe. The reboot stars David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Maria Gabriela de Faria as The Engineer.