DC Extended Universe in the context of "Superman in film"

Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and has a good working relationship with his boss Perry White. Olsen looks up to his coworkers as role models and parent figures. From 1954 to 1982, Olsen appeared in 222 issues of the comic series Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen and Superman Family, in addition to the main Superman titles.

The character has appeared in most other media adaptations of Superman. He was portrayed by Tommy Bond in the two Superman film serials, Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950); Jack Larson in Adventures of Superman; Marc McClure in the Superman films of the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1984 film Supergirl; Michael Landes in the first season of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Justin Whalin in the subsequent three seasons; Sam Huntington in the 2006 film Superman Returns; Aaron Ashmore in The CW's Smallville; and Michael Cassidy in the 2016 DC Extended Universe film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In the Arrowverse series Supergirl, he was portrayed by Mehcad Brooks. Douglas Smith portrayed the character in Superman & Lois. In Superman (2025), he was portrayed by Skyler Gisondo.

Perry White is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet. The character maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards and is an archetypal image of the tough, irascible, but fair-minded boss.

In film, the character has been portrayed by Pierre Watkin in the Superman serial, Jackie Cooper in Superman (1978) and its sequels, Frank Langella in Superman Returns, Laurence Fishburne in the DC Extended Universe, and Wendell Pierce in the DC Universe (DCU) film Superman (2025). In television, John Hamilton and Lane Smith played the character in Adventures of Superman and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, respectively, Michael McKean in Smallville, and Paul Jarrett in the series Superman & Lois.

Dru-Zod, better known as General Zod, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Superman. The character, who first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 (April 1961), was created by Robert Bernstein and initially designed by George Papp. As a Kryptonian, he exhibits the same powers and abilities as Superman and is consequently viewed as one of his greatest enemies alongside Lex Luthor, Darkseid, and Brainiac. He is also well known for his catchphrase "Kneel before Zod!"

Originally bald and clean-shaven, Zod's look in popular culture was defined by the character's depiction by Terence Stamp in the films Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980). Eventually, the character was reintroduced to the DC Multiverse with black hair and a goatee similar to Stamp's portrayal. Zod was also portrayed by Michael Shannon in the DC Extended Universe films Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman (2016), and The Flash (2023).

Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film studio and distribution arm of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group division of Warner Bros., both of which are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California. Animated films produced by Warner Bros. Pictures Animation are also released under the studio banner. The studio was founded on April 4, 1923, by the brothers Harry Warner, Albert Warner, Sam Warner, and Jack L. Warner. In addition to producing its own films, the studio handles filmmaking operations, theatrical distribution, marketing and promotion for films produced and released by other Warner Bros. labels. These labels include Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, New Line Cinema and Castle Rock Entertainment, as well as various third-party producers. Warner Bros. Pictures is currently one of four live-action film studios within the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, the others being New Line Cinema, Castle Rock Entertainment, and Spyglass Media Group (with a minority stake). The most commercially successful film franchises from Warner Bros. include Harry Potter, DC Universe (formerly DC Extended Universe), The Lord of the Rings, and Monsterverse; Barbie is the studio's highest-grossing film worldwide with $1.4 billion in revenue.

John Stewart is one of the principal superheroes known as Green Lantern appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, and first appeared in Green Lantern (Volume 2) #87 (December 1971/January 1972). Stewart's original design was based on actor Sidney Poitier and he was one of the first African-American superheroes to appear in DC Comics.

Today John Stewart is one of the most popular and high-profile black characters in American comic books. Although a starring character in Green Lantern comics since the 1970s, he had a relatively low profile in mainstream popular culture until his adaptation for the 2000s animated series Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Phil LaMarr. This led to an increase in the character's profile in comics, including a starring role in Justice League comics, and a massive expansion in the character's availability in DC Comics toys and merchandise. Wayne T. Carr was cast as John Stewart in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) director's cut Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) but his role was ultimately cut from the film. Aaron Pierre will portray the character in the DC Universe, beginning with the TV series Lanterns (2026).

Superman is a 2025 American superhero film based on the eponymous character from DC Comics. Written and directed by James Gunn, it is the first film in the DC Universe (DCU) and a reboot of the Superman film series. David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent / Superman, alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. In the film, Superman faces unintended consequences after he intervenes in an international conflict orchestrated by billionaire Lex Luthor (Hoult). Superman must win back public support with the help of his reporter and superhero colleagues. The film was produced by Gunn and Peter Safran of DC Studios.

Development on a sequel to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film Man of Steel (2013) began by October 2014, with Henry Cavill set to return as Superman. Plans changed after the troubled production of Justice League (2017), and the Man of Steel sequel was no longer moving forward by May 2020. Gunn began work on a new Superman film around August 2022. In October, he became co-CEO of DC Studios with Safran, and they began work on a new DC Universe. Gunn was publicly revealed to be writing the film in December. The title Superman: Legacy was announced the next month; Gunn was confirmed to direct in March 2023; and Corenswet and Brosnahan (Lois Lane) were cast that June. The subtitle was dropped by the end of February 2024, when filming began in Svalbard, Norway. Production primarily took place at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with location filming around Georgia and Ohio. Filming wrapped in July. The film's influences include the comic book All-Star Superman (2005–2008) by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.

The DC Universe (DCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe based on characters from DC Comics publications. It was created by James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios. The DCU is a soft reboot of a previous franchise, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), retaining select cast members and narrative elements but disregarding others. In contrast to the previous state of DC Comics adaptations, the DCU features a unified continuity and story across live-action films and television, animation, and video games. Concurrent DC adaptations that do not fit this continuity are labeled "DC Elseworlds".

After Discovery, Inc. and WarnerMedia merged to become Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), CEO David Zaslav revealed a plan to revitalize the DC brand following the poor reception of the DCEU. Gunn and Safran were hired to lead the newly formed DC Studios in November 2022 after working on several DCEU projects, including the film The Suicide Squad (2021) and its spin-off series Peacemaker (2022–2025). The pair spent several months with a group of writers developing the overarching story for a new DC continuity that features a mix of popular and obscure DC characters. Some DCEU projects in development were abandoned in favor of new takes, while others—including Peacemaker—continued within the new franchise. Certain DCEU actors reprise their roles in the DCU, with others recast. Gunn and Safran wanted to focus on storytelling needs rather than forcing creators to complete their projects to meet specific release dates.

Darkseid (/ˈdɑːrksaɪd/) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Kirby, the character first made a cameo appearance in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 (December 1970), before being fully introduced in Forever People #1 (February 1971). Formerly known as Uxas, Darkseid is a New God and the tyrannical ruler of the planet Apokolips. His ultimate goal is to find and gain control over the Anti-Life Equation to enslave the multiverse by eliminating all hope and free will in sentient beings. Regarded as one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe, Darkseid serves as one of Superman's greatest adversaries and the archenemy of the Justice League.

Darkseid has been adapted in various media incarnations, having made his live-action feature debut in the 2021 DC Extended Universe film Zack Snyder's Justice League, portrayed by Ray Porter. Michael Ironside, Andre Braugher, Tony Todd, and others have provided the character's voice in media ranging from animation to video games.

General Dru-Zod is a fictional character in the DC Extended Universe based on the DC Comics character of the same name. He is portrayed by Michael Shannon. Zod first appeared in the 2013 film Man of Steel, as a rogue general trying to lead a coup against the ruling elite of the planet Krypton, forcing the planet's chief scientist, Jor-El, to send his son Kal-El to Earth. Zod is punished for his war crimes, with him and his subordinates intended to be sent to the Phantom Zone, but following Krypton's destruction, he and his followers escape and follow Kal-El to Earth, forcing him to become Superman and protect the planet and its inhabitants. Shannon's portrayal of Zod has received positive reviews, and the character is considered one of the best villains in the DCEU. Shannon reprised his role in The Flash (2023).