Superman fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The worldwide launch of the new Superman film, scheduled for July 2025, was actually threatened by a lawsuit. But the courts have just rallied Warner Bros. Discovery. A look back at this legal battle and its implications for the future of Superman.
It was a serious threat to Superman>
For several months, Warner Bros. Discovery had been facing legal action from Warren Peary. The latter is the nephew of Joseph Shuster, co-creator of Superman.
His goal was to block the release of the new film in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Ireland. According to him, Warner was illegally exploiting the rights to Superman internationally. He claimed that, according to certain foreign laws, his family had recovered the rights to the character in 2017, 25 years after Shuster's death.
If the courts had validated These arguments could have jeopardized not only James Gunn's Superman, but also other major productions like Zack Snyder's Justice League, Black Adam, and Shazam!.
Who controls all the rights to Superman?
Judge Jesse Furman announced his decision to dismiss the case on April 24, 2025. He explained that Peary's claims relate solely to foreign laws. Therefore, the US federal court has no jurisdiction to rule on this. He also clarified that the Berne Convention, often cited by Peary, is not directly applicable in US courts. It must be enforced through local laws, which was not the case here. Immediately after the decision, Warner Bros. Discovery issued a statement. The message is unambiguous. :
As we have always stated, DC controls all rights to Superman.
DC Comics and Superman: A Long History
The history between DC Comics and Superman begins in 1938. At the time, Jerome Siegel and Joseph Shuster sold their rights for just $130. Since then, many legal battles have taken place. But most have resulted in financial agreements confirming ownership of DC.
In 1992, the Shuster family signed an agreement with DC. In exchange for an annual annuity of $25,000, they waived any future recovery of rights. But the whole family was represented by his sister. This opens a legal gray area, which Warren Peary (the nephew) is trying to exploit to challenge the 1992 agreement.
Can James Gunn move forward with peace of mind now?
Since James Gunn was appointed head of DC Studios in 2022 with Peter Safran, he has been facing the heavy challenge of relaunching the DC universe in cinemas. In this context, the new Superman, starring David Corenswet, is one of the pillars of this strategy. It should be noted that even though Warner has won this round, the battle may not be over. Warren Peary has already refiled his lawsuit in a New York state court.
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