James Gunn’s Superman Faces Major Lawsuit Months Before Release!

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With the successful launch of Creature Commandos Season 1 on Max and the promise of more to come, I’m excited about the next chapter for this universe – the debut of its first movie. It’s James Gunn’s Superman that will set the stage, with David Corenswet stepping into the Man of Steel’s cape for a summer release in 2025. However, as we eagerly await this upcoming DC film, Warner Bros. Discovery is facing a significant legal challenge concerning its release.

Joe Shuster’s estate, which jointly created Superman with Jerry Siegel back in the late 1930s, has filed a lawsuit against WBD (and effectively DC Comics) in the Southern District of New York. The suit claims that Superman should not be distributed in specific regions worldwide due to certain rights issues. Mark Warren Peary, the estate’s executor, is demanding compensation for ongoing infringement in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, along with a court order preventing further violations and a legal declaration confirming the Shuster Estate’s ownership rights in relevant jurisdictions. (Deadline reported this news.)

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The article mentions that Peary has previously had legal disputes with Warner, the most recent one concerning foreign copyright instead of U.S. Copyright Act issues. According to the lawsuit, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sold the global rights to Superman in 1938 for $130 ($65 each) when the character first appeared in Action Comics #1. The suit further states that due to the copyright laws of countries with a British legal tradition, such as Canada, UK, Ireland, and Australia, which automatically terminate assignments 25 years after an author’s death, the Shuster Estate regains full ownership rights to Superman’s copyright in these countries.

After the deaths of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel in 1992 and 1996, respectively, foreign copyrights for Shuster’s work reverted to his estate in most territories by 2017, except for Canada which occurred in 2021. Now, Warner Bros. Discovery and DC are being accused of using Superman characters across these jurisdictions without the Shuster Estate’s permission, including movies, TV shows, and merchandise. This is alleged to have happened despite the copyright laws in these countries. The lawsuit has requested a jury trial, and the Shuster estate is asking for a temporary court order to halt any further use of Superman until the case is resolved.

The arrival of this suit comes about a month after the initial Superman trailer was released, and just under a week following a 30-second Superman advertisement that prompted clarification from James Gunn. Given the timing, it’s far from perfect, and if the DC movie couldn’t be screened in Canada, the UK, Ireland, or Australia, its box office performance would undoubtedly suffer a significant setback. Warner Bros. Discovery will likely take immediate steps to address this lawsuit promptly to minimize any negative impact on what could be one of their biggest films for the year.

I’m eagerly anticipating my trip to the cinemas on July 11, where Superman is set to make his grand appearance. I’ll be keeping a close watch for any developments regarding this ongoing legal issue. In this movie, I’ll be sharing the screen with Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Wendell Pierce, Skyler Gisondo, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, and Anthony Carrigan, along with several other talented actors.

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2025-01-31 23:38