After months of speculation, James Gunn revealed the official logo for his Superman movie. The new film aims to be the start of a brand new DC Comics shared cinematic universe, the DC Universe (DCU). While the new DCU Superman Logo tributes to the original Superman colours, the design is very familiar. And once you know the history of the new logo, it raises some eyebrows about why Gunn chose this particular design. Read on to find out how the logo could hint where the new DCU may be going.
New DCU Superman Logo Is From Kingdom Come
Image via DC Comics.
James Gunn’s Superman movie is the first in the new DCU. So a lot is riding on it. While we don’t know a lot of details, the movie is set to feature David Corenswet as a younger version of Superman than that Henry Cavill played in the now-defunct DCEU. Over the years, Gunn has described his Superman as a galoot, and more in line with the wholesome all-American vibes that the small-town alien is often described as having. So for all intents and purposes, it is an origin story introducing a Superman more in line with the character’s iconic beginnings. So why did Gunn choose a logo from a similarly iconic comic storyline, that sees Superman at the end of his crime-fighting career?
The logo comes from Kingdom Come, a story written by Mark Waid and illustrated in the photo-realistic portrait style of the incomparable Alex Ross. Every frame of the Kingdom Come comics is a work of art. But I digress—Kingdom Come famously featured an alternate world, decades in the future, after the Justice League disbanded, and Superman retired. The world is overrun by superheroes, who are just as reckless and dangerous as the villains, given their lack of accountability or responsibility. When the world sides with a hero who has no issues with killing bad guys, an ideal that Superman strongly believes against, Superman quits. Circumstances require the return of the older heroes to bring the world back into balance. That’s really what Kingdom Come is about.
Why Is The New DCU Superman Logo From An Elseworlds Story?
Image via DC Comics.
The new DCU Superman Logo is a direct reflection of the one from Kingdom Come, albeit in the original Superman colours. The Kingdom Come version is black and red; signifying Superman’s frame of mind during the events of the story. So for Gunn to use this logo, makes me wonder if his story and the larger DCU is heading in that direction?
With comic books, different writers’ takes on different characters are often supplemented with a costume change, look, aesthetic and overall vibe that the writer wants to convey. Different artists also feature different visual takes on the characters. So when Kingdom Come the miniseries released, it just had this different Superman logo. It wasn’t connecting to anything. But maybe new this DCU Superman logo will?
My Theory For The Future Of The DCU
Image via DC Comics.
With Gunn telling a new, younger Superman story with his movie, my theory is that the larger DCU, through its Superman movies and other characters eventually culminate in a big-screen adaptation of the story from Kingdom Come. We know Gunn’s Superman story features a world already populated with superheroes and metahumans. So if the first Superman story in the DCU is about how a new hero can stand out in this world of heroes and villains, what if the 10-year-or-so plan will see an adaptation of Kingdom Come where it’s Superman now who doesn’t know where he fits into this new world of younger and more reckless heroes? After a 10-year DCU with many other Superman stories, the shift to a black version of this same DCU Superman logo will be a lot more impactful and significant to the story. Making it possibly the reason that Gunn chose this particular DCU Superman logo.
James Gunn kicks off the new DCU with Superman on July 25, 2025.
What did you think of this new DCU Superman logo? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Or follow me on X (formerly Twitter) at @theshahshahid for more tin-foil theories about all the major comic book movies.
