James Gunn gives update on Superman: Legacy (2025)

The movie starts with Hank Henshaw’s exposed-to-deadly-radiation-and-turned-into-cyborg origin story (well, a simplified version—it’s more complex than I remember, according to the Wiki summary). Henshaw blames Superman for the radiation and raids every database for information on Supes, discovering his secret identity.

Henshaw, driven mad, then kidnaps and chains up Superman using kryptonite and changes his appearance to look exactly like Superman. His goal is systematic destruction of Supes’s reputation. Henshaw reveals the Clark Kent identity to the world, alienating the Daily Planet team; publicly allies with Lex Luthor; kills criminals and refuses to work with law enforcement; and leads worldwide press to Ma and Pa Kent’s farm. (He could also propose to Lana Lang and then break her heart—something to hurt every person Superman knows and loves.)

The only people skeptical about the ruse are Luthor, who is baffled by Superman’s change of personality, and Jimmy Olsen, whom Henshaw’s databases left out. Jimmy is the one who eventually tracks down and frees the real Superman, who (after more plot shenanigans) beats Henshaw. But he still has to deal with the consequences of Henshaw’s actions, including his biggest secret’s being revealed.

As for a title… Superman: Alter Ego (or Alter Egos) may be a bit obvious, and it doesn’t flow, but it sorta gets to the themes of the story. (Incidentally, Henshaw is a great Superman villain because he’s an anti-Superman—a man who attained power and became corrupted, as opposed to a man born with power who remains uncorrupted. I’m surprised none of the movies has used him.) Superman: Flesh and Blood also came to mind, but it’s better for a comic than a movie, I think—I’d love something that suggests Gnosticism, because Henshaw serves as a vaguely demiurgic counterpart to Supes, without coming off as too pretentious, but I can’t think of one.

Maybe Powers in the Air, which sounds Biblical (“prince of the power of the air”) and also has that nice play on “powers” (as long as no one thinks of Austin!). It’d be fun to use Principalities and Superpowers, but “principalities” doesn’t fit. Titles are hard.