James Gunn’s Superman is in the clear, as a federal judge sided with DC and Warner Bros. and dismissed the lawsuit from the Shuster estate, filed by Mark Warren Peary, that aimed to block the upcoming release of the movie in several countries.
Judge Dismisses Superman Lawsuit
Via Bloomberg, On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction over the case, leading to its dismissal.
Consequently, Peary’s request to block the July 11 release of Superman was denied as moot — meaning it was irrelevant since the lawsuit was dismissed and the court didn’t need to consider it.
Why the Shuster Estate Sued
The lawsuit argued that under the copyright laws of countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, the rights to the Superman character reverted to Shuster’s estate 25 years after his death in 1992.
The complaint sought to block the release of James Gunn’s Superman film scheduled for July 11, 2025, in these foreign markets, asserting claims of copyright infringement under the respective national laws and requesting declaratory relief.
However, Judge Furman determined that the U.S. court did not have the authority to decide legal disputes based on foreign copyright laws.
Joe Shuster was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known as the co-creator of Superman, alongside writer Jerry Siegel. The two introduced Superman in Action Comics #1 in 1938. Shuster died in 1992, and his estate has continued to be involved in legal efforts to reclaim rights related to Superman.
What’s next for the lawsuit?
Since the U.S. court dismissed the case due to a lack of jurisdiction over foreign copyright laws, Warren Peary would have to file separate lawsuits in each country where the Shuster Estate believes DC/Warner Bros. violated copyright law.
It remains to be seen if that happens, as that is obviously a lot more expensive and complex. It’s also probably why they tried to lump it all into one U.S. case first.
Superman release
So with the court dismissing the case, it seems there will be nothing to block James Gunn’s Superman from taking to the skies.
Superman releases internationally starting July 9, hits U.S. previews on July 10, and opens wide on Friday, July 11.
The film stars David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, with Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Neva Howell.
Watch the sneak peek:
