According to an article from the Cincinnati Enquirer, “Superman Legacy” will be filmed in Cleveland along with another Ohio city, Cincinnati.
The Eqnuirer also mentioned that, according to a press release, a film called “Genesis” was granted at least $11 million in tax credits from the state of Ohio to produce the films in the two cities. The credits were provided by the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit Program. In addition to “Genesis,” the program awarded 14 other films tax credits which total to at least $44 million altogether.
Many DC Comics fans have speculated that “Genesis” was the working title for “Superman Legacy” which is to be directed by James Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Suicide Squad”).
What solidifies the connection between “Legacy” and “Genesis” is the tax credit application that the Enquirer received from the Ohio Department of Development. The article mentions that the application has the same director and crew behind the Superman film that is now in pre-production.
Cleveland has a huge significance to Superman. It is the city where his creator Jerry Siegel, a native, and his friend Joe Shuster, hailing from Toronto, Canada, created the hero in 1933. Superman would make his debut in the comic strips in 1938 under DC Comics’, then National Comics, Action Comics. The creators behind Superman would be paid only $135 while the hero would gain popularity in other comics, magazines, radio, television, and film.
In Cleveland, there are many places Superman fans can visit to see all things related to the Man of Steel. The Cleveland Public Library has an exhibit called the “Lineage and Legacy of Superman” which has memorabilia and autographs related to the hero. In addition, the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has a Superman exhibit which according to the airport’s website, “features several comic like factual tid-bits relating to the City of Cleveland and its many iconic structural references.” The there is the “Superman House” which is the home of Jerry Siegel located at 10622 Kimberley Avenue which is at the northeast edge of the city. The house has the House of El symbol “the ‘S’ symbol.” Fans can also visit Joe Shuster’s house located at Amor Ave. The house had the iconic cover of Action Comics no. 1 and its strips on the fence. The house is also located in the neighborhood that has the street signs “Joe Shuster Lane” and “Lois Lane.”
While Superman became popular, Shuster and Siegel would barely see a dime of the money their creation garnered for DC and Warner Bros. They sued DC unsuccessfully after their contracts expired in 1948 but received a $100,000 settlement.
However, thanks to the efforts of the cartoonist unions in 1975, Warner Communications would gran the creators $20,000 a year each for their rest of their lives and have their names included on all Superman productions. Notably, their names would be featured in the Christopher Reeve Superman films. Around 2013, there was another lawsuit involving the Superman copyright between the heirs of Joe Shuster and Warner Bros and DC Comics but once again, the court ruled in favor of the latter arguing that the heirs “couldn’t file a copyright termination notice 11 years ago.” A year later, the heirs lawyer Marc Toberoff tried to petition for a rehearing only to be denied.
And because of that, , all Superman media from the comics to the films would have the disclaimer: “Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. By Special arrangement with the Jerry Siegel Family.”
“Superman Legacy,” is expected to be released in July 2025 and will star David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.
