Kick-Ass and Kingsman franchise director Matthew Vaughn tried to make a Superman trilogy – but Warner Bros. wasn't having it.
“Mark [Millar] and I sat down and plotted out a three-film trilogy, pitched it to Warner Bros. before Man of Steel … we pitched how to do a trilogy of Superman movies and Warners said they weren’t interested," Vaughn told Variety. "That’s as far as it went."
Vaughn directed Kick-Ass, starring Nicolas Cage and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, in 2010, before directing X-Men: First Class in 2011. He would go on to direct the first installment of the Kingsman series, Kingsman: The Secret Service, as well as its sequels, Kingsman: The Golden Circle and The King's Man. Vaughn is also reportedly interested in rebooting Kick-Ass, sans Taylor-Johnson.
Added Vaughn: "Our big idea was that Krypton doesn’t blow up. It does eventually. The dad was right, but he got his timing wrong. When Superman is grown up, suddenly there's a mass exodus and all hell breaks loose. That was our main idea."
Zack Snyder would end up directing Man of Steel, putting a darker, grittier take on the classic hero. Snyder's tenure in the DCU remains up in the air after James Gunn and Peter Safran's takeover, with Gunn directing and writing the upcoming Superman: Legacy.
Vaughn says that both DC and Gunn have reached out to him, and to "never say never" about his potential involvement in future Superman films. His next film is Argylle, a spy thriller starring former Superman actor Henry Cavill. Cavill reigned as Superman in the DC before Gunn and Safran decided to go in a different direction and cast a new, younger Superman – which he ultimately found in David Corenswet.
Argylle is set to hit theaters on February 2, 2024. Superman: Legacy is due out in 2025. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond.
