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The new Superman movie stars David Corenswet as the iconic superhero.
As Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics prepare for the July debut of Superman, a new lawsuit filed by the estate of co-creator Joseph Shuster threatens to complicate the international distribution of the much-anticipated reboot.
Filed in federal court in New York City last week, the lawsuit seeks to block Warner Bros. and DC Comics from releasing the film in several countries. The estate claims that Shuster and his writing partner, Jerome Siegel, had licensed the rights to Superman to Detective Comics (the precursor to DC Comics, now a subsidiary of Warner) but argues that Shuster’s international rights to the character reverted to his estate in 2017.
The estate alleges that Warner Bros. has continued to exploit those rights without permission or compensation in several countries, including the UK, Canada, Ireland, and Australia.
The lawsuit is the latest chapter in a long-running legal saga over Superman’s rights. Shuster and Siegel sold the rights to the character for $130 in 1938. After their deaths—Shuster in 1992 and Siegel in 1996—their heirs have attempted to reclaim the rights. In 2013, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the creators could not reclaim their rights under US law, but this new lawsuit shifts the focus to British and international copyright laws.
The estate’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, claims that copyright reverted to Shuster’s estate in these countries in 2017, with Canada following in 2021. The lawsuit requests an injunction blocking the international release of Superman unless Warner Bros. obtains a licence from the estate.
Toberoff said, “This suit is not intended to deprive fans of their next Superman, but rather seeks just compensation for Joe Shuster’s fundamental contributions as the co-creator of Superman. The ball’s in DC and Warner Bros.’ court to do the right thing.”
Warner Bros. Discovery, which plans to release Superman on 11 July, has responded defiantly. A spokesperson said, “We fundamentally disagree with the merits of the lawsuit, and will vigorously defend our rights.”
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The lawsuit could potentially delay the film’s release in several international markets and add another layer of complexity to DC’s cinematic universe, overseen by James Gunn, which aims to relaunch the superhero franchise with Superman, starring David Corenswet as the new Man of Steel.
(With Inputs from Reuters)
The estate alleges that Warner Bros. has continued to exploit the rights to Superman without permission or compensation in several countries, including the UK, Canada, Ireland, and Australia. Read More