Warner Bros. Discovery recently emerged victorious in a legal battle regarding the rights to the legendary Superman character, a crucial win for the company just months before the release of its highly anticipated “Superman” movie this summer. A U.S. District Judge in New York ruled in favor of the entertainment giant, dismissing a lawsuit filed by the estate of Joseph Shuster, co-creator of Superman, which sought to reclaim rights to the iconic superhero.
Judge Jesse Furman determined that his court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case, as it was centered on the copyright claims under foreign laws. The lawsuit had targeted Warner Bros. and its DC Comics subsidiary over the superhero’s use in several countries, including the U.K., Canada, Australia, and others. The estate argued that, under British law, the rights to Superman reverted to Shuster’s heirs in 2017, 25 years after his passing, and that Warner had failed to compensate them for the character’s use in those regions.
A Warner spokesperson expressed satisfaction with the ruling, reaffirming that the company holds all rights to Superman. The estate’s legal team, however, quickly refiled the case in New York state court, signaling that the battle over the Man of Steel’s ownership is far from over.
Shuster, alongside writer Jerome Siegel, created Superman and originally licensed the character to DC’s predecessor, Detective Comics. The ongoing dispute is just one chapter in a long history of legal wranglings over the rights to one of the most recognizable superheroes of all time.
With the legal cloud lifting, Warner is now free to focus on the release of its new Superman film, set to hit theaters in July, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as the iconic hero.
