While the new Superman movie gets ready for its release worldwide this July, Australian superhero fans may be left out of the mix as a fresh lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery aims to block its release in certain key markets.

The lawsuit has originated from the estate of Joseph Shuster, one of the original illustrators of Superman who created Superman along with writer Jerome Siegel.

The lawsuit filed in New York on Friday aims to prevent the release of the movie in countries including Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the UK and noted that Shuster and Siegel had licensed their rights to the character to Detective Comics, the predecessor of DC Comics, now a subsidiary of Warner.

 

Under British law, claims the lawsuit, Shuster’s rights reverted to his estate in 2017, 25 years after his death.

The estate accused Warner of unlawfully failing to pay royalties to use Superman in Australia, Britain, and Canada, among other countries outside the US, reported Reuters.

“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,” said the estate’s attorney, Marc Toberoff.

 

The suit requests a jury trial noting that the “defendants’ acts of direct infringement have been willful, intentional, and purposeful, in wholesale disregard of and indifference to the rights of Plaintiff.”

Shuster’s estate is seeking monetary damages and a court order blocking Warner from depicting Superman without a licence.

“We fundamentally disagree with the merits of the lawsuit, and will vigorously defend our rights,” said a Warner spokesperson.

The latest Superman movie is the first solo movie for the superhero in more than a decade and is directed by James Gunn, starring David Corenswet.

DC’s ownership of Superman dates back to 1938, when Siegal and Shuster sold their rights to the character and story for $130.