James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film is preceded by the prequel novel Superman: Welcome to Metropolis, written by David Lewman, which explores Clark Kent’s early days in Metropolis through a job search and encounters with supervillains. The story features Clark landing a job at the Daily Planet after stopping Lex Luthor’s sabotage of a toy factory and his subsequent battle against Metallo, leading to the formation of the Justice Gang. While the timeline’s connection to Gunn’s film remains unclear, the novel sets the tone for the new Superman universe and introduces elements that may influence future films.