James Gunn had to shelve a cameo from Big Brother Season 28 contestant Rick Devens in Superman: Legacy (the upcoming DC Studios film retitled Man of Tomorrow) due to competition concerns between the DC director and CBS.
Gunn revealed the decision on social media after Devens, a fan-favorite from multiple seasons of the CBS competition show, gave him a shoutout during Thursday's eviction episode. The two are personal friends, and Gunn had apparently greenlit a small role for Devens in the Superman film. The project got complicated when Devens joined Big Brother 28's cast, creating a conflict for the studios involved.
The situation highlights the murky territory between competing media conglomerates. While DC Studios operates under Warner Bros. Discovery, and Big Brother airs on CBS (Paramount's broadcast arm), the overlap of Gunn's high-profile film project with Devens' current reality TV commitment created enough friction to cancel the cameo outright. This type of exclusivity concern rarely stops major studio films from casting reality personalities, but the timing and Devens' active participation in a competing network's tentpole series apparently made it untenable.
Gunn's openness about the cancellation underscores his visibility within pop culture and his willingness to engage with fans directly. His friendship with Devens also demonstrates how modern entertainment figures operate across multiple platforms and genres. Devens has built a devoted following through Big Brother and subsequent reality appearances, making him a recognizable name even to casual viewers.
The Man of Tomorrow film represents DC Studios' franchise restart under Gunn and producer Peter Safran's leadership. The project carries enormous weight for the studio's theatrical future. Even minor casting decisions reflect careful calculation about optics and competitive positioning in an era where every studio guards its intellectual property fiercely.
For Devens,