Kareena Kapoor Khan isn’t suiting up for a superhero saga just yet. The Bollywood rumor mill went into overdrive recently with reports that Bebo was a lock for Salman Khan’s massive new project. But those viral claims were wrong. A recent fact-check has officially shut down the stories saying Kareena was offered the lead role in the upcoming film directed by the duo Raj & DK. Despite fans hoping for a reunion, it turns out she was never even in the mix for the part. The creators are taking their time with this one and the actual casting process won’t even start until June.
The project has a lot of eyes on it because it marks a big change in the movie industry. Salman is set to play an aging hero in a story that subverts the usual superhero tropes. Mythri Movie Makers is producing the film and they are putting a huge focus on visual effects and technical scale. While everyone thought the lead actress was already picked, the truth is that the team is still in the early stages of pre-production. Before the rumors about Kareena started, many people in the business thought Samantha Ruth Prabhu was the frontrunner for the role. Now that the Kareena news is debunked, the search remains wide open for who will star alongside Salman.
Fans were particularly excited about this rumor because it would have been the first time Salman and Kareena worked together since their 2015 hit Bajrangi Bhaijaan. They have done four movies together in the past and usually bring in big numbers at the box office. This new superhero film is expected to start filming in late 2026 with a plan to hit theaters sometime in 2027. It is a major move for Raj & DK who have been dominating the streaming world with hits like Farzi and The Family Man. This marks their first major theatrical release since 2017 and they are clearly looking to make a splash with a high-budget action spectacle that feels different from the standard Bollywood fare.
Why the Raj & DK Superhero Shift Signals a Major Theatrical Pivot
The debunking of the Kareena Kapoor Khan casting rumors highlights a much bigger trend in Indian cinema: the return of “event” filmmaking for the big screen. For years, top-tier creators like Raj & DK focused their energy on long-form streaming content, but this Salman Khan project proves that the lure of the 70mm screen is back. By opting for a subverted superhero story rather than a traditional action flick, the producers are banking on a more sophisticated audience that has grown used to complex streaming narratives. This move creates a high-stakes environment where every casting choice matters. The fact that they haven’t even started the official casting process until June shows they are prioritizing the right fit over just picking the biggest names for a quick PR win. This shift suggests that in 2026, even the biggest stars like Salman Khan are being integrated into “concept-first” films rather than just relying on their personal brand power to carry a weak script.