James Gunn Announces First-Ever DCU Movie Where The Villain Will Be The Hero

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James Gunn, head of DC Studios, recently revealed that the upcoming Superman 2 will be the first DC Universe film to feature a villain working as the hero. The sequel, currently titled Man of Tomorrow, will involve David Corenswet’s Superman joining forces with his enemy, Lex Luthor (played by Nicholas Hoult), to face a larger, more dangerous threat.

This indicates that Nicholas Hoult’s portrayal of the character will be a departure from his usual antagonistic role, as he’ll be working with the DC Universe heroes instead of against them.

James Gunn recently discussed a key aspect of the upcoming Superman 2 film on The Howard Stern Show. He explained that the movie will center around an unlikely team-up, stating, “It’s a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together.” Gunn also hinted that the 2027 film will give Lex Luthor almost as much focus as Superman himself.

This marks the first time Superman and Lex have teamed up on the big screen in live action.

James Gunn’s DC Universe plans include a Clayface movie focusing on the villain Matt Hagen. Unlike the upcoming Lex Luthor film, however, this movie won’t portray its main character as a hero.

Although it’s new for the DC Universe, Man of Tomorrow continues a trend of superhero movies that focus on the villain as the main character.

Every DC and Marvel Movie Where the Villain Is the Hero

Catwoman

Interestingly, the first DC movie to center around a villain was actually Catwoman, a film that didn’t receive much positive attention. Released in 2004 and starring Halle Berry, it tells the story of Patience Philips, an artist who transforms into the leather-clad character Catwoman.

The movie Catwoman is widely considered one of the worst comic book adaptations ever made, earning a very low 8% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film features the villain Catwoman as she attempts to dismantle a criminal organization disguised as a cosmetics company, where she previously worked.

Suicide Squad

DC Comics decided to focus a major movie on the villains for once, and they chose a whole team of them! Suicide Squad, directed by David Ayer (known for The End of Watch), premiered in theaters on August 6, 2016.

Starring Margot Robbie as the unpredictable Harley Quinn and Will Smith as the skilled marksman Deadshot, Suicide Squad follows a group of DC Comics villains who are coerced into working for the government by the manipulative Amanda Waller.

Avengers: Infinity War

You know, people often think of the Avengers as the stars of Avengers: Infinity War, but I actually think Thanos was the real main character. The whole movie really centered around him and his story, and a lot of fans agree that he drove the plot more than anyone else in the film.

Infinity War was the first of two epic Avengers films directed by The Russo Brothers that concluded the overarching Infinity Saga. The story centers on Thanos, who gathers the Infinity Stones and then tragically eliminates half of all life in the universe.

Venom

Although Sony’s attempt at a Spider-Man universe didn’t result in critically praised films, it successfully introduced some of Marvel’s most iconic villains to audiences in a fresh and exciting way.

The movie Venom, released in 2018, launched the film series. It introduced Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, a journalist in San Francisco who bonds with an alien creature. This connection transforms him into Venom, a powerful and often brutal hero.

Joker

In 2019, director Todd Phillips surprised everyone by turning a villain-focused comic book movie, his take on Batman’s enemy the Joker, into an Oscar contender. The film Joker told the story of how Arthur Fleck, a troubled man in Gotham City, became the infamous DC Comics villain fans recognize.

Joaquin Phoenix starred as Arthur Fleck, the character known as The Joker, and his performance won him the Best Actor award at the 92nd Academy Awards. He brilliantly played Batman’s greatest enemy.

Birds of Prey

Margot Robbie first charmed audiences as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, even though the movie itself wasn’t highly rated. Because of her popularity, Warner Bros. gave the character her own film, Birds of Prey (officially titled Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), which was released in 2020.

The movie Birds of Prey follows Harley Quinn after her split from the Joker. She gathers a crew of other female criminals to fight Black Mask, a powerful crime lord played by Ewan McGregor.

The Suicide Squad

Margot Robbie didn’t stop playing Harley Quinn after Birds of Prey. She brought the character back in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad in 2021.

In the sequel to Suicide Squad, Task Force X was sent on a risky mission to completely eliminate Starro the Conqueror, a massive alien starfish, from the island of Corto Maltese in South America.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Following the huge success of the first Venom movie, which earned over $1 billion worldwide, Sony quickly made a sequel called Venom: Let There Be Carnage, releasing it in October 2021.

I really enjoyed the latest Spider-Man Universe movie! It brought back Venom, played by Tom Hardy, and this time, he had to deal with a new threat – Carnage, another villain powered by a symbiote. It was awesome seeing how everything played out!

Morbius

Before starring in the movie Morbius, the character was a notorious villain from Spider-Man comics. But in the 2022 film, he became the main hero in a big-budget Sony movie connected to the Spider-Man Universe.

The movie centers around Michael Morbius, played by Jared Leto, a scientist with a life-threatening blood disorder. In his desperate search for a cure, he unintentionally transforms himself into a vampire.

Black Adam

Back in October 2022, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson boldly claimed his movie, Black Adam, would shake up the DC Universe by introducing a powerful villain. While the film didn’t quite have the impact Johnson anticipated, it did successfully bring one of DC’s most well-known villains to the big screen for the first time.

Black Adam introduces Teth Adam, a powerful ancient being with god-like abilities, much like Shazam. The movie follows his conflict with the Justice Society, demonstrating that he’s a far cry from a typical hero.

Joker: Folie à Deux

Warner Bros. revisited the universe of the movie Joker in fall 2024 with Joker: Folie à Deux. This film, the first story released under the newly formed DC Studios, once again stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck. The story finds him at Arkham State Hospital, where he develops a strong connection with fellow patient Harley Quinzel, portrayed by Lady Gaga.

Although the sequel to Joker continued the dark and intense tone of the original, it wasn’t nearly as successful with audiences, receiving a low 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Venom: The Last Dance

Sony Pictures concluded its Venom movie series in October 2024 with Venom: The Last Dance, directed by Kelly Marcel. The third Venom film followed Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and Venom while they were hunted by powerful enemies both on Earth and beyond.

The movie ended by hinting at Knull as a future villain for Venom and Eddie Brock, but it doesn’t look like that storyline will actually happen in a film.

Kraven

Sony Pictures’ latest superhero film featuring a villain as the main character is Kraven. Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, known for his role in Avengers: Age of Ultron, plays Kraven the Hunter. The movie, part of the Sony Spider-Man Universe, centers on Kraven as he battles other famous Spider-Man enemies, including Chameleon and Rhino.

With the release of Kraven, Sony has finished its series of movies centering on Spider-Man villains – though they may revisit this approach in the future.

Other Comic Book Movies Where the Villain Is the Hero (BONUS)

As a huge movie fan, I’ve noticed something cool: even outside of the big Marvel and DC worlds, there are plenty of superhero films that flip the script. Instead of the usual good guy versus bad guy story, they actually focus on the villain as the main character – it’s a really interesting twist!

Brightburn

Directed by James Gunn, who also directed Superman and now leads DC Studios, Brightburn explores a dark “what if” scenario: what if Superman had been evil? Released in 2019, the film cleverly blends superhero movie conventions with the unsettling elements of horror, offering a frightening twist on the classic superhero story.

The film centers on Brandon Breyer, a young alien who, similar to Superman, arrives on Earth by crashing near his adoptive parents’ Kansas farm. But his alien heritage comes with a dark side: demonic abilities that threaten those around him.

Chronicle

Released in 2012, Chronicle stood out with its innovative found-footage style and strong performances from then-up-and-coming actors Michael B. Jordan and Dane DeHaan. It also cleverly flipped the typical superhero story by making the main character the villain – a truly surprising twist.

Andrew Detmer, a Seattle teenager, develops telekinetic abilities alongside his friends. However, as his powers grow, he becomes a dangerous threat, and his classmates – also with superpowers – must ultimately stop him.

Split

M. Night Shyamalan has explored superheroes in a few of his films, but Split, released in 2016, is the only one where the story centers around a villain.

Okay, so “Split” is a really fascinating, and frankly unsettling, film starring James McAvoy. He plays a man struggling with a severe case of dissociative identity disorder, and the movie charts his disturbing descent, hinting at something much bigger. What’s really cool – and a huge surprise for fans – is that it eventually connects to M. Night Shyamalan’s earlier film, “Unbreakable.” It sets up a proper showdown between McAvoy’s character and Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr. Glass, essentially launching a superhero universe you didn’t see coming.

The new Superman movie, Superman 2, will be released in theaters on July 9, 2027. James Gunn, known for directing Guardians of the Galaxy, is returning to write and direct the sequel, which is part of the DC Universe. So far, David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, and Rachel Brosnahan are confirmed to star as Superman, Lex Luthor, and Lois Lane, respectively.

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2025-11-19 10:39