James Gunn’s Superman movie has successfully launched Warner Bros.’ plans for a connected DC Universe. Although projects like The Brave and the Bold and Sgt. Rock have hit development snags, Warner Bros. is fully committed to continuing the Superman story with a sequel arriving less than two years after the first film. James Gunn has described the follow-up, currently titled Man of Tomorrow, as being more than just a traditional sequel.
The upcoming Superman movie will focus on the Man of Steel himself, including his greatest enemy, and will finally introduce a villain fans have been anticipating for decades. Like many of James Gunn’s projects, the specific story details are being kept secret. However, since the movie – titled Man of Tomorrow – was announced, some confirmations and casting news have given us a general idea of what to expect. Here’s a rundown of everything we know about Man of Tomorrow.
‘Man of Tomorrow’ Is Confirmed & in Development
Warner Bros.
Before the release of Superman in June 2025, James Gunn revealed he was already working on a sequel. Following the film’s positive reception from both critics and audiences, Gunn officially announced the sequel’s title – Man of Tomorrow – on September 3, 2025. The announcement was made by Gunn alongside stars David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult, and included new artwork of Superman and Lex Luthor created by renowned comic artists Jim Lee, Jorge Jimenez, and Mitch Gerads.
“Man of Tomorrow” is a well-known nickname for Superman, just like “Man of Steel.” It was even considered as the title for a sequel to the Man of Steel movie. In 2020, an animated film called Superman: Man of Tomorrow came out, starting a new animated universe. However, James Gunn’s upcoming Man of Tomorrow movie will be a completely separate story and won’t connect to either the animated film or Zack Snyder’s earlier ideas.
‘Man of Tomorrow’ Opens in Summer 2027
Warner Bros.
The movie Man of Tomorrow is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 9, 2027, almost two years after the release of Superman. It will be the fourth film in the DCU, following Superman, Supergirl, and Clayface. Recently, there have been concerns about the film’s release date because Netflix made an offer to buy Warner Bros. However, the sale is now facing legal challenges from Paramount and Skydance. If Netflix does end up acquiring Warner Bros., Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has stated that Warner Bros. movies will have a 45-day run in theaters.
Production for Man of Tomorrow is scheduled to start in April 2026. James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios with Peter Safran, will direct the film, and he also wrote the script, just as he did for Superman. Sam McCurdy, known for his work on Shogun and previously collaborating with Gunn on Season 2 of Peacemaker, will be the cinematographer, replacing Henry Braham. Braham had previously worked with Gunn on several projects, including Superman, The Suicide Squad, and the Guardians of the Galaxy films. There’s also been speculation that John Murphy, a composer for Superman, won’t be involved in Man of Tomorrow, but this hasn’t been confirmed.
Who Has Been Cast in ‘Man of Tomorrow’?
Warner Bros. Discovery
David Corenswet will return as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor in the upcoming film. Rachel Brosnahan is also likely to reprise her role as Lois Lane. Director James Gunn announced on December 20, 2025, that Lars Eidinger will play Brainiac, the movie’s main villain. Brainiac was initially considered as the villain for the previous Superman film, as evidenced by early storyboards.
Frank Grillo is likely to return as Rick Flag Sr. after playing the character in Creature Commandos, Superman, and Season 2 of Peacemaker. Isabela Merced, who plays Hawkgirl, hinted at her involvement in the upcoming film Man of Tomorrow with a post saying “see you soon.” Aaron Pierre, star of Lanterns, responded to the announcement with a confirming “Yes, indeed!”, strongly suggesting his character, John Stewart’s Green Lantern, will also appear.
James Gunn has indicated that the upcoming film, Man of Tomorrow, will feature many characters from the Superman universe. This suggests we’ll likely see the return of Mister Terrific (played by Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), though their appearances haven’t been officially confirmed yet.
Skyler Gisondo will be back as Jimmy Olsen, and will also star in a new HBO Max series centered around the Daily Planet staff beyond Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Wendell Pierce, Mikela Hooper, Beck Bennett, and Christopher McDonald are all set to return as Perry White, Cat Grant, Steve Lombard, and Ron Troupe, respectively, not only in the Jimmy Olsen spin-off but potentially in future Man of Tomorrow projects as well.
Okay, so the buzz is building about who’ll be in James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow, and it sounds like we’re almost certainly getting Milly Alcock as Supergirl. We briefly saw her at the end of Superman, and that was clearly setting up her own movie, which is slated for June 26, 2026. Gunn has framed Man of Tomorrow as the next chapter in ‘The Superman Saga,’ so it makes sense that Supergirl’s film will tie directly into it, potentially leading to a team-up between these two cousins. And a fun little detail – they established in Superman that Supergirl has a dog, so keep an eye out for Krypto to possibly make a return too!
James Gunn is adding another female character to the movie, and he has specific height requirements for the role. Initially, people thought this character might be Wonder Woman, but Gunn has confirmed that neither Wonder Woman nor Batman will be in Man of Tomorrow. The role is now believed to be Maxima.
What We Know About ‘Man of Tomorrow’s Plot
Warner Bros. Pictures
Details about the plot of Man of Tomorrow are being closely guarded. Director James Gunn has said the film will focus on both Superman and Lex Luthor, with the two characters teaming up to face a major villain – confirmed to be Brainiac. Early artwork revealed that Lex Luthor will wear his iconic battle armor, as seen in the comic books.
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There’s talk that the new comic will draw inspiration from the 1992 storyline “Panic in the Sky,” where Superman and the Justice League worked together to defeat Brainiac and Maxima. However, James Gunn hasn’t confirmed these rumors. The first Superman movie was an original story, not adapted from a particular comic series, and the same might be true for Man of Tomorrow.
James Gunn has suggested that the mysterious Salvation dimension shown in Season 2 of Peacemaker might play a role in the upcoming Man of Tomorrow series. Season 2 of Peacemaker brought back Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, who started collaborating with Rick Flag Sr. and ARGUS while incarcerated. Lex appears to be gaining power and freedom, which could explain how he’ll regain a prominent position in Man of Tomorrow.
As production of Man of Tomorrow nears – filming is scheduled to start in just a few months – we can anticipate learning more about the story and the many characters involved. This is especially likely after Supergirl premieres in June 2026.
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2026-02-04 05:05