James Gunn announced the title and release date for the next instalment in DC Studios' Superman Saga, Man of Tomorrow, earlier this week, and fans have been speculating about this Superman follow-up (don't call it a sequel), and which other characters it could focus on.
We know that David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult will reprise their respective roles as Clark Kent/Superman and Lex Luthor, and are said to be the co-leads of the movie. We don't know for certain that they will join forces, but the official artwork that accompanied the announcement certainly suggested that they might team-up to combat a greater threat.
Who or what could inspire these bitter enemies to put their differences aside?
Last month, an hour-long documentary about the making of Superman gave us a quick glimpse of a storyboard featuring the Man of Steel, Supergirl, Krypto, and what looked a lot like the top of Brainiac's head. Though there's a chance this was simply an unused idea for Superman, many fans remain convinced that the superintelligent villain will make his DCU debut in Man of Tomorrow.
Jeff Sneider discussed the MOT news in his latest newsletter.
"Gunn made the announcement on Wednesday, and the news was accompanied by a new drawing from DC Comics head Jim Lee featuring Superman holding a screwdriver next to Lex Luthor in his green-and-purple armored mech suit.
This would seem to indicate that they’ll be teaming up to stop a larger threat — likely Brainiac — in the sequel that’s “not a direct sequel,” according to Gunn, but rather the next chapter in DC’s Superman Saga, which also includes Craig Gillespie’s 2026 movie Supergirl starring Milly Alcock."
While there's every chance Sneider is simply speculating here, he has been known to drop mini-scoops or hints in his newsletter on occasion, so he might just know a little more about Gunn's treatment than we do.
Man of Tomorrow will hit theaters on July 9, 2027. Production is expected to get underway next summer.
Superman also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho (we wouldn't be at all surprised if they also return for Man of Tomorrow).
The cast also features Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as "Ma" and "Pa" Kent, and Milly Alcock's Supergirl makes her DCU debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie.
"And that’s a wrap," Gunn posted last year when filming concluded. "God bless our cast and crew whose commitment, creativity, and hard work have brought this project to life. I set out to make a movie about a good man in a world that isn’t always so much. And the goodness and kindness and love I’ve encountered on a daily basis on the set has inspired me and thrust me forward when I felt too spent to move on my own.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It has been an honor. The destination has been Superman, but the journey has been the toil and the laughter and the emotions and ideas and magic we’ve shared together on set - and for that I am forever grateful."
You can check out a synopsis for the movie below.
"In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind."