Superman introduced us to the DCU's Metropolis, The Daily Planet staff, and the Justice Gang. Lex Luthor served as the reboot's big bad, with the movie primarily revolving around their first encounter (a Kaiju and Ultraman did the heavy lifting as a physical threat to our heroes).
After nearly destroying the city, Lex is on his way to Belle Reve, but that will be far from the end of this storied rivalry on screen. In fact, his rematch with Clark Kent will play out sooner than expected, with 2027's Man of Tomorrow set to give Lex his iconic green and purple War Suit.
Early promo art for the Superman follow-up showed the Man of Steel fighting both with and against Lex. Now, filmmaker James Gunn has confirmed that Man of Tomorrow will revolve around these two teaming up to tackle a much deadlier foe.
Talking to Howard Stern earlier today, Gunn said, "It’s a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat. It’s more complicated than that but that’s a big part of it."
"It’s as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie. I loved working with Nicholas Hoult. I relate to the character of Lex, sadly," he continued. "I really wanted to create something extraordinary with the two of them. I just love the script so much.”
What is that "much, much bigger threat"? We have to believe it's Brainiac. Fans have been vocal about wanting to see the villain on screen, and "Man of Tomorrow" could just as easily refer to him as Superman and Lex.
Superman being forced to enlist Lex's help should make for a fascinating dynamic on screen, and if we are getting Brainiac, then Supergirl—the next chapter in the "Superman Saga"—is likely to lay the groundwork for that.
That Saga is set to be a four-parter, so if Brainiac and the Bottle City of Kandor factor into Man of Tomorrow, the stage may be set for a finale that sees the harem-loving Kryptonians invade Earth.
It's interesting that Man of Tomorrow is shooting in April, as that means cameras will be rolling at the same time as The Batman Part II. Unfortunately, the filmmaker and DC Studios co-CEO remains adamant that Matt Reeves' franchise will remain "Elseworlds," so don't bank on any surprise crossovers.
Asked recently how much of Man of Tomorrow he's written, the DC Studios co-CEO replied, "All of it. Just in the necessary and lengthy stage or rewriting and rewriting some more. It's been a lot of fun. Trying to get some done now before Peacemaker airs because we like to watch it as soon as it comes on."
Many fans have wondered whether Man of Tomorrow might be titled Superman: Man of Tomorrow, despite it not being a straightforward "sequel" (interestingly, Gunn did refer to it as one in this interview). However, he's confirmed that he's sticking with just Man of Tomorrow.
Man of Tomorrow arrives in theaters on July 9, 2027.