Daredevil: Born Again star Matthew Lillard is set to make his DCU debut in next summer's Man of Tomorrow, and speculation is running rampant about who he's playing.
Rumours and theories about Lillard, who worked with James Gunn on the live-action Scooby-Doo movies, once pointed to him being an older Barry Allen. That's since been debunked, and the rumour mill recently shifted to him portraying King Faraday.
Faraday plays a notable role in Darwyn Cooke's acclaimed DC: The New Frontier, where his investigation into the mysterious Centre puts him on a collision course with Martian Manhunter. Initially suspicious of superheroes, he ultimately helps the Justice League confront the threat facing humanity (The Centre being the DCU's big bad is another very popular theory).
However, it sounds like fans should rein in their expectations when it comes to Lillard's DCU role. Talking to The Direct, the actor teased his appearance in the movie when he said, "It's a very James Gunn moment. So, I wouldn't worry too much about finding him in the comics."
He may be trying to throw fans off the scent, but Gunn has created many original characters in both the MCU and DCU, so chances are Lillard is just showing up in the Superman sequel for a comedic beat.
It's previously been reported that Lillard's mystery character will have a biracial family. He'll reportedly share scenes with Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant and Perry White, suggesting he's likely tied to The Daily Planet in Man of Tomorrow. For now, it seems we'll have to wait and see how Lillard's original character is.
In Man of Tomorrow, Superman will be forced to team up with Lex Luthor to battle Brainiac, a threat not just to Metropolis but to the entire world.
Written and directed by James Gunn, the movie stars include David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Lars Eidinger as Brainiac, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag, Sr., Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, and Milly Alcock as Supergirl.
Andre Royo, Matthew Lillard, Sinqua Walls, and Adria Arjona will also star. However, as we mentioned above, we still don't know whether the latter is playing Maxima or Wonder Woman. There's also speculation that Eva De Dominici is playing one of the characters, and there's always a chance the Diana Prince rumblings don't pan out. We'll have to wait and see.
Man of Tomorrow arrives in theaters on July 9, 2027.