Like most of James Gunn's movies, 2025's Superman had a largely comedic tone. The portrayal of Jonathan and Martha Kent proved surprisingly divisive, with the filmmaker's attempt to portray them as folksy and rustic leading to complaints that they'd been turned into simple-minded hillbillies.
However, things with Clark Kent's Ma and Pa could get far more serious in next summer's Man of Tomorrow. While it's yet to be reported on by any of the usual suspects, a rumour is spreading like wildfire on social media that the sequel will feature the death of Jonathan Kent.
In Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Action Comics #870, Clark's parents managed to avoid a missile sent to destroy their home by Brainiac. The shock proved too much for Jonathan, who suffered a heart attack. Superman raced to get there in time to help, but was too late because he'd been distracted by the restoration of the Kryptonian city of Kandor.
It was a tragic moment, and one it makes sense for Gunn to put his own spin on in Man of Tomorrow.
Further suggesting that Johns' take on Brainiac—which was a major turning point for the character that finally revealed the monster behind all the robots Superman had previously faced—is inspiring the movie is another rumour doing the rounds today.
That claims a practical set has been built in Georgia that features Brainiac's collection of bottled cities. He's likely planning to add Metropolis to his collection, and Kandor's presence there would explain why Supergirl reportedly has a key role in Man of Tomorrow.
"I flew to Atlanta. On the plane, I watched the new Superman movie to get in the mood," Brainiac actor Lars Eidinger previously said of the audition process. "There, they did a body scan first, 3D modelling, and so on. And then I got this Brainiac – that’s the name of the character – a Brainiac mask. The whole time, I didn’t really know whether there were others there or if I was the only one."
"I thought maybe after the makeup, I’d still have a moment to concentrate or be by myself. But on the way out of the makeup room, I was escorted with an umbrella so that no one from outside could take photos of what Brainiac looks like," he continued. "It was a ghost town, just a studio lot with no other people around. But I was properly shielded."
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.