James Gunn Says MAN OF TOMORROW Is Really About Clark Kent and Lex Luthor
As James Gunn continues to lay the groundwork for the future of the DCU, he’s already offering insight into where things are headed next. While Superman establishes the foundation, its follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, seems like it’s going to be much more interesting. Not one defined by spectacle alone, but by ideology, personality, and worldview.
According to Gunn, the heart of Man of Tomorrow is the relationship between Clark Kent and Lex Luthor. “At its core, it’s about Clark and Lex. I relate to both of them. I relate to Lex’s ambition and obsession — minus the murder. And I relate to Superman’s belief in people, his Midwestern values.”
Rather than treating Lex as a background antagonist or a symbol of generic evil, Gunn is positioning him as a mirror to Superman. Their conflict is philosophical, it’s personal, and, as Gunn admits, it’s rooted in something closer to home than fans might expect. “They’re two sides of me.”
Gunn isn’t approaching Superman and Lex as simple opposites of good and evil. He sees both characters as extensions of real, human impulses. Clark’s belief in people, his optimism, and his moral steadiness sit on one side. Lex’s ambition, obsession, and relentless drive to control outcomes sit on the other.
Gunn is saying that the next chapter of the story will be about sharper character dynamics. Clark Kent isn’t defined solely by his powers, and Lex Luthor isn’t defined solely by his villainy. Their clash represents two fundamentally different ways of engaging with the world.
If Gunn relates to Lex’s ambition, minus the murder, then the character becomes a cautionary figure rather than a caricature. Someone whose intelligence and drive could have been admirable if not for the need to dominate and control. That makes the conflict with Superman more interesting, because it’s rooted in choices, not destiny.
This offers a clear sense of where Gunn wants to take the DCU. Character and motivation first. By centering Man of Tomorrow on Clark and Lex, Gunn is leaning into one of the most enduring rivalries in comics while keeping it grounded in emotion and psychology.
It also reinforces the idea that Gunn’s DCU is being built with intention. Each project isn’t just a standalone event. It’s a continuation of themes and ideas introduced earlier. If Superman is about goodness and belief, Man of Tomorrow looks poised to test those ideals against ambition and ego.
Man of Tomorrow is going to be a character study wrapped in a blockbuster, driven by two figures who represent conflicting sides of the same human coin.
Source: Variety
