James Gunn Teases MAN OF TOMORROW as a Superman Story Filled With Hope, Heroism, and Spectacle
The next chapter of the DC Universe is moving full speed ahead, and James Gunn has offered fans a fresh update on Man of Tomorrow, the highly anticipated follow-up to Superman.
While the filmmaker didn’t reveal any major plot details, he did give fans a glimpse at where things currently stand and what kind of movie he’s aiming to deliver.
In a brief production update video, Gunn confirmed that he is now “deep into production” on the upcoming film and shared a simple but exciting description of what audiences can expect. According to the director, Man of Tomorrow is “a Superman story fueled by hope, heroism and pure spectacle.”
That description feels perfectly in line with the version of Superman Gunn has been building. The first film established a hopeful and optimistic Man of Steel, and it sounds like the sequel intends to lean even further into those qualities while delivering the kind of large-scale action fans expect from a Superman movie.
Although official set photos have slowed down recently, filming is still underway in Atlanta, Georgia. Earlier images from the production gave fans a look at a major confrontation between Superman and Lex Luthor. The photos showed an enraged Superman, played by David Corenswet, taking the fight directly to Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, who was suited up in his practical Warsuit.
The battle appeared to be more than a one-sided beating, though. Luthor seemed to land a powerful blast on Superman during the confrontation. While a weapon lacking Kryptonite probably isn’t enough to seriously injure the Last Son of Krypton, the encounter appeared to leave Superman’s suit heavily damaged.
Those same images also revealed that Corenswet’s costume remains largely unchanged from the suit seen in Superman, aside from a slight adjustment to the collar. Of course, with the amount of punishment the suit appears to take during this fight, there’s always a possibility that Superman ends up sporting an updated look before the movie wraps up.
Story-wise, Man of Tomorrow is shaping up to be a fascinating team-up. The film will reportedly center on Superman and Lex Luthor putting aside their long-standing rivalry in order to defend Earth from one of Superman’s most dangerous enemies, Brainiac, who will be played by Lars Eidinger.
Several familiar faces from Superman are set to return as well, including Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Maria Gabriela de Faria as The Engineer.
The growing DCU connections continue with Aaron Pierre, who is now confirmed to reprise his role as John Stewart from Lanterns.
Another intriguing addition to the cast is Adria Arjona, who is reportedly playing Maxima. That said, she’s most likely going to actually be playing DCU’s Wonder Woman.
At the heart of the story, however, Gunn says the relationship between Superman and Lex Luthor remains the driving force.
"At its core, it’s about Clark and Lex," Gunn said. "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. They’re two sides of me."
Seeing Superman and Lex forced to work together against a threat as dangerous as Brainiac opens the door for a very different kind of superhero story, one that could challenge both characters in ways fans haven’t seen before.
We'll find out exactly what Gunn has planned when Man of Tomorrow flies into theaters on July 9, 2027.