James Gunn’s MAN OF TOMORROW Rumored to Tease THE FLASH’s Arrival in the DCU
The Flash might be getting ready to race into James Gunn’s DCU, and Man of Tomorrow could give us our first hint of the Scarlet Speedster’s arrival.
According to scooper James Mack, the script for Man of Tomorrow includes a reference to Barry Allen, confirming that the character exists somewhere in Gunn’s expanding DC Universe. Mack shared the information on X, suggesting The Flash “will probably be the next step after Man of Tomorrow.”
Mack claims to have received several details about the sequel's script, including how Gunn plans to bring so many DC heroes together before officially introducing the Justice League.
He describes the film as “making an event movie without an established Justice League in the universe.”
Gunn has been building a world where these characters can cross paths naturally before eventually coming together as a team.
Of course, the Barry Allen reference is still just a rumor, and we have no idea what Gunn has planned for The Flash. It could simply be a name-drop that establishes his existence and leaves the door open for something bigger down the road. Of course, Gunn may debunk this like he debunk everything.
Warner Bros. hasn't officially announced a new Flash movie for the DCU, and Gunn hasn't confirmed any plans for the character during Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
The last time we saw Barry Allen on the big screen was in 2023's The Flash, with Ezra Miller playing the speedster in the former DCEU. Whether Gunn's version of Barry Allen will eventually get his own solo movie or first appear in another DCU project remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Man of Tomorrow already has an impressive collection of DC characters. Aaron Pierre is returning as Green Lantern John Stewart following his introduction in Lanterns, while Xolo Maridueña will reprise his role as Blue Beetle from the previous DC universe. Milly Alcock is also joining the action as Supergirl following her 2026 solo movie.
At the center of the story, Superman and Lex Luthor will find themselves facing a common enemy in Brainiac, the superintelligent android played by Lars Eidinger.
Eidinger has described Brainiac as “the incarnation of Satan” and the Shakespearean fool, while Gunn offered his own description of the villain as “what happens when intelligence loses all connection to humanity.”
The movie will also put a major focus on Lex Luthor, with Gunn previously explaining that it's “as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie.” Nicholas Hoult returns as Lex, and this time he'll be wearing the villain's iconic Warsuit, marking the armor's first live-action appearance.
Production on Man of Tomorrow wrapped in August 2026 after approximately 93 days of filming, and the movie is scheduled to hit theaters on July 9, 2027.
The big question is whether Gunn plans to give Barry Allen his own adventure or introduce him as part of an eventual Justice League movie.
Either way, if this rumor turns out to be true, Man of Tomorrow could offer our first clue about where The Flash fits into the DCU's future.