James Gunn Teases How Peacemaker’s Lex Luthor Cameo Will Effect Superman Sequel

Early this month, James Gunn surprised DC fans with the announcement that Superman’s sequel, Man of Tomorrow, was on the way. Set for a July 2027 release, the film will see David Corenswet’s Clark Kent/Superman team up with Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor against a common enemy.

Details on the threat the not-so-dynamic duo will face are few and far between, though many theorize that Brainiac will be the villain of Man of Tomorrow. However, Hoult made a surprise cameo in Gunn’s DC series, Peacemaker, hinting at where the character’s arc leaves off going into the Superman follow-up.

In Peacemaker season two, episode six, Lex is seen in Belle Reve Penitentiary after the events of the debut DC Universe film. In exchange for being relocated to a non-metahuman prison, the villain promises Rick Flag Sr. that he will help ARGUS find Peacemaker’s quantum unfolding chamber. Given Lex’s comic ties with ARGUS, this undoubtedly lays the groundwork for his story in the DCU moving forward.

Recently, Gunn discussed Holt’s brief appearance on Peacemaker. The filmmaker explained that though audiences were “not going to be seeing Nick necessarily, but his deal is important to the rest of the season, incredibly important, not only to the rest of the season, but to the Man of Tomorrow as well.” He then continued by explaining his approach to the shared universe of DC Films and shows:

Yes, I think that what’s important is that you still have to be able to watch the things individually. I don’t want people to feel like, if they like Superman and don’t like Peacemaker, I don’t want them to have to watch Peacemaker or vice versa. So there’s things that are connected, but when I’m running Man of Tomorrow, I make sure that people can come in just on Man of Tomorrow and understand everything, you know, especially not having to watch Peacemaker. Superman is a little bit different because it is a sequel to that. So it’s different in that respect.

Gunn choosing to link Lex Luthor and Argus in Peacemaker, while currently one small deal, could have massive repercussions in the DCU. Though continuity varies, Lex’s involvement with ARGUS leads to a joint effort called Project Cadmus, which researches the genetics of metahumans. Notably, Cadmus Labs is responsible for the creation of Superboy/Conner Kent.

This tease hints at a possible Project Cadmus story in the future of the DCU, though this could be far down the line. With regard to Man of Tomorrow, it means a few different things.

Most importantly, Lex is working with the government. This time, he only requested being relocated, but if he continues to work with Argus, then strings may be pulled to reduce his 265-year prison sentence. Additionally, as anti-metahuman sentiment remains a part of the DCU, Lex may slowly rebuild his ability to work against heroes such as Superman and the Justice Gang.

In addition to potentially laying the groundwork for Superboy to appear, this government involvement might just set Lex up to be redeemed in the eyes of the public and launch a Presidential campaign, as he did in the comics. Of course, these hypotheticals would depend on how Lex’s story unfolds in Man of Tomorrow.

For now, the likelihood is that Lex endearing himself to ARGUS could lead to a scenario in which he and Superman either team up on their own or are thrown together by the organization, especially if they face an extraterrestrial threat in Man of Tomorrow. Though Peacemaker offers context to Lex’s story, Gunn’s statements mean that those ties either won’t have progressed that much by Man of Tomorrow, or they will explain any major developments in the film.

Gunn’s comments tease a multitude of directions in which the DCU can take Lex’s character. Cadmus is a huge part of many modern Lex storylines both in comics and in other media, such as Smallville and Young Justice, so any hint of its future existence is major for Superman fans. Regardless if its long-term implications, this major cameo tees up Lex’s arc in Man of Tomorrow in an unexpected yet interesting way.