James Gunn’s Superman successfully kicked off Warner Bros. plans for a shared DC Universe. While various other titles, like the Batman film, The Brave and the Bold, and Sgt. Rock have faced problems in development, Warner Bros. is going all in on Superman with the sequel set to open a little less than two years after the first film. Titled Man of Tomorrow, the Superman follow-up has been described by James Gunn as “not a sequel” in the traditional sense.
However, it will center on Superman, feature his archenemy, and introduce a new villain that fans have waited decades to see on the big screen. As with many of James Gunn’s movies, plot details are being kept under wraps. Yet since James Gunn confirmed Man of Tomorrow, a few brief confirmations and casting announcements have painted a picture of what the DCU sequel will be. Here is everything we know about Man of Tomorrow.
‘Man of Tomorrow’ Is Confirmed & in Development
In June 2025, before Superman opened in theaters, James Gunn confirmed he had begun writing a script for a Superman follow-up. After Superman opened and performed well with critics and audiences, Gunn officially announced the Superman follow-up would be titled Man of Tomorrow on Sept. 3, 2025. The Man of Tomorrow announcement came from James Gunn, David Corenswet, and Nicholas Hoult, who shared specially commissioned artwork of Superman and Lex Luthor together by comic artists Jim Lee, Jorge Jimenez, and Mitch Gerads, respectively.
Man of Tomorrow, like Man of Steel, is one of the many nicknames associated with Superman. Man of Tomorrow was also considered as a possible title for Zack Snyder’s follow-up to Man of Steel in the DCEU. In 2020, a DC animated film titled Superman: Man of Tomorrow was released, kicking off the Tomorrowverse. Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow will have no relation to the animated film or Zack Snyder’s original plans.
‘Man of Tomorrow’ Opens in Summer 2027
Man of Tomorrow will open in theaters on Jul. 9, 2027, nearly two years to the day that Superman opened. Man of Tomorrow is currently set to be the fourth DCU film, following Superman, Supergirl, and Clayface. While fans are worried about Man of Tomorrow‘s potential theatrical release window following the news that Netflix’s offer to acquire Warner Bros. had been accepted, it appears the sale could be locked in a lengthy legal battle, as Paramount and Skydance have recently taken Warner Bros. to court. If Netflix does acquire Warner Bros., Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has confirmed Warner Bros. movies will get a 45-day theatrical window.
Filming for Man of Tomorrow is set to begin in April 2026. James Gunn, who serves as DC Studios Co-president alongside Peter Safran, will return to direct Man of Tomorrow. Gunn is also the film’s sole writer, as he was on Superman. Sam McCurdy, who was the cinematographer for Shogun and previously worked with James Gunn on Peacemaker Season 2, will serve as Man of Tomorrow‘s cinematographer. McCurdy replaces Henry Braham, who previously worked with Gunn on Superman, The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Recent rumors have also suggested that John Murphy, who was one of the two composers on Superman, will not return, though nothing is official.
Who Has Been Cast in ‘Man of Tomorrow’?
David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult are confirmed to be reprising their roles as Clark Kent / Superman and Lex Luthor, respectively. Rachel Brosnahan, who played Lois Lane, is also expected to return. On Dec. 20, 2025, James Gunn confirmed that German actor Lars Eidinger was cast as Brainiac, the film’s primary antagonist. Brainiac was briefly considered as the villain in Superman, as confirmed by early storyboards.
Frank Grillo is expected to reprise his role as Rick Flag Sr., having appeared in Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker Season 2. Isabela Merced, who plays Hawkgirl, shared Gunn’s announcement of Man of Tomorrow with the caption “see you soon”, all but confirming her role in the film. Notably, Lanterns star Aaron Pierre commented on the post, saying “Yes, indeed!” suggesting John Stewart’s Green Lantern will also be in the film.
James Gunn has said Man of Tomorrow will largely consist of characters from Superman, suggesting that Justice Gang members Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) are expected to return, though no official casting announcement has been made.
Skyler Gisondo is expected to return as Jimmy Olsen and will also lead his own spin-off series for HBO Max that focuses on the Daily Planet team outside Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Wendell Pierce, Mikela Hooper, Beck Bennett, and Christopher McDonald are expected to reprise their roles as Perry White, Cat Grant, Steve Lombard, and Ron Troupe respectively, in the Jimmy Olsen spin-off series and likely Man of Tomorrow.
Another rumored character for Man of Tomorrow, but not yet confirmed, is Supergirl, played by Milly Alcock. Alcock had a cameo as Supergirl at the end of Superman, teeing up her solo film, which opens on Jun. 26, 2026. With Gunn describing Man of Tomorrow as the next entry in “The Superman Saga,” there’s an expectation that Supergirl’s film is part of that story and will lead into Man of Tomorrow, allowing the two Kryptonian cousins to team up. This also opens the door for Krypto to return, as Superman established her as Supergirl’s dog.
James Gunn is also casting another female character for the film. Described as “warrior-like” and with the director looking for certain height requirements, many at first assumed James Gunn was casting Wonder Woman. However, Gunn has since confirmed that neither Wonder Woman nor Batman would appear in Man of Tomorrow. Now the mysterious female role is expected to be Maxima.
What We Know About ‘Man of Tomorrow’s Plot
Plot details for Man of Tomorrow are being kept secret. Gunn has described Man of Tomorrow as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie,” and would see the pair working together against a bigger threat, which has since been confirmed to be Brainiac. The teaser artwork that was released alongside the title’s official announcement revealed that Lex Luthor will suit up in his classic battle armor from the comics.
Rumors suggest the comic will pull heavily from the 1992 storyline “Panic in the Sky,” which saw Superman and the Justice League teaming up to stop Brainiac and Maxima. Gunn has not confirmed any of this.Superman was an original story and not based on any specific comic run, so the same could be true for Man of Tomorrow.
Gunn has hinted that the Salvation dimension teased in Peacemaker Season 2 could factor into Man of Tomorrow. Peacemaker Season 2 saw the return of Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, who began working with Rick Flag Sr. and ARGUS while in prison. Lex seemingly has gained more influence and freedom, possibly suggesting how he will return to a position of power in Man of Tomorrow.
With Man of Tomorrow set to begin filming in a matter of months, more details about the film’s plot and large cast of characters are expected to emerge, particularly following the release of Supergirl in June 2026.
- Release Date
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July 7, 2027
- Director
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James Gunn
- Writers
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James Gunn
- Producers
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Lars P. Winther
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
