It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… not a sequel? Well, according to the writer and director of Superman, James Gunn, “Superman has a major role. It’s not Superman 2.” It was later clarified on the day of the film’s announcement that it is, in fact, a movie in which the main character’s role is split into two. Those two being David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
The film was first brought up in June of 2025, when Gunn had discussed a sequel to Superman in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. He described it as “not a straight-up sequel,” and when later asked when a sequel would be released on social media, he vaguely responded with “define ‘Superman 2.’” That August, CEO and President of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav confirmed that a script had been finished and that Gunn would both write and direct the film. The following month, the title Man of Tomorrow was officially revealed along with illustrations by DC Comics artists Jim Lee (Batman: Hush, Superman: Unchained), Jorge Jiménez (Batman: Failsafe, Super Sons), and Mitch Gerads (Strange Adventures, Mister Miracle). These posts also confirmed the release date of July 9, 2027, Lex Luthor’s iconic power armor making an appearance, and Isabela Merced teasing her possible return as Hawkgirl.
Further development continued throughout September. Rachel Brosnahan was hinted to be returning by Gunn, along with Rick Flag Sr., played by Frank Grillo. He had also revealed that the movie will be “a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat.” Speculation then arose from fans about who in Superman’s rogues gallery this ‘bigger threat’ may be. Some said it would be Mongul, the tyrannical ruler of Warworld. Others believed it would be Darkseid, the big bad of the DC Universe. The list grew on and on with guesses from the Kryptonite-hearted Metallo to the mischievous imp of the Fifth Dimension, Mr. Mxyzptlk. But one name was speculated more than any other, a name that was confirmed to be the main villain in November of 2025: Brainiac, a fan-favorite character known for his affinity for collecting planets and his cold, calculating pursuit of ultimate knowledge.
With this confirmation came even more updates and even more speculation. According to insider information from Daniel Richtman, the film is looking for a taller actress to portray a character with “a warrior-type with a strong athletic build.” Many immediately took this information and believed the most likely candidate for this mystery character to be an integral member of the DC Trinity, that being Wonder Woman. The earlier announcement of a Wonder Woman project by Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira only strengthens the narrative. An even more recent rumor came from the mouth of a DC Actor, with Pierce Brosnan saying that his character of Doctor Fate would “have his own movie or show,” and “he’s going to be in the next Superman.” Gunn almost immediately responded by simply saying he hadn’t heard of a Doctor Fate rumor. The latest report claims that there is a short list of actors competing to play the role of Brainiac. This list includes Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2, Jojo Rabbit), Matt Smith (Doctor Who, Last Night in Soho), and Claes Bang (Dracula, The Northman).
With more and more updates coming nearly daily, many wonder what the plan is with this film and its connection to the larger DC Universe. How does it connect to future projects like ‘Supergirl,’ ‘Lanterns,’ or the cliffhanger of ‘Peacemaker’? To answer these questions, I have something to say: stay tuned, keep watching, and see what happens next!
