After months of hypothesis, James Gunn has lastly confirmed the title and launch date for his Superman follow-up, sharing a picture which will trace on the movie’s plot. The Superman sequel, titled Man of Tomorrow, is ready for launch on July 9, 2027. This launch date is 2 days shy of the two-year anniversary of the discharge of Superman, which grew to become one of many greatest motion pictures of the summer time and efficiently relaunched the DC movie model after a number of tough years of field workplace flops.
James Gunn introduced Man of Tomorrow with an official piece of art work by Jim Lee, that includes Superman and Lex Luthor suited up in his traditional inexperienced and purple energy armor. Stars David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult additionally shared art work of Superman and Lex Luthor preventing, hinting that the Superman sequel will as soon as once more function the 2 characters coming to blows. But the title and a intelligent element in James Gunn’s put up may reveal some key plot particulars. It is all hypothesis at this level, however Man of Tomorrow may see Superman and Lex Luthor crew up, with the titular Man of Tomorrow being each Superman and his archenemy.
Superman and Lex Crew-Up
Whereas the art work shared by Corenswet and Hoult options Superman and Lex Luthor preventing, the put up made by Gunn options Superman holding a screwdriver, standing alongside Lex Luthor. All of the art work was created explicitly for the movie’s announcement, as Superman isn’t sporting his traditional comedian e-book go well with, however somewhat the one impressed by the film. Superman standing subsequent to Luthor, together with him holding a software used for meeting, may indicate that Superman may assist Luthor construct his iconic warsuit to battle a bigger risk. Though Superman and Luthor will possible combat within the film, the hook could also be that the archenemies should quickly put aside their variations to face a standard risk.
What may unite Superman and Lex Luthor? Properly, the apparent reply is the villain Brainiac, a personality followers have been ready eight Superman motion pictures to see, and who Gunn even thought of for his first Superman movie. There’s additionally the opportunity of together with some evil Kryptonians, similar to Basic Zod and even Superman’s father, Jor-El. Within the 2008 comedian arc Final Son, Superman teamed up with Lex Luthor and villains Bizzaro, Parasite, and Metallo to combat off the Kryptonian invasion by Basic Zod that the remainder of the world isn’t outfitted to deal with. DC Rebirth reimagined Jor-El as a villainous character, one which James Gunn took some inspiration from for Superman. A Kryptonian invasion would put Superman and Lex Luthor into alignment, since Superman would stand other than his folks’s colonizer roots, whereas Lex Luthor would revel on the probability to cease any Kryptonian.
Luthor has dabbled in heroics earlier than, although typically to his personal finish. Within the New 52 Eternally Evil storyline, he assembled a crew of villains to combat the Crime Syndicate when the Justice League was taken off the board. These actions landed him a brief position within the Justice League for a short while. Then, in 2016’s DC Rebirth, Luthor crafted a brand new warsuit with a Superman S-shield and acted as Metropolis’ new protector. Luthor may use the Warsuit and crew up with Superman to redeem himself within the public’s thoughts and set the stage for him to develop into president of the DCU, like he did within the comics again in 2000. Lex Luthor being president not solely has big ramifications for Superman sequels however for each entry within the DCU that follows.
Significance Behind the ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Title
Man of Tomorrow attracts its title from one of many many nicknames related to Superman. That is what 2013’s Man of Metal did, naming a Superman film after a well-liked shorthand for the film (possibly the DCU Batman must be known as Caped Crusader?). Superman: Man of Tomorrow was additionally the title of a 2020 animated movie that launched the short-lived Tomorrowverse. The nickname Man of Tomorrow is usually related to Superman as a result of it represents the brighter optimism of the long run, a theme that Gunn may need to carry over into Superman.
But, the title may also have a double which means, because it may mirror Lex Luthor. A part of Lex Luthor’s hatred for Superman stems from the truth that Superman beneficial properties his powers by being an alien, not having to earn them like a traditional human does. Lex Luthor fashions himself as the best, good man, a person of tomorrow in his personal imaginative and prescient. If Man of Tomorrow is a team-up film that includes Superman and Lex Luthor, the title may reference each characters and the way the world perceives them.
Man of Tomorrow additionally has two important comedian connections, ones that might inform James Gunn’s Superman. The primary is Alan Moore’s 1986 Superman: No matter Occurred to the Man of Tomorrow. This imaginary story served as the ultimate story of the Silver Age Superman earlier than the character’s historical past was rebooted by Disaster on Infinite Earths and John Byrne’s Man of Metal comedian. It’s unlikely that Gunn will adapt what was pitched as “the ultimate Superman story” into the second movie of his DCU. It’s value noting that the comedian does function Superman taking up a lot of his iconic foes, and that its barely darker and bittersweet tone may inform Gunn’s strategy for the sequel.
Then, in 1993, following the Dying of Superman, got here the storyline Reign of the Supermen. Within the comedian, 4 successors to Superman’s legacy appeared, modeled after his numerous nicknames. John Henry Irons/Metal was the Man of Metal, Superboy was the Metropolis Child, and the Eradicator was the Final Son of Krypton. Essentially the most notorious, although, was Hank Henshaw/Cyborg Superman, who was the Man of Tomorrow.
Cyborg Superman was basically Superman meets the Terminator (it was two years after T2: Judgment Day), and was revealed to be a villain who teamed up with the alien warlord and Superman villain Mongul to destroy Inexperienced Lantern Hal Jordan’s hometown of Coast Metropolis, which kicked off a storyline within the comics of Hal Jordan turning into evil. Lanterns, which will likely be launched after Peacemaker Season 2 and earlier than Supergirl, will introduce Hal Jordan to the DCU, performed by Kyle Chandler.
Now, is Lanterns introducing Hal Jordan and Man of Tomorrow, having briefly related to Cyborg Superman, hinting that the DCU will adapt that comedian storyline? No, however it’s value mentioning since it’s fully attainable. We have already pitched how Mongul can be a fantastic villain for a Superman sequel, provided that his daughter, Mongal, was already featured in The Suicide Squad. But Man of Tomorrow may function a distinct Inexperienced Lantern and set the stage for DC’s most well-known superhero crew.
Will ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Introduce the Justice League?
Following the announcement of Man of Tomorrow, numerous DCU stars commented on it. The 2 that caught most individuals’s eyes have been Isabela Merced and Aaron Pierre. Merced made sense, since she performed Hawkgirl in Superman and is anticipated to return within the sequel. Pierre is at present set to play John Stewart in Lanterns, the subsequent entry within the DCU. James Gunn has already confirmed that the Lanterns‘ central thriller is essential to the bigger story of the DCU. It’s at present unknown how Lanterns connects to Man of Tomorrow; James Gunn is perhaps laying the groundwork for the Justice League.
Hawkgirl and John Stewart are intently related to the Justice League within the public’s thoughts as a consequence of their roles in Justice League and Justice League Limitless. That sequence additionally established a romantic relationship between Hawkgirl and John Stewart, and provided that the 2 heroes are being launched so early within the DCU, James Gunn is perhaps laying the groundwork for his or her relationship to develop over a number of titles. Hawkgirl is a given to look in Man of Tomorrow, and now the door stays open for Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart. With the DCU already engaged on introducing Batman and Marvel Lady, some model of the Justice League is forming within the background of the DCU.
What does that imply for the Justice Gang? Will characters like Metamorpho and Mister Terrific take the place of Aquaman and The Flash? James Gunn has hinted that the Corridor of Justice mural from Superman options two characters that can seem in an upcoming DCU undertaking. Whereas he did not specify which characters or what undertaking, with Man of Tomorrow, the subsequent one up, it’s fully attainable the movie may develop on the DCU’s wealthy historical past of metahumans. The character of Iron Munro typically takes the place of Superman in World Battle II-set tales, so Man of Tomorrow may discover the idea of how previous heroes formed the long run, in the end resulting in the emergence of Superman, the Man of Tomorrow.
Man of Tomorrow is 2 years away, making it each a protracted wait and comparatively quickly for followers. It looks as if solely a matter of time earlier than extra particulars come out about what precisely Man of Tomorrow will likely be about, however simply primarily based on one piece of art work and a title, James Gunn has given us loads to mull over.