Rather than let the first look at Lex Luthor’s practical effects Warsuit come via blurry set photos, Man of Tomorrow director James Gunn took to social media earlier this week to share the iconic purple and green battle suit with fans. Now, as principal photography for the project continues in Atlanta, fans have captured Nicholas Hoult, and a stunt double, on set in the monstrous suit preparing to go to battle with David Coresnwet‘s Superman.
The final video shows Gunn directing Corenswet, who is sporting a suit that is “not the exact same” as the one he wore in Superman, on how to reign blows down upon Luthor.
While responding to fans on Threads, Gunn revealed that Man of Tomorrow will take place 2 years after the events of Superman, saying the time between the two is “basically real time.”
Production on Man of Tomorrow is underway in Georgia and as the crew works on bringing parts of Metropolis to life, James Gunn has taken to social media to reveal the first look at Lex Luthor’s iconic Warsuit.
Interestingly, the Warsuit comes emblazoned with an A.R.G.U.S. logo on the chest!
The internet has a funny way of remembering things, and right now, it’s fixated on a 26-year-old conversation between two friends. Following the news that Matthew Lillard has officially joined the cast of Man of Tomorrow, a persistent and highly logical theory has taken over: Eel O’Brian is finally coming to the big screen.
While Plastic Man sounds like a wild swing, the evidence suggests this isn’t just fan-casting—it’s a decades-long manifestation.
The bedrock of this theory isn’t just Lillard’s lanky frame; it’s a direct confirmation from James Gunn himself. Back in March 2023, Gunn took to social media to confirm a long-standing rumor: while filming the first Scooby-Doo in 2000, he and Lillard spent their downtime discussing a Plastic Man movie.
Gunn has gone on record stating that he always thought Lillard’s physical comedy and rubbery facial expressions made him the definitive choice for the role. In his recent “no reason” photo with Lillard on Instagram, fans noticed the actor’s current look—lean, expressive, and wearing a very Eel O’Brian style of glasses.
Why introduce Plastic Man in a Superman sequel? Perhaps Gunn is continuing that development of another group of heroes to the new DC Universe.
The Terrifics
We already know that Man of Tomorrow features the returns of Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). In the comics, these two are the core of a team called The Terrifics—and the third member is almost always Plastic Man. Lillard’s chaotic energy would be the perfect foil to Gathegi’s stoic intellect and Carrigan’s tragic Metamorpho. Introducing him here allows Gunn to build toward a Terrifics spin-off without needing a full origin story movie.
Some fans have argued the 56-year-olf Lillard might be too old, but Gunn has alreadly pivoted his DCU to feature seasoned heroes, like Lanterns Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan. A veteran Plastic Man who has been stretching for years fits the established timeline of this universe.
If Lillard is Plastic Man, it’s a full-circle moment for two of the industry’s most resilient creators. Gunn wrote the scripts that helped make Lillard a 2000s icon, and now he’s bringing him into the Gods and Monsters era. Plastic Man is a character that requires a specific mix of tragedy and absurdity—traits Lillard has mastered from Scream to The Bear.
The Matthew Lillard Renaissance is officially hitting the DCU. According to Deadline, horror icon and fan-favorite Matthew Lillard has joined the cast of Man of Tomorrow.
While his role is being kept under a fortress-level” secrecy by DC Studios, the casting marks a major 20-year reunion for Lillard and James Gunn, who famously collaborated on the live-action Scooby-Doo films written by Gunn in the early 2000s.
Lillard is currently on one of the most impressive runs of his career, and joining the DCU is the cherry on top. Fans just finished seeing Lillard as the enigmatic Mr. Charles in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, where he played a manipulative political fixer working against Kingpin.
Gunn is known for alumni casting, and Lillard—the definitive live-action Shaggy—is a perfect fit for Gunn’s quirky but high-stakes world-building. Between returning for Scream 7, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, and the upcoming Carrie series, Lillard is officially the hardest-working man in genre film right now.
As usual, the internet is already rife with theories for the undisclosed role. Some believe he could be playing a character like Snapper Carr or a high-ranking government official (perhaps a DC version of his Born Again role) who serves as a liaison between Superman and the U.N. With Brainiac (Lars Eidinger) as the main threat, some theorists are looking at Lillard to play a more eccentric, tech-based villain like Winslow Schott, aka Toyman.
Filming is already well underway in Atlanta under the working title “Exodus.” Lillard joining the cast now suggests he may have a significant role in the film’s second act. Man of Tomorrow is locked in for a July 9, 2027 theatrical release, serving as the first true sequel in Gunn’s new DC Universe.
Production has begun on DC Studios Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, and director James Gunn has wasted no time in teasing the film’s core dynamic and revealing a sneaky look at the film’s logo.
In a photo shared by Gunn on social media, a chess board sits front and center near a badge that confirms Nicholas Hoult‘s Lex Luthor will still be in Van Kull prison when the film begins. Fans of the comics will likely recall that Luthor is a bit of a chess master and has played the game against both Clark and Jonathan Kent while they visited him in prison.
While it’s intentionally a little tougher to see, a logo that combines the crest of the House of El with the iconic three-dot Brainiac can be seen on the clapboard at the top of the photo.
Filming on the DCU’s Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, is set to kick off soon and director and DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn is about looking to lock in an actress on a key role. According to a new report from Deadline, Gunnhas begun screen-testing for one of the most powerful (and persistent) antagonists: Maxima.
The shortlist is a heavy-hitter’s row of current it girls, but two names have risen to the top of the pile for the Empress of Almerac: Ella Purnell (Fallout) and Adria Arjona (Hit Man, Andor).
By choosing Maxima as a primary player for the sequel, James Gunn is leaning into the “Space Opera” side of the DC Universe. It moves the franchise away from the grounded streets of Metropolis and into the high-stakes politics of the galaxy. If Purnell or Arjona signs on, expect a villain who is as charismatic as she is dangerous.
According to several social media influencer types and scoopers, Eva De Dominici (The Cleaning Lady) is among those DC Studios’ top dog James Gunn is interested in for the role of the Warrior Queen.
According to a report from TopNewsPrime that’s gaining traction across the trades, the Argentinian actress is currently in talks to take on the role of the Queen of Almerac. While it’s still firmly in the rumor category, the timing aligns perfectly with the production schedule as Gunn prepares to head to Atlanta this April.
Casting Maxima isn’t just about the Superman sequel. In the comics, the character eventually finds a home on the Justice League. By bringing in an actress like De Dominici now, Gunn is likely planting seeds for a future ensemble film, building out a roster of heavy hitters that can stand alongside David Corenswet‘s Kal-El, Aaron Pierre’s recently confirmed John Stewart and the rest of the DCU’s Justice Gang.
The “Lanterns” news cycle just shifted from small-screen detective work to full-blown cinematic event. While Aaron Pierre‘s John Stewart has been rumored to be headed to the big screen, Jeff “The In” Sneider has confirmed that Pierre will officially reprise his role in James Gunn’s Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
Reportedly, Pierre‘s role isn’t just a cameo; it’s the connective tissue the DCU has been promising since Chapter One: Gods and Monsters was first announced.
Stewart’s inclusion makes enormous sense from a tactical standpoint. If Lars Eidinger’s Brainiac is the threat we think he is—a world-collector forcing an alliance between Superman and Lex—having an intergalactic lawman like John Stewart on the ground is a necessity, not a luxury. Stewart is a marine; he’s a man of order and protocol. Watching him navigate the ego of Nicholas Hoult’s Warsuit-clad Lex Luthor while trying to save Metropolis may well be a highlight of the sequel.
By putting Pierre in Man of Tomorrow, Gunn is giving the general audience a reason to tune into the Lanterns series on HBO. It establishes Stewart as a major Justice League-caliber player before the team even officially exists.
Man of Tomorrow is set for a July 9, 2027 release.
As is often the case, DC Studios co-chair and Man of Tomorrow writer/director James Gunn took to social media to shoot down the growing buzz about Wonder Woman making her DCU debut in the Superman sequel. And now, a new report claims to reveal the true identity of the character.
According to Nexus Point News, the mysterious character will be the alien warrior-queen Maxima.
A member of the Royal Family of the planet Almerac, Maxima’s primary motivation is the survival and evolution of her bloodline. Considered the ultimate genetic prize of her species because of the unique structure of her DNA, she spent years traveling the cosmos in search of a “suitable” mate—someone whose power could match her own and produce an heir capable of ruling Almerac. And that quest led her to Earth where Kal-El’s Kryptonian heritage caught her attention.
A composite powerhouse with a wide array of super powers, Maxima first appeared in an antagonistic role before transitioning into an ally of Superman and, eventually, a member of the Justice League. Her appearance in the film might indicate Gunn has adapted the 1992 Superman crossover event, “Panic in the Sky,” that featured Maxima teaming up with Brainiac.
In an effort to destroy Earth, Brainiac used his telepathic abilities to enslave several cosmic heavy hitters into his army, including Maxima. Once she eventually broke free of his control, Maxima turned on Brainiac, lobotomizing him, and turned the tide of the battle in favor of Earth’s heroes.
Gunn also revealed that German actor Lars Eldinger had landed the role after a “worldwide search” for the right talent to bring the Coluan Collector of Worlds to life, explaining only that his audition separated him from the pack and convinced DC Studios that he was the right man for the job. Following the news, Gunn took to social media to explain what inspiration drove the creation of the DCU’s version of Brainiac.
I love aspects of many versions of the characters, from the 1950’s Binder stuff to the surprisingly scary Wolfman stuff to the animated versions and up through the truly creepy and wonderful, current Absolute Brainiac.
-James Gunn
Otto Binder‘s original version of Brainiac debuted in 1958’s Action Comics #242 and established the core elements of the character that remain iconic today, including his “12th-level intellect.” Co-created with artist Al Plastino, this version was a product of the Silver Age of comics–which inspired Gunn‘s decisions on Superman–characterized by high-concept science fiction and “B-movie” alien aesthetics.
Binder‘s most significant contribution to the Superman mythos via Brainiac was the introduction of Kandor, the capital city of Krypton. While infiltrating Brainiac’s ship to save Metropolis, Superman discovered a bottle containing Kandor, revealing that Brainiac had visited Krypton before its destruction, creating a deep personal link between the villain and Superman’s lost heritage.
Marv Wolfman’s version of Brainiac– introduced in 1983 for the 45th anniversary of Action Comics (#544)–is widely considered the most terrifying and radical redesign of the character in the Pre-Crisis era. Wolfman transformed the character into a cold, cosmic horror: a living machine driven by pure logic and a nihilistic need to destroy.
For Superman: The Animated Series, Brainiac was reimagined as Krypton’s planetary AI/supercomputer. After betraying Jor-El, Brainiac downloaded his consciousness into a satellite and spent decades travelling the galaxy gathering knowledge from the computers of other civilizations before destroying them. This iconic version of the character–complete with the “three dot” symbol–returned for Justice League and Justice League Unlimited and is likely the iteration of the character with whom the core audience of Man of Tomorrow would find recognizable.
In DC’s recent Absolute Universe, writer Jason Aaron has reimagined the Coluan as a sadist, williing to torture and experiment on his enemies–or even his own clones. The recent version also looks to employ psychological tactics that are more calculated cruelty than logic, removing him from his roots by an exponential margin.
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