James Gunn Teases What Sets ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Apart from ‘Superman’

James Gunn is already shaping the next chapter of Superman’s story, and he promises it will feel different from the last movie.

In June 2025, Gunn said he started working on a new film that would feature Superman in a big role, but it wouldn’t be a direct sequel.

Warner Bros. Discovery later confirmed that Gunn is both writing and directing the project. By September, he revealed the title: Man of Tomorrow, scheduled for release on July 9, 2027. Filming is expected to begin around April 2026. David Corenswet is set to return as Superman, and Nicholas Hoult will reprise his role as Lex Luthor.

Gunn explained that this new movie will give more attention to Lex Luthor. He told the House of R podcast with Mallory Rubin, “I think I’m just more interested in getting into the heart of Lex and seeing how he fits into all of this. I think getting to know more of Lex as a human being. I think we saw a lot about the evil part of Lex. He’s pretty evil… I think he, as a character, is really interesting. There’s something, despite everything, that is incredibly heroic about Lex.”

He added more about what makes Lex so compelling: “Take aside morality, which is hard to do, but here is this guy who’s saying, ‘You can hold up a building. You can shoot down planes with your eyes. F*** you, I’m going to kick your ass because I’m better than you.’ I can’t help but admire his tenacity and his ego. I mean, his ambition is beyond compare.”

Gunn also teased that the film will feel a little different from Superman. “The story in Man of Tomorrow, it is slightly tonally different from Superman… Superman’s more comic-booky in some ways than Man of Tomorrow, and it has to do with the dual characters of Lex and Superman at the center of Man of Tomorrow and other things,” he said.

This approach makes it clear that the new film won’t just be about Superman fighting his nemesis. Instead, it will explore both characters equally, showing their clash of ideals as well as their battles. Gunn described it as “as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie”, suggesting the story will focus on their dynamic and partnership against a bigger threat.

Fans of DC should be excited. This movie looks to dig deeper into Lex Luthor’s character while still giving Superman a central role. The idea of a “dual protagonist” story could bring a fresh angle to the franchise and make it more than just a standard superhero fight.

It’s interesting to see James Gunn take a more character-driven approach to the Superman universe. Focusing on Lex Luthor as much as Superman could add new depth and tension to the story.

I’m curious to see how their clash of ideals plays out on the big screen. What do you think? Should the next Superman film explore both heroes and villains equally, or stick to focusing mostly on Superman? Share your thoughts in the comments.