James Gunn Confirms Superman and Lex Team-Up Against a Cosmic Threat in Man of Tomorrow
With James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ now embraced by fans on streaming and physical media, the attention has fully shifted to the hero’s next chapter. And for the first time, Gunn himself has opened the door, revealing major details about the upcoming sequel, officially titled Man of Tomorrow and set for release on July 9, 2027.
During a September visit to The Howard Stern Show, Gunn surprised listeners with a bold plot tease that immediately set the fandom ablaze. “It’s a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat,” he explained. With that sentence, he confirmed that Nicholas Hoult’s scene-stealing Lex Luthor—who electrified audiences in Superman—will return to clash, argue, and ultimately cooperate with the very man he resents most. The idea of Superman and Lex Luthor forced into an uneasy alliance is riveting on its own, but Gunn’s emphasis on a “much, much bigger threat” points directly toward the figure fans have been whispering about for months: Brainiac.
Long before Gunn’s Stern interview, industry insiders reported that Brainiac was the leading candidate for the sequel’s villain. A cold, calculating intellect who bottles cities, destroys civilizations, and treats entire worlds as specimens, Brainiac represents a cosmic escalation on a scale the DCU hasn’t yet seen. His deep ties to Krypton, his obsession with data and domination, and his chilling logic make him the perfect antagonist to challenge not just Superman’s strength, but his hope, compassion, and heritage. With Gunn now confirming that Superman and Lex must join forces against a greater enemy, Brainiac feels less like speculation and more like inevitability.
Even though Gunn has not officially named the villain, he strongly teased Brainiac’s arrival when he posted the cover of the second draft of Man of Tomorrow on September 22. The script page featured a vintage anatomical illustration of a human head with the brain fully exposed — a striking, cerebral image that feels like a deliberate nod to Brainiac, Superman’s hyper-intelligent, brain-obsessed nemesis.
Before the Stern interview, Gunn also took to social media to share exclusive artwork from DC legend Jim Lee. One image showed Superman holding a screwdriver beside Lex Luthor in his classic green-and-purple warsuit — a powerful hint at the reluctant partnership at the heart of the new film. Gunn captioned the reveal simply: “‘Man of Tomorrow.’ In theatres July 9, 2027.”
The tension of Superman and Lex working together under cosmic duress offers enormous opportunities for character evolution. For Superman, it’s a test of patience, morality, and leadership. For Lex, it’s the humiliation of confronting someone smarter, colder, and more dangerous than himself — perhaps for the first time. And for both men, it sets the stage for a reluctant, combustible partnership that could define the DCU for years to come.
Everything now points to Superman: Man of Tomorrow becoming one of the DCU’s most ambitious, high-stakes films yet. A forced alliance between Superman and Lex Luthor. A cosmic threat powerful enough to terrify them both. The potential live-action debut of Brainiac — one of Superman’s greatest villains never before brought to the big screen. And a storyline that promises action, tension, mythology, and emotional depth.
The stage is set for a cinematic showdown decades in the making. If Brainiac is indeed the looming threat, audiences may finally witness something extraordinary: Superman and Lex Luthor fighting side by side, not as allies, but as survivors facing the same impossible enemy — a battle where hope and hatred collide against cold, cosmic calculation.
On July 9, 2027, the Man of Tomorrow rises again — and the DC Universe may never be the same.
