James Gunn's Superman Sequel Man Of Tomorrow Is Officially Starting Early On HBO Max
Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.
Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."
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Man of Tomorrow is the next step of Superman's journey in the new DC Universe, and it seems like it has already started, thanks to the franchise's latest release. David Corenswet's Superman is the DCU's main hero, having become a constant presence in the franchise. Before Corenswet played the character, Superman had a non-speaking cameo in the animated Creature Commandos in 2024.
Then, Corenswet got to debut as the Man of Steel in 2025's Superman, which was a very successful movie for DC Studios and made many believe Corenswet was one of the best actors to have played Superman in live-action. After his solo movie as Clark Kent, the actor got to return to the role in 2026's Supergirl, with Superman supporting his cousin's film.
Supergirl's ending set up the Superman movie sequel, 2027's Man of Tomorrow, as the film put Milly Alcock's Kara back on Earth with Corenswet's Superman. As such, when Lars Eidinger's Brainiac comes calling next year, Supergirl will answer alongside Superman. While Supergirl set up Man of Tomorrow, a new DCU project has now just done the same, but with an even bigger impact.
Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition
Superman
Trivia Challenge
🌏OriginsLast son
☠VillainsKneel!
⚡PowersInvincible
🎥FilmsBelieve
💫LegacyHope
01
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
That DC release is Lanterns, which just aired its season 1 finale on HBO and HBO Max. The live-action DC TV show focuses on the Hal Jordan and John Stewart versions of Green Lantern, with Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre playing the characters, respectively. The Lanterns season 1 finale ended with the perfect setup for a major Man of Tomorrow change.
Lanterns' Season 1 Finale Sets Up Man Of Tomorrow
Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for HBO's Lanterns season 1, episode 8.The road to Man of Tomorrow has just started in the DCU, as Lanterns has appointed the Green Lantern that will be in charge of dealing with Brainiac. After all, the DC series' season finale saw John Stewart take over as Earth's Green Lantern, making it so that Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner polices the rest of Sector 2814, but not the planet he actually lives on.
Given how not only was Guy in 2025's Superman, but he is part of what appears to be the main superhero team of the DCU, the Justice Gang, the fact that Earth is no longer part of his beat is a major development going into Man of Tomorrow. This means that when Brainiac presumably comes to the planet in the Superman movie sequel, Pierre's John Stewart will be the Green Lantern in charge of stopping him, dealing with all alien threats to Earth. This reveal suggests that John's role in Man of Tomorrow will be even bigger than what was originally expected.
It also poses an interesting question: Is John the right man to face Brainiac? While he was the Guardians of the Universe's first choice to replace Hal Jordan, John ultimately passed on the role, with Guy becoming Green Lantern instead. As such, Fillion's character has had years on the job, becoming experienced in dealing with powerful alien threats. While John trained his whole life to become a Green Lantern, including a period under the Green Lantern Corps legend Hal Jordan himself, he has barely explored the cosmos and the threats it holds.
Why John Stewart Is The Perfect Green Lantern For James Gunn's Superman Sequel
Well, while it is true that John does not have Guy's experience in the job as a Green Lantern, HBO's Lanterns is a TV show that focuses on how John Stewart was built to be the epitome of what a Green Lantern should be in the DCU. Yeah, he has got all the training for the job, but by the end of the Lanterns season 1 finale, John takes all of that and mixes with who he wants to be as a person, taking more agency over his choices, and becoming a Green Lantern that does not answer to the Guardians' rules, but has his own morals.
John was trained by Hal, the very best to ever do it, and possesses all the skills that are needed to be a great Green Lantern, while also thinking for himself instead of falling for corporate limits like Guy. In the end, he is the perfect protector for Earth against Brainiac, and those personality traits should make John a fitting partner for David Corenswet's Superman. Additionally, John has been on multiple Justice League rosters over the years, and by having a key role in Man of Tomorrow, the DCU would be preparing the ground for that to happen in the franchise for the Lanterns hero.
-
Lanterns
- Release Date
- August 16, 2026
- Network
- HBO
-
Kyle Chandler
Hal Jordan
-
Aaron Pierre
John Stewart
Lanterns is a 2026 DC superhero detective series centered on veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and new recruit John Stewart. The two intergalactic peacekeepers investigate a murder in Nebraska, drawing them into a dark Earth-based mystery with deeper implications for both men.
-
Man of Tomorrow
- Release Date
- July 9, 2027
- Director
- James Gunn
- Writers
- James Gunn
- Producers
- Peter Safran, James Gunn
- Prequel(s)
- Superman
- Franchise(s)
- Superman, DCU
Cast
-
Superman
-
Nicholas Hoult
Lex Luthor
-
Rachel Brosnahan
Lois Lane
-
Lars Eidinger
Brainiac
Man of Tomorrow marks a new chapter in the Superman saga, as Superman teams up with longtime adversary Lex Luthor to face the formidable villain Brainiac.
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