James Gunn has revealed that his follow-up to Superman will arrive sooner than expected. The sequel, officially titled Superman: Man of Tomorrow, is set to premiere on July 9, 2027. The announcement confirms both the film’s release date and its title, which draws from one of Superman’s long-standing nicknames in the comics, similar to “The Man of Steel.”
Gunn shared the news with an illustration by DC Comics legend Jim Lee featuring David Corenswet’s Superman alongside Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor. Unlike his suited corporate look in the first film, the image shows Luthor wearing his classic purple-and-green battle armor, a design that has been part of his comic-book arsenal since the 1980s. While the character has appeared in several Superman films over the years, the armored suit has yet to make it into live action — raising questions about whether Man of Tomorrow will finally bring that version of Luthor to the screen.
The sequel’s story reportedly picks up several years after Superman’s emergence as Earth’s protector. Lex Luthor escalates his campaign against him, deploying allies like the cyborg Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) and a remote-controlled Superman clone known as Ultraman. The plot also involves Luthor’s invasion of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, where he broadcasts a manipulative message from Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara (Angela Sarafyan) that frames the hero as a potential tyrant. Combined with Superman’s controversial intervention in an international conflict, the scheme allows Luthor to imprison him temporarily in a dimensional rift.
Naturally, Superman breaks free, defeats Luthor’s creations, and prevents Metropolis from being destroyed. With help from Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), and the Justice Gang, Luthor’s role in fueling the conflict is exposed, leaving him disgraced by the film’s conclusion.
The announcement comes on the heels of Superman’s success earlier this year, which earned $612 million globally and drew positive reviews for its lighter tone compared to past DC films. While Gunn’s new cinematic universe is still in its early stages, Man of Tomorrow suggests the director is eager to build momentum with familiar characters and storylines that lean into both modern sensibilities and long-running comic traditions.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow is scheduled to hit theaters on July 9, 2027.
