Superman's next flight

Man of Tomorrow is set to open in cinemas on July 9, 2027. That is exactly two years after James Gunn's Superman opened in July 2025. Gunn writes and directs again, and DC Studios has kept the date since it announced the title in September 2025. The film is the next big step in Gunn's new DC universe. Gunn announced in August 2026 that principal photography had wrapped. Filming began in April 2026, so the shoot ran for about four months. Gunn thanked the cast and crew on Threads and shared set photos, including one of Nicholas Hoult jumping into a lake in costume after the last shot. That image set fan talk alight. Wrapping filming does not mean the film is done. Gunn and his team now move into editing, visual effects, sound, and score work. Gunn said in October 2026 that the assembly cut, the first rough joining of the footage, was complete. Extra filming can still happen later if the edit needs it, which is normal for a film this size.

An unlikely team-up

The core idea is simple and bold. Superman, played by David Corenswet, must team up with Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult, against a larger threat. That threat is reported to be Brainiac, played by German actor Lars Eidinger, based on Variety reporting. Brainiac is a super-intelligent alien villain with a long history in Superman comics. That team-up flips the first film on its head. In Superman (2025), Lex was the main villain, a billionaire who hated Superman and tried to bring him down. Now Lex must work with the man he tried to destroy. That tension will drive the film. Can two men who distrust each other trust each other enough to save the world? Hoult's Lex is not the usual comic-book villain. He is sharp, petty, and funny in a dark way, and Corenswet's Superman is warm and earnest. Putting those two energies together gives Gunn a lot of room for humour and drama. The best scenes may not be the fights, but the talks between takes in the story.

Who else is back

Rachel Brosnahan returns as Lois Lane, with Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific also back, based on cast reports. That returning group gives the film a ready-made world, so it does not need to rebuild Metropolis from scratch. Xolo Mariduena has also confirmed he is back as Jaime Reyes, also known as Blue Beetle, in what will be his first big DC universe appearance since Blue Beetle in 2023. Mariduena said Gunn called him directly about the role. That kind of personal call shows how Gunn builds his DC world, actor by actor. Reports also point to Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, the Green Lantern, making his big-screen debut after appearing in the Lanterns show on HBO. That link between film and TV is part of Gunn's plan. Characters can move between screens, and fans who watch both will get a richer story.

Real time, real stakes

Gunn has said the film is set in real time, in summer 2027, two years after the first film. That choice matters. Characters have aged, relationships have shifted, and the world has moved on. Superman is not frozen in one summer. He lives in a world that keeps turning, just like the audience does. Brainiac as a villain also raises the scale. Past Superman films have used Zod, Lex, and Doomsday. Brainiac is different. He collects worlds, shrinks cities, and thinks in cold logic. He is a threat that brute strength alone cannot beat, which forces Superman to think, and forces Lex to use his brain for good for once. Superman (2025) earned more than 600 million dollars worldwide, based on trade reports. That total gave Gunn room to plan bigger. Man of Tomorrow is not a safe sequel. It is a swing, with a villain team-up at its centre and a new alien threat behind it. If it works, it will set the tone for DC for years.

What to watch for next

No trailer date has been announced yet. Gunn and DC will likely drop the first trailer in early 2027, a few months before release. When it drops, watch for Brainiac's look, the Superman and Lex dynamic, and how much of the Justice Gang appears. Those three beats will tell fans if the film has found its tone. The film also arrives in a busy summer. Shrek 5 and Spider-Man Beyond the Spider-Verse open in late June, and A Quiet Place Part III is also set for July 2027. Man of Tomorrow will need a strong opening to stand out in that crowd, but Superman has the name power to do it. For now, mark July 9, 2027. Superman and Lex on the same side, Brainiac reported as the threat, filming wrapped, and Gunn in the edit room. That is a strong place to be a year out. The next update will come from the edit, and then from the trailer, and fans will judge both fast.

Sources and reporting

  1. Polygon — 27 Aug 2026 · Verifies filming wrapped, the July 9, 2027 date, Corenswet and Hoult returning, and Brainiac reported
  2. ComicBook — 26 Aug 2026 · Verifies Gunn's wrap post, the returning cast, and Eidinger as Brainiac as the first live-action Brainiac
  3. Lower Bucks Times — 4 Oct 2026 · Verifies the assembly cut complete, Gunn writing his next film during the edit, and the July 9, 2027 date