James Gunn confirms big fan theory about Man of Tomorrow plot: 'It's a story about Lex and Superman having to work together'

• James Gunn has revealed some big new details about Man of Tomorrow
• The follow-up to 2025's Superman movie will be released in July 2027
• It'll star Superman and Lex Luthor, and filming will begin in April 2026

James Gunn has confirmed a major fan theory about Man of Tomorrow's story – and revealed when the cameras will start rolling on his Superman sequel.

Speaking on the September 10, 2025 edition of The Howard Stern Show, the DC Studios co-chief announced that principal photography is set to start next April. That means Gunn and company will have 15 months to shoot the follow-up to Gunn's Superman movie, aka the first DC Universe (DCU) film, and complete its lengthy post-production phase to ensure it's ready to arrive in July 2027.

James Gunn Teases Details of Upcoming “Superman” Sequel, “Man of Tomorrow” - YouTube

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That's not the most interesting information Gunn revealed to the US radio host. Indeed, while Gunn sidestepped Stern's direct question about which supervillain will appear in the DCU Chapter One flick, he confirmed Man of Tomorrow will see Superman and archnemesis Lex Luthor form an uneasy alliance to tackle a foe far greater than either one of them could defeat alone.

"It is a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together, to a certain degree, against a much, much bigger threat," Gunn teased. "It's more complicated than that [but] it's as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie."

Gunn's comments arrive a week after he announced the official title and release date for his Superman sequel.

Last Thursday (September 4), Gunn revealed it would be titled Man of Tomorrow and, based on three pieces of art created by various DC Comics artists, fans immediately predicted that it would co-star the Man of Steel and Lex, or position the latter as the film's lead and feature Clark Kent/Kal-El in a major supporting role. Other fan theories have sprouted up in the days since Gunn's initial announcement, too, and you can read about the most notable ones in the article linked in the above paragraph.

Man of Tomorrow is set to fly into theaters worldwide on July 9, 2027. For more on what we know about it so far, check out my dedicated guide on Man of Tomorrow.

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