The film had an enormous amount of pressure placed upon it because it was simultaneously salvaging the public reputation of Superman while launching a new cinematic universe. However, James Gunn is a seasoned veteran when it comes to comic book projects, and he absolutely delivered with his interpretation of the Man of Steel. The film combined high-flying action scenes with intimate character moments, all centered around a general theme of kindness that really resonated with audiences. Even though the film did not make billions of dollars, it certainly bought some goodwill for the DCU and set up its next theatrical project for success.
Unfortunately, that project did not deliver. Supergirl, released earlier this Summer, was one of the worst box-office flops in the history of superhero films. Not only did it fail financially, but the critical reception was just as bad. Now, the pressure is back on the DCU to win back its audience’s trust and prove that this universe is worth caring about.
Enter Man of Tomorrow, which is set to release on July 9, 2027. This film will serve as a sequel to Superman but, based on the cast, it will likely also soft-launch a new version of the Justice League. With the all-powerful Brainiac playing the main antagonistic role, Superman will need all the help he can get to defeat this planetary threat. So, who will be joining the Big Blue Boy Scout to defend Earth? Here is everyone confirmed to appear in Man of Tomorrow!
The Returning Cast
Practically everyone from the first Superman film is reprising their roles. In fact, so many actors are returning that it actually gives us a little insight into what the story might be.
Firstly, the entire Daily Planet crew is back to fill out the Clark Kent side of the story. This includes Beck Bennett, Skyler Gisondo, Wendell Pierce, Mikaela Hoover, and, most importantly, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. These returns indicate that this film will not be exclusively focused on metahumans, which is great. The entire basis of the first film was Clark coming to realize that his human traits are what make him such an amazing super-human. It would feel strange to exclude his civilian life from any story going forward. Plus, Lois and Clark are closer now than they were at the beginning of the last film, which adds a lot of stakes if either of them were to be harmed.
As for heroes, the Maxwell Lord-owned supergroup, the Justice Gang, will still be fighting alongside Superman in this film. Although we have seen very little of Lord himself, his comic counterpart leads us to believe his intentions are villainous. If that is the case, it would seem that the Justice Gang is unaware, because they have only acted heroically so far... albeit more violently than Superman would like. Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern, Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, and Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl are all officially slated to return. It is unclear if they will be taking a more prominent role or if they will be featured to a lesser extent. With such a spacefaring, tech-based villain threatening Earth, Green Lantern and Mister Terrific would be perfectly suited to assist in such a conflict. However, they could be relegated to defending civilians while Superman goes to confront the real villain. Either way, we cannot wait to see this team return because they have unique power sets that make each fight scene far more fascinating.
As for the main characters, it has been rumored that David Corenswet’s Superman will be mostly interacting with Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor and Milly Alcock’s Supergirl. In various iterations of the character, Supergirl has a complicated history with Brainiac, giving her knowledge that could potentially help the heroes defeat him. Even if that isn’t the case, Kara’s arc in her own film led her to finally understand the benefits of acting heroically, and the film ends with her returning to Earth. It will be great to finally see these two Kryptonians fight side-by-side.
As for Lex, he appears to be turning over a new leaf. This has happened several times in the comics, with Lex feigning a change of heart merely to get under Superman’s skin and regain the trust of the public. Whether or not that is his intention, Lex is immensely proud of his intellect and certainly would not let the world be conquered by someone going by the moniker of "Brainiac". Whether it is self-preservation, a change of heart, or part of a larger scheme, Lex is donning super-powered armor that allows him to contend with other metahumans in battle.
The Debuts
Lars Eidinger will be portraying Brainiac in his first-ever live-action theatrical debut. Brainiac is easily one of the most iconic Superman villains, and it is astonishing that he has never been the sole antagonist of a film. As his name implies, Brainiac operates with a level of alien super-intelligence that he uses to capture entire civilizations. Brainiac’s primary goal is to obtain more knowledge, which leads him to view Earth as merely information he has yet to attain. Eidinger could easily portray a cold and calculating villain who mirrors the qualities of an artificial intelligence gone rogue. Alternatively, Eidinger might take a more vindictive approach, where Brainiac is fascinated by the destructive process of conquering a planet. Regardless, this is excellent casting for Brainiac, and we cannot wait to see his monstrous ships looming over Earth.
On the heroic side, we have two more metahumans making their theatrical DCU debuts: Aaron Pierre’s Green Lantern and Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle. This is excellent news for Superman, because both of these characters are absolute powerhouses who could turn the tide of a battle against Brainiac. Pierre’s Green Lantern, aka John Stewart, is a very different Green Lantern from Fillion’s and is much more likely to get along with Superman. Stewart is fearless, disciplined, and immensely powerful because of his indomitable willpower. On top of that, "Lanterns" is currently airing on HBO Max, and practically everyone is in agreement that the show is amazing. In a similar vein, Maridueña made his debut as Blue Beetle before the birth of the DCU, but his performance was so well-received that James Gunn decided to keep him around in the new universe. Blue Beetle is the closest thing the DCU currently has to Spider-Man: a young hero with an amazing costume, great morals, and a visually spectacular power set. These two heroes are welcome additions to the cast, and hopefully they get their time to shine in Man of Tomorrow.
The Unknown
Adria Arjona is confirmed to appear in Man of Tomorrow, but her role has yet to be disclosed. Theorists and leakers have seemingly narrowed her role down to two characters: Maxima and Wonder Woman. Maxima would make perfect sense because her character has some ties to Brainiac in the comics, and James Gunn likes to use relatively unknown characters. However, we went through this exact same predicament with Sadie Sink in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Sometimes, the easiest explanation is the correct one, and the beloved actor who seems perfectly fit for an iconic role might just be playing that role. Arjona has the screen presence to embody Wonder Woman, she clearly has an affinity for physical roles, and she isn’t even denying the rumors. If Arjona were playing Maxima, there would be no inherent need to keep that casting secret, because the character isn’t historically important to the DC universe. However, if she were Wonder Woman, it would make perfect sense to save that reveal for the film’s release. Suffice it to say, if Adria Arjona is not playing Wonder Woman, it would be a horribly missed opportunity, and some fans might be extremely upset. Nonetheless, it is always nice to know that an extremely talented actress will be joining the cast.
As of now, that is all we know about the cast of Man of Tomorrow. The film has officially wrapped and is on pace to hit its release date of July 9, 2027. There is a lot of pressure riding on this film to solidify the new DCU as an amazing cinematic universe. This expansive cast gives us a lot of hope that the film will, at the very least, be a lot of fun to watch. Who knows? By the end of the film, we might have our new Justice League!
