Next year sees James Gunn’s “Superman” get a follow-up with “Man of Tomorrow,” a kind of sequel that expands the scope of the first film and sees David Corenswet’s Superman teaming with Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor.
In the film, the pair unite to stop a greater threat, that of Brainiac (Lars Eidinger), with reports suggesting the film boasts a larger canvas allowing some serious exploration of characters beyond Clark Kent/Superman – especially Hoult’s Lex.
Corenswet has drawn parallels between the film and the movie that’s still considered the gold standard of the “Star Wars” franchise – “The Empire Strikes Back” – namely for how it sets up the story.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, the actor let his “Star Wars” fandom fly in his explanation:
“[The] opening of The Empire Strikes Back is really interesting because we’re reunited with Luke and Han and Leia. And we know that a lot of time has passed and there’s been a lot that’s happened in that time, but we feel like we’re still sort of in the midst of it.
And it feels like this is the opening of the second phase of our story. So it is a chance for us to be in more solid, established relationships as Superman and Lex and Superman and Clark and Lois. And then James is going to put that at risk in this second phase.”
Corenswet also spoke with People about returning to the Superman role and says:
“It’s a lot of fun coming back for the second one. It’s sort of like coming back to summer camp where you know where everything is, you know where the bathrooms are… you recognize a lot of familiar faces. So it’s a little more relaxed and a little more excited about the new stuff we’re gonna do.”
He adds that the suit has been “re-engineered it to be slightly more functional and ready for a fight.”
Several other familiar hero figures from “Superman” will also return, including Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific. “Lanterns” star Aaron Pierre joins as John Stewart.
Adria Arjona is making her DCU debut in the movie in a still undisclosed role, while Xolo Maridueña will also return as Blue Beetle. “Man of Tomorrow” arrives on July 9th 2027.
