Superman made a big splash this summer amid the 2025 movie schedule, and fans of the film received some good news just weeks ago. Writer-director James Gunn confirmed a follow-up is already in the works, and it’s officially titled Man of Tomorrow. The rumor mill has been churning faster than a speeding bullet since the filmmaker broke that news, and he’s also been dropping small details. Gunn teased the film again by sharing a look at the script, and fans think it indicates who the villain of this installment in DCU Chapter 1 is.
Ever the busy bee on social media, James Gunn took to his Instagram account on Monday to share a cool (and somewhat odd) photo. The picture in question showed what appeared to be the cover of the official screenplay for Man of Tomorrow, which is set to soar into theaters in 2027. What seems to have fans most intrigued, though, is the image that Gunn chose for the cover. I could explain what it is, but it’s probably best that fans just see it for themselves:
I have to say, I wasn’t expecting to see a photo of the Superman sequel’s screenplay this soon let alone with a diagram of the human brain on it. On the surface, it may seem like an odd choice. However, someone could indeed argue that any die-hard comic book fan with a brain may be able to read between the lines and see what the writer-director is alluding to. Fans took to the comments, and many of them name-dropped one of the most iconic villains:
- BRAINIAC??? - dc.da.depressaoo
- I understood the reference Brain > Braniac 😉 - josecarlos.tavares.22
- BRAINIAC?!?!?!!! - spidermaxzero
- BRAINIAC BRAINIAC BRAINIAC BRAINIAC - greenvengeance73
- Brainiac confirmed?!❤️💛💙 - thegeekofsteel
- PLEASE MEAN BRAINAC. - juaneditzs
Well, I’d agree with the fans that it looks like Brainiac, the superintelligent extraterrestrial programming system, will be the main antagonist of Man of Tomorrow. That was something that many assumed was a possibility once the first plot details were revealed. James Gunn previously revealed that the film would see Superman and Lex Luthor working together for a common cause, and there’s comic book precedent for that. For instance, amid 1992’s The Lex Luthor Era II, a younger clone of Luthor came to blows with Brainiac amid the machine’s attack on Warworld.
Gunn has been quite judicious about what he’s shared in regard to his next Superman-related movie. He recently revealed that Man of Tomorrow would differ from its predecessor in that it would be less “comic-booky.” Additionally, Gunn emphasized his desire to crack open Lex Luthor as a character and really explore his complexity. It also seems likely that Luthor is going to suit up at some point, and cool MoT fan art provides an idea of what that could look like.
I’m so excited to see David Corenswet don those red trunks again to play the Man of Steel again, and for Nicholas Hoult to shave his head and embody Lex once more. The notion of Brainiac making his presence known in the DCU is even more exciting, though, and I can’t wait for more details on the film to be revealed. Well, at least, I’m just hoping this was indeed a Brainiac tease because, otherwise, I have no clue what that diagram could even mean for James Gunn’s upcoming DC movie.
Man of Tomorrow will open in theaters on July 9. 2027. In the meantime, stream Superman now using a HBO Max subscription.
