James Gunn’s Superman franchise is now proven to beat Matt Reeves’ The Batman movies in an important way, no matter what anyone thinks of the films’ respective qualities. Both 2025’s Superman and 2022’s The Batman stand among the best DC movies in recent years. The films helped revitalize DC’s two biggest heroes after the DCEU movie franchise faltered following years of divisiveness.
They are extremely different, with Superman being a vibrant movie set within a living and breathing DC universe — it is the first movie in Gunn’s DC Universe. As for The Batman, Reeves’ film was also the first project in a shared universe, but one only focused on the Dark Knight, The Batman Epic Crime Saga, which is part of DC’s Elseworlds movies.
The Batman was darker than Superman and way more grounded, which suits Bruce Wayne. The DC movies ended up becoming box office hits — Superman finished at $618.7 million and The Batman at $772.7 million — and were universally beloved. At the time of writing, Gunn’s Superman boasts a high 83% critics’ score and a near-perfect 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
Reeves’ The Batman follows suit, with a strong 85% critics’ score and an even better 87% audience score. Given the success of the Batman and Superman movies, DC Studios quickly put sequels for both of them in motion. However, they have had very different journeys, and Man of Tomorrow shows The Batman – Part II how it is done.
Man Of Tomorrow’s Schedule Is What We Wished For The Batman – Part II
Superman was released in theaters on July 11, 2025. After the DC movie became a global hit, it only took a couple of months for Gunn to announce that a sequel, Man of Tomorrow, was happening. The DCU movie was given a July 9, 2027, release date, and it is on track to meet that deadline, with filming currently underway and several DC heroes and villains either confirmed or rumored to appear in the highly-anticipated release. Being met with similar success, Reeves’ The Batman – Part II was revealed to be happening in April 2022, shortly after The Batman‘s release on March 4.
The Batman – Part II originally received a release date of October 3, 2025. However, due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes, it was delayed to October 2, 2026. Sadly, that chain reaction continued to disappoint DC fans for multiple years. The film was later pushed back to October 1, 2027, before The Batman – Part II was recently sent to February 18, 2028, with no reason given for the delay. As such, it is clear that Gunn’s Superman franchise beats Reeves’ The Batman release schedule. We will have a two-year wait between Superman movies and a 6-year wait for The Batman – Part II to arrive.
The Batman – Part II’s Delays Are Hurting James Gunn’s DCU
Robert Pattinson in the Batman suit for The Batman Part 2
Of course, everyone wants The Batman – Part II to be the best movie it could be, so Reeves was never to be rushed. That said, a 6-year wait is far too much for a franchise that hinged its story on a younger Batman. Robert Pattinson was 35 years old when The Batman was released, and the actor will be 41 when the sequel comes out. That is hardly a young Bruce Wayne. Additionally, The Batman – Part II‘s many delays have now started to hurt another franchise. After all, DC can’t simply release two live-action Batman movies in the same year and expect casual viewers not to be confused.
Having two live-action versions of Batman running concurrently in different cinematic universes is already a hard ask for many, so releasing their solo movies in separate years is a must. As such, The Brave and the Bold, the announced first movie of the DCU’s Batman, will likely have to be released in 2029, at the earliest. If Batman does not appear in someone else’s project, the Dark Knight will only debut four years after Corenswet’s Superman, which is far from ideal. That is why Man of Tomorrow‘s release schedule beats The Batman – Part II‘s, as it creates no problems for DC.
