One of James Gunn’s superhero movies has renewed interest on streaming, and it’s becoming a worldwide hit at the perfect time. The acclaimed director has been behind beloved superhero movies for both Marvel and DC. While he was best known for helming the wildly successful Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn is now the co-CEO of DC Studios and is shepherding the new era of the DC Universe.
He got into the DC family in 2021 by directing The Suicide Squad, leading to him also creating the spinoff/sequel series, Peacemaker. Once Gunn took over DC as a whole, he elected to put his fingerprints on the Man of Steel. He wrote and directed 2025’s Superman, which introduced audiences to David Corenswet’s version of Clark Kent/Kal-El and served as the true launching point for the DCU.
Superman was an instant success in theaters. It made $618 million at the worldwide box office, finishing 2025 as the year’s highest-grossing superhero movie. Critics loved Gunn’s earnest, hope-filled take, netting it an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes; audiences loved it even more, resulting in a 90% score on the Popcornmeter. It then became a major streaming success upon its debut, going down as HBO Max’s biggest launch since Barbie.
The movie has been available on HBO Max for over seven months now (it debuted on September 19), but it’s having a resurgence, reclaiming the #1 spot worldwide (via FlixPatrol). The renewed attention on Superman couldn’t come at a better time.
Superman’s Sequel Starts Filming This Week
David Corenswet as Superman in James Gunn’s Superman (2025)
Whether a direct result of the excitement for the next chapter in the DCU or a happy coincidence, Superman‘s ability to top streaming charts once again comes at the same time that Gunn and several stars start working on the sequel. The director was quick to start working on a follow-up project, with his Superman sequel officially announced last September.
Ever since the reveal that Gunn had developed Man of Tomorrow as the continuation of Superman and Lex Luthor’s story, he, DC, and Warner Bros. have been forging ahead with pre-production, planning to start filming this year. Gunn’s partner-in-crime at DC Studios, Peter Safran, confirmed at CinemaCon that Man of Tomorrow was slated to begin filming this week.
Gunn has yet to make an official social media announcement that cameras are rolling on his Superman sequel, but one could come at any time. Excitement for it is through the roof, and that may be a major reason why the original movie has found new life on streaming. Fans around the world appear to be checking out the film once more as a celebration of Man of Tomorrow taking major steps forward.
What We Know About Superman’s Sequel: Man Of Tomorrow
Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luther in Superman
Man of Tomorrow has long been described as a follow-up to Superman, rather than a true sequel, due to positioning Superman and Lex as co-leads. The movie will unite the arch-enemies against a common threat, Brainiac. The story will not only build on Superman‘s ending but also likely connect to Peacemaker season 2’s finale.
Gunn is back to write and direct the follow-up. Man of Tomorrow is slated to hit theaters on July 9, 2027. This will give Gunn, his crew, and the cast over a year to get the movie ready for release after it starts filming. DC fans will still get plenty of new releases until then, with Supergirl and Clayface arriving in theaters before then.
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?
There is a long list of actors confirmed to take part in the latest DC production. Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult return as Superman and Lex Luthor. They’ll face off with Lars Eidinger as Brainiac. Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane is back, too. Adria Arjona is also in the cast, with conflicting reports on her character’s identity as Maxima.
The Justice Gang team members of Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, and Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner are expected to return. Aaron Pierre is also slated to appear as John Stewart after his debut in Lanterns. Other returning Superman actors/characters in Man of Tomorrow include Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr., Skyler Gisondo’s Jimmy Olsen, María Gabriela de Faría’s The Engineer, and Sara Sampaio’s Eve Teschmacher.
