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
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
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.
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.
- Release Date
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July 11, 2025
- Runtime
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130 minutes
