Published Jul 28, 2026, 7:40 PM EDT
Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant’s Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he’s Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC’s greatest hero.
With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney’s D23 convention.
Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.
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As the first major movie in the DCU, James Gunn’s Superman established an entirely new cinematic universe already filled with existing heroes. Now, 2027’s Man of Tomorrow is set to include several new and returning DC characters in the upcoming Superman sequel.
Between official casting announcements and posts on social media from James Gunn himself, the confirmed cast for Man of Tomorrow is already quite big. Several familiar faces from the first movie are confirmed to be returning right alongside some brand-new actors whose roles have yet to be fully revealed.
Keeping that in mind, let’s look at the full known roster of DC characters in Man of Tomorrow so far, and what each of them will most likely bring to the table in the upcoming DCU sequel.
Naturally, David Corenswet is set to return as Clark Kent following his impressive debut in 2025’s Superman, having already established himself as a key emotional center of James Gunn’s new universe. As has been confirmed by Gunn himself, Superman will surprisingly be joining forces with none other than Lex Luthor to take on a major threat neither of them could presumably take on alone (who is most likely Brainiac).
Nicholas Hoult is set to return as Lex Luthor after delivering one of the best and most comic-accurate interpretations of Superman’s greatest rival. Brilliant, manipulative, and full of major ego, Hoult’s Lex is basically Luthor ripped right off the page.
Whether he reluctantly allies with Superman and/or secretly manipulates events for his own benefit, Lex’s rivalry with the Man of Steel will no doubt be front and center in the upcoming sequel. Seeing as how set photos have confirmed Lex’s classic warsuit from the comics, fans should definiteily expected Luthor to get his hands a lot dirtier this time around.
Originally meant to serve as the villain in the DCEU’s planned Man of Steel 2 (which never came to be), Brainiac is finally making his big-screen live-action debut in the DCU with Man of Tomorrow. While several details surrounding the character remain unknown, the classic Superman villain will be played by Lars Eidinger as one of the movie’s biggest (and likely most dangerous) additions.
Hailing from the planet Colu, the darkly intelligent Brainiac in the comics travels the cosmos shrinking and bottling entire civilizations before destroying their planets. Given his connections to Krypton’s demise, Brainiac will be a perfect villain in Man of Tomorrow, as the clash with Superman can easily become quite personal.
Rachel Brosnahan is set to return as Lois Lane, having proven herself in 2025’s Superman to be one of the strongest live-action versions of the iconic Daily Planet reporter. Not only did she prove herself quite capable during the clash with Lex Luthor and his plans to kill Superman and support Borovia’s invasion of Jarhanpur, but her fairly new relationship with Clark Kent himself also seemed to evolve with greater commitment, something that should be interesting to see in the upcoming DCU sequel.
Skyler Gisondo will reprise his role as Jimmy Olsen in Man of Tomorrow, having provided plenty of humor in Superman while also playing a crucial role in the plot, helping expose Lex Luthor’s collusion with the nation of Boravia. Not only does Jimmy have a Daily Planet series in active development, but Man of Tomorrow could also see him take a more prominent role at the newspaper. Likewise, it will be hilarious to see if he and Eve are still together.
Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific was easily one of Superman’s biggest breakout stars, making the Justice Gang hero feel like one of the DCU’s smartest and most capable heroes from his very first appearance in the 2025 movie. When looking ahead to Man of Tomorrow, fans should probably expect Terrific’s role to expand alongside his fellow Justice Gang heroes. Perhaps the time will come for the team to rename themselves as the Justice League?
Isabela Merced will return as Hawkgirl, one of the Justice Gang’s strongest and most intimidating members. Seeing as how the first Superman movie only scratched the surface of Kendra Saunders’ fascinating lore and mythology from the comics, it’d be very exciting to see her role expand in Man of Tomorrow.
Nathan Fillion is expected to reprise his role as Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern after appearing later this year in 2026’s Lanterns alongside Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. The third member of the Justice Gang, Guy’s abrasive personality and horrible haircut instantly made him one of Superman’s most memorable characters. With any luck, perhaps the events of Lanterns will lead directly into Man of Tomorrow.
Although Aaron Pierre will officially join DCU as John Stewart in Lanterns, he’s also been confirmed to appear in Man of Tomorrow alongside Guy Gardner. By the time he appears in the upcoming Superman sequel, Stewart will likely be a full-fledged Green Lantern rather than just a rookie being trained by Hal Jordan. Additionally, it should be interesting to see if the DCU develops a relationship between John and Hawkgirl as has been seen in other continuities like in the animated Justice League series.