Even though Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn’s follow-up to this year’s Superman, won’t fly into theaters until summer 2027, the writer/director is already drawing comparisons between the two films. In his appearance on the Ringer-Verse podcast he said that Superman “is more comic booky in some ways,” than the Superman/Lex Luthor duality he wants to explore in the next movie.
James Gunn says ‘MAN OF TOMORROW’ will be “less comic booky” than ‘SUPERMAN.’
“[The film] has to do with the dual characters of Lex and Superman at the centre.”
(Via: https://t.co/NzYD7SXEIn) pic.twitter.com/ZeVLB5E0I1
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) September 21, 2025
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While many critics praised the overall tone of Superman, saying “It feels like a DC Silver Age comic come to life,” and others said, “Finally, we have a Superman movie that conveys to the viewer why these archetypes have endured for nearly a century,” Gunn seems ready to single-handedly take the DC Universe (DCU) in a different direction.
Take the Gunn, Leave the Comic Booky
The Silver Age of comics, to which Superman is frequently compared, refers to comic books (primarily put out by DC Comics) published for kids from the mid-50s to 1970. But the version of Peacemaker from which Gunn seems to have drawn the most inspiration isn’t the 60s version, as much as the darker, grittier late-’80s take. And Gunn insists that the Peacemaker TV series on HBO Max is an important part of his DCU.
He told Ringer-Verse, “Episode 8 [of Peacemaker season 2] is as important to Man of Tomorrow as anything.” On his own social media, Gunn called Peacemaker the Man of Tomorrow prequel.
A screenshot from the intro to Peacemaker Season 2 – YouTube, DC
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Peacemaker has been criticized for its “full-frontal nudity, graphic violence, and crude humor. In other words, it’s about as far as you can get from the traditional family-friendly Superman brand.”
If by less comic booky James Gunn means less Silver Age, are audiences to assume that Man of Tomorrow will be more like its “prequel” Peacemaker? Only time will tell, but along the way Gunn will inevitably tell us quite a bit.
Gunn Talks (and Talks, and Talks) Upcoming Projects — Not Just Man of Tomorrow
There’s much more going on in the DCU than Superman and Peacemaker.
Next year the eight-episode series Lanterns, starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, and directed by James Hawes, will arrive on HBO Max. James Gunn says, “It’s just such a different tone from what Superman is.”
Superman and Lex Luthor in a Jim Lee-Created teaser image for the Superman Sequel Man of Tomorrow – X, @JamesGunn
The next chapter of the Superman Saga, Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock and directed by Craig Gillespie, arrives in theaters June 26, 2026. James Gunn told Howard Stern, “Milly Alcock… might be the best bit of casting I’ve ever done in my entire life.”
Eventually, there will be a Batman in the DCU (separate from Matt Reeves Elseworlds The Batman), though the lead role for The Brave and the Bold has yet to be cast. James Gunn told The Hollywood Reporter that when watching 1923 he’s “definitely not doing scouting for the Caped Crusader.” 1923 features Brandon Sklenar, a popular pick for the Dark Knight, who has expressed a desire for the part.
Sklenar is apparently not the only actor who wants to be Bruce Wayne, and it seems in lobbying for the part, they’re going straight to James Gunn. “I can’t tell you the amount of big actors that have told me they want to be Batman,” he recently told IGN.
James Gunn Boasts That Many “Big Actors” Want To Play BATMAN; Reveals Whether THE SUICIDE SQUAD Is DCU Canon https://t.co/qnJYmW8kv6
— rhinexus (@rhinexus) September 30, 2025
As we’ve previously reported, Gunn does have a clear vision for Batman’s costume in The Brave and the Bold. And unlike Man of Tomorrow, the suit he has in mind isn’t less comic booky, but more. However, his comments bring into question just how involved, or overinvolved, he may be in his role as co-CEO of DC Studios. Casting and costume decisions are usually handled by the director. And is Andy Muschietti still directing? We don’t know.
Batman in Lego Batman: Legacy – YouTube, DC
While it seems like Man of Tomorrow would be Gunn’s primary focus, with running the massive DCU a close second, Gunn still finds time to comment on other DC related projects. In a promotional piece on YouTube for the upcoming video game, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Gunn promises that the game “manifests all these different elements of Batman that we’ve loved over the years.”
Just what his degree of involvement could be, given all his other responsibilities, will have to remain a matter of speculation.
James Gunn gives a monologue on the legacy of Batman:
“There’s something about Batman that makes him so beloved across the entire world. A tragic story that is being transformed into something good or is it that Batman has attracted some of the greatest artists in all mediums… pic.twitter.com/qPuzDG9OyB
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 20, 2025
Regardless of the creative direction for Man of Tomorrow, it doesn’t appear that anyone directly involved with Lego Batman wants it to be any less comic booky.
Final Thoughts
Superman was praised for its Silver Age comic book look and feel. But by declaring the graphic Peacemaker a prequel to a less comic booky Man of Tomorrow, those following the development of the DCU can’t have a clear idea of what to expect. Meanwhile, Gunn continues to place himself front and center of all other DCU projects, even those he isn’t writing or directing, in a way some feel crowds out the talent and calls into question if he’s overstepping his bounds or spreading himself too thin.
James Gunn and Sean Gunn answer questions about Guardians of the Galaxy – YouTube, WIRED
Promising a less comic booky Man of Tomorrow may be an attempt to stave off superhero fatigue, when the real problem may be James Gunn fatigue.
How do you feel about a less comic booky direction for the DCU? Let us know in the comments!
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It feels like he is getting into the Fiege trap of having so much stuff interconnected for *reasons* and not all of those pairings work. Like Supes in Peacemaker. Too different in tone.
I feel like Gunn’s Superman was a representation of everything that was wrong with the Silver Age.
“less comic booky”:
Further evidence that this unpleasant director’s view of comics is that of contempt.
Comic books are a medium, not a genre.
Saying something is less comic-booky is like saying something is less “movie-y”. What does that even mean?
I suspect the Director is insinuating that comic books are childish. But, that’s only true for those comics aimed at younglings. (As with any medium).
James gunn likes playing with boys. His favourite hobby is pizza and hotdogs parties.
James Gunn should direct a Transformers movie. Optimus Prime loves playing with 10 year old boys. So does james gunn.