To be clear, James Gunn himself hasn't confirmed exactly what Man of Tomorrow will be about, but the title is a dead giveaway to longtime DC comic book readers. In the comics, there are more than a few instances where Lex Luthor asserts that he is the true man of tomorrow, not Superman. And just like in the first DCU movie, Superman usually gets the blame for Lex's inability to live up to this moniker, as the Kryptonian always foils his schemes.
But wait, why does Man of Tomorrow seem so familiar? Superman was first called the Man of Tomorrow back in 1939 on the pages of the comic book New York World's Fair number one. Apart from including Superman in the exhibit titled The World of Tomorrow, this is a reference to an early draft of Soup's origin story that he came from the future instead of Krypton. When this was scrapped, the nickname eventually took on a whole new meaning. While monikers like Man of Steel and Son of Krypton are about Kell's superior powers, Man of Tomorrow focuses on the man who leads by example. Not what Clark can do, but how he uses his abilities for a better future. And fittingly, this was also the underlying theme of the very first DCU movie.
Likewise, Lex claiming this moniker from Clark sets the stage for a proper follow-up to Superman. And based on the artwork that James Gunn posted in his movie announcement, Superman and Lex may have no choice but to work together in the next chapter.
So why did Gunn say that Man of Tomorrow isn't a sequel to the first movie? Yes and no. According to Gunn, Man of Tomorrow is a sequel to Peacemaker season 2, which in turn is the real sequel to Superman. So, yes, Man of Tomorrow continues Superman's story, but it's also not Superman 2, which is why it isn't called Superman: Man of Tomorrow.
And all this points to the very real possibility that Man of Tomorrow is going to be centered around Lex Luthor. While Lex is typically known as a Superman villain, there are realities in the comics where he's more of an anti-hero. After all, underneath Lex's greed and jealousy, he does have the power and the drive to become something even better than a superhero. Maybe this is the movie where Lex finally pulls it off, something that hasn't been done in live action film.
That said, there's one other possibility. We last saw Ultraman getting swallowed by a black hole, but we all know that even a black hole can't kill the Superman clone. Taking a cue from its prequel, Peacemaker season 2, Man of Tomorrow could be about the return of Ultraman, who already sports the same hairdo Kal did in Superman: The Man of Tomorrow from the late '90s. Ultraman coming back to seek vengeance would be a great way to force Lex and Superman to work together.
So, what do you think Man of Tomorrow will really be about? Tell us in the comments. And thanks for watching Screen Rants.