Lex Luthor's Story Details Unveiled For James Gunn's New Superman Sequel Man Of Tomorrow

New light has been shed on what to expect from Lex Luthor in Man of Tomorrow.

Nicholas Hoult became the latest actor to portray Lex Luthor in live action when Superman, the first movie in the DC Universe continuity, was released in summer 2025. In keeping with his status as the titular protagonist’s arch-nemesis, Hoult’s Luthor was the chief architect of the Man of Steel’s woes in the movie. However, Man of Tomorrow will see him, now donned in his trademark green and purple warsuit, and David Corenswet’s Superman needing to work together against a greater threat.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Nathan Fillion, who will reprise Green Lantern Guy Gardner in Man of Tomorrow, said that along with Luthor being presented in a more protagonistic light, the upcoming DC movie will provide a better understanding of his backstory and what makes him tick beyond merely hating Superman and metahumans. As the actor put it:

In the first movie, and rightly so, we learn a lot about who Superman is. In [Man of Tomorrow], I think we’ll learn more about who Lex Luthor is, and I think it’s equally important.

Though no details about Luthor’s past were revealed in Superman, writer/director James Gunn, who also co-runs DC Studios, has shared more information about Hoult’s character in real life. For example, in the Superman audio commentary, it’s mentioned that Luthor attended MIT at the age of eight and was mentored by Sydney Happersen, who later joined his team at LuthorCorp. Gunn also said on social media that Luthor accidentally created Mister Handsome, who resides in Luthor’s pocket dimension, when he was 12 in a petri dish in his attempt to recreate a human.

At the end of Superman, Luthor was taken into custody by A.R.G.U.S. and subsequently imprisoned at the VanKull Department of Corrections. However, given Luthor’s assistance in helping Rick Flag Sr. crack the Quantum Unfolding Chamber in Peacemaker season 2, which subsequently led to the discovery of the Salvation prison dimension, it’s unclear if this cooperation will factor into how he’ll be present for Man of Tomorrow. Regardless, once he is freed, he’ll join forces with Superman to fight Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger.

Man of Tomorrow’s other returning cast members from Superman include Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Frank Grillo as Flag Sr., Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, and Milly Alcock as Supergirl, among others. Man of Tomorrow’s cast additionally includes Aaron Pierre and Xolo Maridueña reprising Green Lantern John Stewart and Blue Beetle, respectively, while Adria Arjona, Andre Royo, Matthew Lillard, and Sinqua Walls have all been cast in undisclosed roles.

Man of Tomorrow arrives in theaters on July 9, 2027. The latest DCU project, Lanterns, is currently airing on HBO, and Clayface, the franchise’s third movie, will be released on October 23.