It’s no secret that James Gunn’s follow up to 2025’s Superman is going to feature Clark Kent and Lex Luthor coming together in some way, shape, or form to take down the intergalactic threat of Brainaic. While the extent to which these two characters work together, whether enthusiastically or reluctantly, has yet to be seen, Gunn has made it known that managing the rivalry of the characters is going to be one of the core themes of the upcoming sequel, Man of Tomorrow. One of the first teases the director ever put out onto social media about the film was an image of Superman and Lex on seemingly good terms, so we’ve known for some time now that this was in fact going to be one of the major plot points of the film.
The first Superman film gave us a Lex Luthor that was so full of his own power and prestige that he thought he could single-handedly take down the world’s most powerful being, and while that didn’t exactly pan out for him it did open a dialogue between the characters that by the end of the movie felt more like an older and younger brotherly rivalry than a superhero/super villain rivalry. This, as it turns out, was done on purpose to carry the characters into the sequel that will introduce Brainaic and force them to work together to fight off a threat larger than each of them on their own. Even if Lex did steal Clark’s dog, it seems like both characters will be aware that they must put their differences aside if they want to save the planet – at least to some extent.
On a recent episode of the Variety Awards Circuit podcast, Gunn spoke about the dichotomy of the two characters and while he didn’t give away any details about the extent to which they will be working together, he described that it will be one of the core themes of the film. The director mentions that he sees himself in both of the characters and that they represent two sides of the same coin. According to the director:
“At its core, it’s about Clark and Lex. I relate to both of them. I relate to Lex’s ambition and obsession — minus the murder. And I relate to Superman’s belief in people, his Midwestern values. They’re two sides of me.”
Brainaic is a massive threat that is going to take the characters coming together to defeat, and both characters possess traits that when paired with the other will make it possible. This isn’t to say Lex won’t turn on Superman by the end of the film, because he is Lex Luthor after all, but as long as he helps Clark save the planet before that occurs he still won’t be seen as completely irredeemable. Lex’s ambition and obsession might actually be one of the catalysts for Brainaic to attack Earth in the first place, as in the comics Lex has been used as a vessel for Brainaic multiple times, but because of this self obsession will most likely be aware that all his work would have been for nothing if there isn’t a planet left to idolize him. While on the surface the ambition might be seen as a bad thing, it might also be used as one of the driving factors for the character to want to (most likely reluctantly) help Clark save the Earth at the same time.
On the other hand, Superman has always been a character known for his values. The big blue boy scout is almost uncorruptible, and his pure Midwestern values-goodness paired with Lex’s obsessive ambition will most likely be enough to offset the negative traits of one another. I personally think that Lex will be used to push Superman further, while Superman will be used to humanize Lex. The characters will almost be a yin and a yang to one another that will need to fit together to save the planet.
For now, we still do not know the extent to which these characters will be working with one another, or how long the cease fire will last, but we can at least expect the differences to be put aside to help the greater good. Gunn sees himself in both of these characters (minus the murdering, of course), and this will help to characterize both Clark and Lex in the film as I would imagine it’s easier to portray a character well if you can see yourself in their shoes to some extent.
Make sure to check out the entire podcast transcript over at Variety as the director also talks about his relationship with DC Studios Co-CEO Peter Safran, his time working with Marvel and the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, and of course, Krypto the Superdog. It’s still too early for the studio to be giving away any specific plot points for Man of Tomorrow, but to at least know what the core of film will be about is enough to have us hypt for the eventual release in 2027. Are you excited to see Lex and Clark come together to take down Brainaic in Man of Tomorrow? Make sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments!
Source: Variety
