Man of Tomorrow is the eventual sequel to James Gunn’s 2025 Superman film that served as both the introduction and the foundation to his DC cinematic universe, and bearing that fact in mind we think it is in a pivotal spot to begin introducing characters from the larger DC universe into the fold. We already know that the sequel will give the long awaited Superman villain Brainiac his first theatrical debut in any form, but aside from that we think that it’s also a prefect way to introduce both new villains and eventual members of the Justice League to audiences.
Just as Superman introduced us to characters such as Guy Gardner, Lex Luthor, and Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl, Man of Tomorrow will almost certainly act as a spring board for new characters in much the same way. I’ve put together a list of the top five characters I’d like to see the Superman sequel introduce, and I’ve chosen to stick to larger characters because I personally believe this sequel will be sitting in a perfect spot timing-wise to comfortably do so. Introducing some of these characters too early may have been too quick for fans still getting over the destruction of the Snyderverse and the end of the CW/DCTV lineup, but by the time Man of Tomorrow comes out it will be pretty much the perfect time to put them back in the spotlight. So, here are our top 5 major characters we’d like to see introduced in Man of Tomorrow:
5) Green Arrow / Oliver Queen
Without even so much as a nod to the emerald archer during the entire run of Zack Snyder’s DC extended universe, it left many DC fans who weren’t in tune with the CW show Arrow out in the cold when it came to the Green Arrow. Oliver Queen is basically “Batman light” and led his own successful show from 2012-2020 played by Stephen Amell, initially giving fans a super-powerless billionaire in a grounded world of street level stories and villains, which somehow ultimately led to (at least) five different spin offs and an entire established universe culminating in a massive Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event that the movies weren’t even able to deliver properly. I now think it’s time for Oliver Queen to get his glory on the big screen. I personally think Man of Tomorrow is still too early to introduce Batman into the fold, but if DC wanted to introduce a human-billionaire confidant to Clark Kent that isn’t Bruce Wayne quite yet, Oliver Queen would be the perfect way to do it.
Both Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen are humans, and so far we have not met a single Earth-based human hero that I can recall in the theatrical DCU (maybe Mr. Terrific fits that specification already? That’s all I can recall). Introducing Batman right out the gate might be overkill, and not to mention almost impossible with Robert Pattinson still running around in his own theatrical Gotham. That’s where Oliver Queen comes in. Introducing Queen as a fellow billionaire superhero that doubles as a masked vigilante both 1) introduces the idea of human based vigilantism into Gunn’s DCU and 2) indirectly teases the idea of Bruce Wayne without actually using Batman yet. In a perfect world, I’d have Queen be a major recurring character in Man of Tomorrow. As it would turn out, he was actually doing some scouting work for his billionaire buddy Bruce Wayne, whom he then introduces Clark Kent to in a post credit scene. He could act as the link between earth based vigilantism and the more fantastical super-humans. Now to mention after Arrow single-handedly acted as the foundation for almost the entirety of the DCEU in the 2010s, it’s about time the character gets his theatrical debut.
4) Wonder Woman / Diana Prince
We already know that the new DCU isn’t afraid of introducing strong female leads with Supergirl up to bat next in theaters. This fact paired with the idea that the last few appearances of Wonder Woman in both Wonder Woman 2 and Shazam 2 were almost insults to the foundation of the character set up in the excellent original 2017 Wonder Woman film, we now think it’s the perfect time to bring a new Diana Prince back into the mix. We’re not saying that Man of Tomorrow needs to go full blown Amazonian Wonder Woman yet, but introducing the alter-ego of Diana Prince and giving her some sort of foundation would be hugely beneficial to the new DCU as a whole. It both broadens the female superhero presence and teases a huge Justice League character that will leave fans wanting more.
Not only would introducing Wonder Woman give us a broader foundation for a Justice League, it would also serve as a bridge to the Gods and Monsters mythical side of DC. In just one movie, James Gunn has done a ton with establishing the galactic side of the universe (to be even further expanded upon with Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Lanterns), but the other part of DC that it seemed like even Snyder tried hard to explore in the DCEU in the mythical side of things, or Earth based metahumans who derive their powers from “gods”. Drip feeding fans elements like Wonder Woman and the Amazonians without hitting us over the head with it would be a smart move, as I don’t want to see a full blown Wonder Woman in a Superman movie (at least for now), but introducing the elements that could transition into a new Wonder Woman movie and then an eventual Justice League would be chef’s kiss.
3) The Monitor/Anti-Monitor
Fans of the CW/DCTV Universe know all too well the trouble the Anti-Monitor can bring to a universe, or to all of them, and would be a perfect Thanos/Darkseid level threat for the first major ten year phase of the new DCU. We got these characters in Arrow/The Flash/Supergirl etc and while it was exceptionally well executed for a television crossover it’s something that could really use a theatrical budget to knock out of the park. By the time DC gets around to the climax of the story, it will be probably a good fifteen years out from the TV Crisis on Infinite Earths and would make for a huge Justice League crossover on the scale of Infinity War and Endgame, if not larger. This would all start with the introduction of the Monitor, the Anti-Monitor, or even potentially both.
The Monitor and Anti-Monitor are galactic level beings that essentially oversee and can control reality, and are able to rewrite existence to their liking. While I’m not saying Man of Tomorrow needs to go full Anti-Monitor right away, the introduction of the Monitor in the film or in a post credit scene would serve as a long term setup for a DC style Infinity Saga and give DC fans something to anticipate over the long term. I also believe it is too early to try using DC’s Thanos counterpart Darkseid again, and would give DC another huge villain to give a second ten year film block around, for the sake of longevity. The first ten years could serve a a foundational setup culminating in a Crisis level crossover, and then the following ten years can serve as the Darkseid era. The CW has already proven this story-line is a winner on a smaller scale, and now I think it’s time we see what the Monitor and Anti-Monitor can do with a large budget. I don’t think the film version needs a bajillion cameos from the last 50 years of DC, and since the shows already did that it gives the films more room for original storytelling and characters that can propel us into the future instead of continually looking into the past. Just a quick over-the shoulder shot of the Monitor at the end of the film or in a post credit scene (Thanos style) would be all it takes to get DC fans invested for at least a decade. Plus, if Brainiac is as powerful as he is in the comics, who says the Monitor wouldn’t need to intervene to lend Superman a helping hand at the end of the film? Make it happen, James Gunn.
2) Martian Manhunter / J’onn J’onzz
This one is simple and straight forward, if DC wants to be explicit about forming a Justice League in the same way the Avengers assembled during Phase 1, this in my opinion is the best character to use as the Nick Fury unifying force in this universe. In the comics, Martian Manhunter is typically seen as the constant character of the Justice League that could be used as the reason the heroes of Earth all eventually come together. He could be seen as the “man in the shadows” that brings in Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, etc and tells them about a new “watchtower initiative (or something like that)” that will become the Justice League. Not only does the character deliver in the assembly sense, but the character also has gravitas of his own as he is one of the oldest and most recognized characters by non-main stream DC fans. For example, I didn’t have much interest in the Supergirl series that first aired on CBS before going to the CW until they introduced a comic accurate Martian Manhunter. Then the show became instantly interesting to me. While J’onn J’onzz went criminally underused in that series and on the CW as a whole, it should be his time to shine in some way, shape, or form in theaters.
In the last section about the Monitor, I mentioned that Superman may need some galactic help taking down Brainiac. And while the Monitor is one choice, it might not be big enough of a job for the galactic overseer quite yet, and Martian Manhunter might be an even more logical character for a last minute hero swoop-in during the climax when it looks like Brainiac might just have the upper hand. Martian Manhunter could serve as either a recurring character in Man of Tomorrow or a teaser during a post credit scene, as I could see him working as a strong supporting character during the movie much to the same level I could see Oliver Queen acting as a a supporting character throughout, culminating in a post credit tease of some sort. The character could then reveal he’s assembling a team in the post credit scene, but the beauty of using Martian Manhunter is that they don’t even have to be that explicit with it to imply an eventual Justice League just based on the character introduction alone. Using J’onn J’onzz in a Superman sequel gives the story flexible options on how they want to use the character just based on how much sense his inclusion make.
1) The Flash / Barry Allen
If there was one show that carried DC through the 2010s more than Arrow, it was The Flash. If there was also one movie that perfectly encapsulated the mess that the DCEU eventually became, it was also The Flash. The character holds so much potential fan weight with him that he can serve as an extreme in both directions, the good and the bad. The character represents both the best of what DC can do, and also the worst. If James Gunn wants his theatrical universe to thrive, this is one property that has already proven must be done correctly. Rushing too quickly into speedsters and The Flash lore isn’t necessary as the television show is still fresh in people’s minds, but at least beginning to plant the seeds would a smart move, and a Superman sequel would be a great place to do so. Both Superman and The Flash have similar tones, and while the powers and backstories of the characters are much different (except the superspeed of course), the overall feel of the characters, specifically the new David Corenswet version, are very similar. The universe set up in 2025’s Superman is a perfect backdrop for metahumans and an eventual Barry Allen, and while I don’t think we need The Flash quite yet a tease of Barry Allen or even just speedsters in general would be hugely welcomed and I think very positively received.
While I also think the upcoming HBO Max show Lanterns would also serve as an excellent introductory point for the idea of speedsters, Man of Tomorrow would be my first pick for budgetary reasons as they should be able to afford doing it right. Most of The Flash movie spent its budget on arbitrary additions to the film such as Michael Keaton, Michael Shannon, and Nicolas Cage, but that same budget could be used to knock a focused, Flash-centric film akin to season one of the show out of the park. We don’t need two Ezra Millers, a fake Reverse Flash knock off (wtf even was that villain from the movie anyway?), and the 1990’s Batman to make a Flash movie. Season one of the television show proved all we need is a good idea and solid writing. The television show has shown that the character has a large enough fan base and lore to carry a movie franchise for potentially decades, and with the entire Flash family (more Jay Garrick and Wally West too please) could serve as a franchise as pivotal as Batman for the future of DC. I think it’s time we once again start thinking about the theatrical future of Barry Allen, just please don’t introduce him the way they did it in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. Please don’t. Do it better, for the love of God. That is all.
