James Gunn has confirmed when the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow is set, giving us some much-needed clarity on the DCU timeline.
When a fan asked the DC Studio head, "How long after Superman (2025) will Man of Tomorrow take place?" Gunn replied on Instagram Threads, "Basically real time." He later clarified, "Real time like summer 2027," meaning the time between the two movies hitting the big screen in Summer 2025 and Summer 2027 is more or less the same amount of time that has passed in Metropolis.
This pretty much falls in line with how the DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters timeline has panned out so far. Each title released so far seems to take place after its predecessor. The live-action portion of the new DCU kicked off with the first Superman movie, followed by Peacemaker season 2, which we know is set about one month after. Next up is Supergirl, where it gets a little confusing as the Supergirl trailer includes shots of Krypto as a puppy, younger than he was in the 2025 movie Superman, as the film will feature flashbacks.
However, back in March, Gunn confirmed via Threads that Supergirl will take place "between Superman and Man of Tomorrow." Hopefully, Supergirl fills in some gaps between the first and second Superman movies, as we are wondering what the Man of Steel has been up to since we saw him last. Alas, the time jump does explain the change in the relationship between Superman and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor, as the sequel will see the pair join forces against a new enemy.
The last time we saw Luthor, he was being put into the back of a police car after Superman uncovered his evil plans. But in the sequel, it seems as though the Luthor Corp head will have a change of heart as a new villain, Braniac, comes on the scene. As filming continues on Man of Tomorrow, Gunn treated fans to the first look at Luthor in his Warsuit, which looks pretty comic-book accurate. Set pictures of David Corenswet's Superman have also been leaked, featuring a few tweaks to the hero's get-up.
Man of Tomorrow releases in theaters on July 9, 2027. For more on the DCU, check out our guide to the other upcoming DC movies and shows, or get up to speed with our rundown on how to watch the DC movies in order.
