James Gunn gives cryptic answer when asked about a Superman sequel, and I'm pretty sure I know what he's hinting at

Superman has barely flown into cinemas and, inevitably, the focus has already turned towards talk of a sequel.

When asked about the possibility of a Superman 2 release date on Threads, director James Gunn replied, "Define Superman 2."

Of course, the DC Studios boss was never going to confirm a Superman sequel in a random reply chain on social media, but there's plenty of reading between the lines to be done here, especially if it's not a straightforward answer.

If a direct Superman sequel (at least to begin with) is off the table, there are several other possibilities that Gunn could be hinting at.

The first is something that was teased during the Superman ending. A team-up movie with David Corenswet's Superman and Milly Alcock's Supergirl feels like the logical next step. After all, we have a standalone Supergirl movie next year, and there already seems like a dynamic between the two on Earth that's worth exploring further, including who is looking after Krypto when Kara goes drinking on planets with red suns.

Then, there's the one pretty much everybody wants: Superman and Batman: World's Finest.

The wide-eyed dreams of comic book movie fans everywhere might be scuppered, however, by the small fact that Batman: The Brave and the Bold is not in production yet. In fact, we've not even got a Bruce Wayne cast in the DCU. That is, unless Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight from The Batman gets folded into James Gunn's universe. That's a simple, smart solution to DC Studios' bat-related headaches – but it remains to be seen whether that will happen.

Other follow-ups are also possible. Outside of a basic Superman sequel, there could be a Justice League movie, another team-up with Aaron Pierre's Green Lantern, or Superman turning up in future projects, but not as the main focus. The Justice Gang featuring Superman, anyone?

Gunn himself has already confirmed that Superman will return within a couple of years in an interview with Phase Zero. But good luck predicting exactly where and when the Man of Steel will appear next.

For more, head on over to our guides on upcoming DC movies and DCU Chapter One for a larger look at the DCU's future. Then dive into our breakdowns of Superman Easter eggs and the Superman post-credits scenes.