James Gunn has an exit date from DC Studios leadership and a Superman sequel to finish, “Man of Tomorrow.”
On Nov. 13, the filmmaker behind “Superman” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” went on Threads to dispute reports that Skydance had screened “Man of Tomorrow” and was making sweeping changes. And why not? It’s his exit impression, which could end up being a vengeful film for the guy personally.
“No one from Skydance has even seen the movie,” he wrote. That’s a fairly elementary obstacle to giving somebody notes on the cut.
What Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow post actually settles
In the post TheWrap reproduced, Gunn said Peter Safran and “a small circle of friends and family” had seen the film. His denial addresses a particular story: that Skydance watched the sequel and ordered an overhaul. It tells us who had seen it as of Friday, according to the guy making it. Who gets to shape DC’s next slate is a question for a different office (shout-out to Jeremy Latcham).
“Man of Tomorrow” is in post-production and remains scheduled for July 9, 2027, in Skydance’s Nov. 9 announcement. David Corenswet (“Superman,” “Twisters”) and Nicholas Hoult (“Superman,” “The Menu”), as Superman and Lex Luthor, are headed for a team-up against Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger (“Dying,” “High Life”). Lex having to work with the one man he can’t stand sounds like a movie I’d pay to see. The prospect of watching it while trying to spot which scenes supposedly survived an executive review sounds like homework.
Why Gunn is still answering for DC
Skydance announced Nov. 9 that Gunn and Safran would leave their DC Studios leadership roles and that Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham would become president and chief creative officer on Dec. 1. The company billed the handover as a return to creative work for both men.
And, of this post, it’s not December 1. Enter into the fray, James Gunn on Threads. He’s been called many things. “Introvert” is not one of them. He has no qualms about squashing rumors on social media, and the guy should be applauded for that. It’s that pride that probably sparked him to respond about “Man of Tomorrow.”
As we covered earlier this week, Gunn remains the writer and director of “Man of Tomorrow,” and he and Safran are still its producers. Those jobs explain why Gunn is answering questions about the movie while a successor prepares to take over the studio job.
Latcham helped build Marvel’s first run of interconnected films, with Marvel executive producer credits on “The Avengers” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.” He and Gunn have already worked together on a movie about a team nobody in the general audience knew well enough to argue about. At DC, everybody knows the big names, and everybody has an opinion about who gets to wear the cape.
How fast can Skydance get to the Justice League?
TheWrap’s insider reporting, discussed in Mark Hughes’ Forbes analysis, says David Ellison wants the Justice League back on the big screen soon. The reported studio push includes getting films for Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and The Flash moving. That’s a reported priority. Skydance’s public announcement supplies no Justice League release date or roster.
The Direct has already sketched a possible roster, down to the case for Wally West. I’d happily watch that argument break out in a comic shop. At the studio, the harder choice is whether to let audiences get to know those heroes before asking them to care about a team. If the Flash has to introduce himself, explain which Flash he is and save the multiverse before the popcorn cools, somebody has once again mistaken speed for a plan.
What happened to DC’s 10-year plan?
In 2023, Gunn and Safran unveiled Gods and Monsters, the first chapter of a long-term story across film and television. The announcement covered 10 initial projects, including “Superman: Legacy,” which became “Superman,” and “The Brave and the Bold,” which was meant to introduce the shared universe’s Batman and his son Damian Wayne. That was the first batch of projects in development. Even at the launch, the studio left itself room to move them around.
“Creature Commandos” was okay for a limited audience. “Superman” and “Supergirl” changed. “Waller” and “Booster Gold” have been shunned. “Lanterns” did Hal Jordan so wrong. And where was “Clayface” again?!
The decade-long plan has lost the two people hired to carry it out. Individual projects can survive the change, as “Man of Tomorrow” already shows. The question is whether Latcham will use those projects to build on the world audiences have started getting to know.
A first chapter can take its time when readers trust that somebody knows how the book ends. DC has given them plenty of reasons to check the spine before buying the next issue.
Are we getting another Superman and Batman?
Corenswet remains the Superman in “Man of Tomorrow,” and Robert Pattinson (“The Batman,” “Good Time”) returns in the separate Gotham continuity of Matt Reeves (“The Batman,” “Cloverfield”) for “The Batman Part II.” Both films appeared in the leadership announcement.
A Batman for the shared DC universe was already part of the 2023 slate, so the possibility of two active film Batmen predates Latcham. Skydance has announced neither a replacement for Corenswet nor a casting decision for that shared-universe Batman.
I can keep two Batmen straight. I’d just like the next one to show up because somebody has a story they can’t wait to tell about Bruce Wayne. For now, Gunn has a Superman movie to finish. Skydance can start by watching it.
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