Man of Tomorrow and Beyond

Could something be brewing in Man of Tomorrow? Once Clayface is out and makes its impact on the DCU, eyes are quickly going to swing to Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Superman. Surprisingly, much is known about it already. One of the main things that was revealed from the get-go was the team up of Superman and Lex Luthor in this one. Gunn announced they will have to be on the same side to some extent. And this is the film where Luthor will get his power suit. The next thing was the announcement of returning characters. The Justice Gang are set to come back as well as John Stewart from Lanterns, Supergirl, and the surprising return of Blue Beetle. Then Brainiac was announced to be the villain. For a follow-up to Superman, this movie looks to be stacked. And with rumors going around suggesting which characters certain actors might be playing, there could be something forming under the bright, large cast.

Brainiac is set to be the main villain of the film. There have been stories where Superman could take him on by himself. Other stories where Superman might need a little bit of help. And other other stories where a straight-out team up needs to come together to defeat Brainiac. It appears the story being set up in Man of Tomorrow will be the latter. And this team is a formidable one. Strong enough to fight Brainiac. Superman, Supergirl, two Green Lanterns, Mr. Terrific, Hawkgirl, and Blue Beetle will be in the same fight to defeat Brainiac. Again, that is an already a powerful team. And that’s not counting who MIGHT be in the movie as well.

Matthew Lillard and Adria Arjona are confirmed to be in the movie. But who they are playing is not yet confirmed. That allows fan speculation to join the chat. Right when Arjona was confirmed to be in the movie, fans immediately assumed she will be Wonder Woman. And that has not let up. Even when it was talked about her playing Maxima. And for her to play Maxima does have some backing. Maxima is an obscure character which plays perfectly into James Gunn’s interest in using those types of characters. But fans are committed to seeing her play Wonder Woman. In fact, fans may have started to fancast even before she landed a role in the movie. And since she is silent about who she might be playing, it adds to the fans’ speculation. And if another rumor is to be true – the one where the DCU is pushing a Wonder Woman film forward – Arjona playing Wonder Woman might be little closer to being real.

Matthew Lillard is also rumored to be playing another hugely popular hero across the entire genre; The Flash. Fans are starting to make that rumor a little bit louder. That’s the consensus, that Lillard is playing The Flash. Which Flash though is debated. He could be playing Jay Garrick or Barry Allen. No matter which speedster though, Lillard has more than enough talent to bring both of those Flashes alive. Since Lillard is a fan favorite actor and The Flash is a vastly popular and favorite character, it’s a perfect world if Lillard does in fact play The Flash.

If all that turns out to be true; Superman, Supergirl, two Green Lanterns (one being an independent Green Lantern), Mr. Terrific, Hawkgirl, Blue Beetle, and Wonder Woman and The Flash will be in Man of Tomorrow. Leaves a lot to imagine of what could be on the horizon.

And when the dust settles in Man of Tomorrow, there could be potential to expand the brand of justice. Superman may be the one leading the charge in wanting to do that. He is fully aware of the threats that are out there, starting with the events that occurred in Superman. If he did not have help there, the world could have ended. More blood would have been spilt. Superman is fully aware of how beneficial a team is. It would definitely be in his character to keep a team, around, or at least on standby, if an incident were to happen again. He could ask the characters who helped against Brainiac if they are willing to keep the alliance going.

Supergirl will be obliged but could say the stars need her help.

Blue Beetle might be super excited to be on a team, especially with Superman, but might say he needs to be closer to the ground and closer to his family.

The Justice Gang is loyal to their team and their own purpose and deny the merge. But might still say they are available to help.

That leaves John Stewart and potentially Wonder Woman and The Flash. Since John is fully aware of global to universal problems, he will help. Especially knowing that Noah, the last Manhunter on Earth, is a global threat. Wonder Woman has faith back in the world of man. Seeing them come together and defeat a threat has renewed her trust and she wants to ensure that it continues so she’ll stay for the team. And The Flash, whether it’s Garrick or Allen, is all for the team but might joke he’s lost a step or two over the years. But informs Superman he knows a kid that is willing to help. That opens the door for Barry Allen (if Lillard does end up portraying Jay Garrick) or Wally West. With them all agreeing, Superman is contempt about. But with a team of four, they might think they are a little short. A little undermanned. Superman agrees and starts to float away and someone could ask where he is going. And the film could cause tidal waves if Man of Tomorrow ends with Superman saying something on the lines of “I’m heading over to Gotham. I’m gonna see if Batman would help”.

James Gunn does want things to be self-contained. The stories are going to within a strict perimeter and not set anything up. A set up for a sequel isn’t even in the DCU’s DNA. But with everything going into Man of Tomorrow, it does open up the door for a set up. From day one, a Justice League movie was in front of a lot fan’s minds when the DCU was revealed. Nothing has been even whispered officially. It seems like it’s the bogeyman just lurking around. But Man of Tomorrow has the perfect foundation to tease the biggest project in the DCU’s first chapter. It’s a move that does go against James Gunn’s planning but fits so well in the structure of Man of Tomorrow.