James Gunn’s Superman Sequel Timeline Reveal Just Changed Another DCU Project’s Ending

Man of Tomorrow is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming movies in the DCU, and a major detail regarding the timeline of the sequel’s story was just dropped. Superman properly kicked off the DCU, introducing some exciting story elements that have been continued in subsequent projects before they return in Man of Tomorrow. With the exciting Superman sequel around the corner, some DCU fans are asking how the film will connect to other projects from the DCU’s past.

Few details have been revealed regarding Man of Tomorrow, although it has been heavily implied that it will see Superman and Lex Luthor team up. An official image of Lex’s Warsuit in Man of Tomorrow has already been revealed, indicating that he may have to face off against a powerful threat. This threat is probably Braniac, as it has been confirmed that the iconic villain will appear in the film, played by Lars Eidinger. While this is the majority of what has been known until now, another major detail has just been revealed.

Man of Tomorrow Is Set 2 Years After Superman, So What Does That Mean For Peacemaker?

According to James Gunn, the gap between Superman and Man of Tomorrow will be “basically real time.” Since Superman was released in 2025 and Man of Tomorrow has a release date set for 2027, this means that there will most likely be a two-year time gap between the DCU films. This has a lot of implications for Man of Tomorrow‘s story. Lex has probably been in prison for two years, the Justice Gang has had two more years to evolve, and Superman has gotten another two years of experience being a superhero. However, this time jump will also affect another major DCU project: Peacemaker.

Peacemaker season 2 had a cliffhanger ending that, by Gunn’s own word, is important to Man of Tomorrow. The season ended with Peacemaker getting arrested by A.R.G.U.S. and thrown into an inter-dimensional prison called Salvation. This was the first introduction of Salvation in the DCU, but it is ripped straight from the comics. The limited series Salvation Run introduces Salvation, a planet also named Cygnus 4019 that is used as a prison for supervillains. The supervillains split into factions once on the planet, with some attempting to escape, and others attempting to rule.

In the first Superman film, Lex has already developed a prison for metahumans in a pocket dimension, showing that the concept of Salvation already has a link to Superman. Since Superman was previously imprisoned in Lex’s pocket dimension, the end of Peacemaker season 2 set up the possibility that Rick Flag Sr. could use Salvation to hold Superman. Peacemaker may have been a test subject, with A.R.G.U.S. checking if Salvation can hold powerful metahumans.

However, the two-year time gap between Superman and Man of Steel complicates this theory. Peacemaker season 2 seems to take place shortly after Superman, so if Peacemaker has successfully been transported to Salvation, why hasn’t A.R.G.U.S. tried putting Superman there at any point in the two years? The threat of Salvation clearly isn’t an immediate problem for the Superman characters, making Peacemaker‘s importance to Man of Tomorrow feel lessened.

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How Peacemaker’s Time Jump Could Make Man Of Tomorrow Better

While the time jump is odd, it could make the stories of both Peacemaker and Man of Tomorrow better. If the DCU has progressed two years with Salvation in existence, its probably very different from when we last saw it in Peacemaker season 2. A.R.G.U.S. could have thrown tons more metahumans into the Salvation prison, meaning that it could be well-populated with superheroes and supervillains. So, when it is seen in Man of Tomorrow, it may not be the empty alien planet that it was when Peacemaker arrived.

On top of that, the time jump means that Peacemaker has probably been on Salvation for two years. It is doubtful that his escape from Salvation would happen off-screen, and since he’s the only character confirmed to be there, it would be strange for him to not appear in Man of Tomorrow. Peacemaker has undoubtedly changed a lot in his time surviving on Salvation, meaning that he may be very different if he pops up in Man of Tomorrow.

Peacemaker season 2 introduced the concept of Salvation, and Man of Tomorrow‘s time jump could be what allows it to develop into the Salvation from the comics. This may end up being a fantastic way to balance the planet’s introduction, allowing it to be a major piece of the DCU.

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