4 Theories About Why Superman & Lex Luthor Team-Up in James Gunn’s Sequel (#1 Is What We All Want)

Teaming up with Superman is an honor for any DC hero. Mister Terrific gets the opportunity in the DC Universe‘s first film, helping the Man of Steel stop Lex Luthor from tearing Metropolis apart. As cool as Mister Terrific is, though, there are far more important partnerships in Superman’s future. Whether Matt Reeves finishes his Batman trilogy or not, the Dark Knight is coming to the DCU, and he’s sure to cross paths with the planet’s most important hero. Wonder Woman will also join the fray before long and flex her muscles alongside the Krpytonian.

Before DC’s Trinity comes together, however, Superman will have to settle for working with his greatest rival, Luthor, as they will both appear in James Gunn’s upcoming DCU film Man of Tomorrow. Gunn’s keeping his cards close to the vest, but he did let it slip that a major “threat” will bring the arch-enemies together. Here are four theories that explain why Superman and Luthor are teaming up in Man of Tomorrow.

4) Darkseid Is Coming Sooner Rather Than Later

The closest thing the DCU has to Thanos is Darkseid, the leader of Apokolips. The one thing that drives the villain is the Anti-Life Equation, which would allow him to seize control of just about everything in the universe. There aren’t many threats bigger than that, and while it might be a bit early to bring Darkseid to the young franchise, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. After all, Gunn’s first Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Guardians of the Galaxy, features the Mad Titan in all his glory.

3) Doomsday Picks a Fight With the Man of Steel

Superman makes a point to say that the titular hero didn’t lose a battle until he came up against the Hammer of Boravia, which turned out to be a clone of him. There are just very few beings that can hold a candle to the Man of Steel. The villain in the comics that gets more licks in than anyone else is Doomsday, whose sole purpose is to kill. If Doomsday shows up on Earth in Man of Tomorrow, Luthor’s mind might be the only thing capable of stopping him.

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2) There’s a Crisis on Infinite Earths

Aiming to adapt the biggest event in DC Comics history in the franchise’s second movie is bold, but Man of Tomorrow doesn’t have to dive immediately into the deep end. The Anti-Monitor is a powerful villain hellbent on wiping out all of reality, and that doesn’t sound like it would sit right with Luthor, who wants to continue to make life difficult for Superman. The billionaire is sure to have some device in his closet that can at least delay the Anti-Monitor’s mission.

1) Brainiac Threatens Lex Luthor as Much as Superman

The villain that makes the most sense for Man of Tomorrow is, of course, Brainiac. Being one of the last remaining Superman villains to never have a live-action movie appearance, it’s about time that the being from Colu gets his moment in the sun. Luthor might understand Brainiac’s thirst for knowledge, but he won’t be cool with him wiping the Earth off the map. There’s also plenty of history between Brainiac and Krypton for Man of Tomorrow to explore.

Man of Tomorrow hits theaters on July 9, 2027.

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