DC Animation Gets a Brand New Look in First Photo of Next Superman Movie

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War may be the final installment in the DC Universe animated movie universe, as it has existed since the release of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox in 2013, but that doesn't mean Warner Bros. Animation is done making movies based on DC's stable of superheroes. Instead, beginning with this summer's Superman: The Man of Tomorrow, the DC movies will get a new look. Like DC's Rebirth initiative in the comics, breaking away from the look and feel of The New 52 will allow the films to embrace a modern reinvention of a classic aesthetic, starting with the company's first (and best) superhero.

In a first-look image that ran yesterday at Entertainment Weekly, fans can see the new Superman and Lex Luthor, as they will appear in Man of Tomorrow. As a bonus, the magazine revealed the actors who would be cast in the parts.

Darren Criss, best known for Glee but already a part of the DC family as the Music Meister from the Supergirl/The Flash musical crossover, will play Superman in the film. Zachary Quinto of Heroes and Star Trek fame will voice Lex Luthor. Some of the other casting choices revealed in this initial reveal give fans an idea of what the movie will be like, too, with two villains -- Lobo and The parasite -- named.

The art, which you can see below, feels a bit like a modern update of the classic Super Friends look, with the simple lines and Superman's hair seeming almost painted on to the top of his head. Obviously the shading, the computer imagery, and other aspects make it obvious this is not recycled animation, but in terms of the defining features of the characters' faces and bodies, it has a classic look to it.

Alexandra Daddario, who finds herself constantly fan-cast in live-action superheroine roles, will voice Lois Lane in the movie. Brett Dalton from Marvel's Agents of SHIELD will be Parasite, while Lobo will be voiced by The Walking Dead's Ryan Hurst. EW lists the rest of the cast as Ike Amadi (Mass Effect 3) as fellow superhero Martian Manhunter, Neil Flynn (Scrubs) as Jonathan Kent, and Bellamy Young (Scandal) as Martha Kent.

There are basically no more details on the plot. Superman: Man of Tomorrow is directed by Chris Palmer (Voltron: Legendary Defender) and written by Tim Sheridan (The Death of Superman), with Butch Lukic (Justice League, Batman Beyond) serving as supervising producer.