Superman: Man of Tomorrow Could Fix the Huge DCU Challenge James Gunn Admitted To

Superman‘s upcoming sequel has a lot on its plate. Not only does it set up a new version of the Man of Steel, one that does things a bit differently than its predecessors, but it also has to find time to flesh out Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Jimmy Olsen. Superman’s supporting cast is nearly as important as the hero himself, as it takes the movie’s story to new and interesting places. There is one other group that also lends a helping hand: the Justice Gang. Funded by billionaire Maxwell Lord, the team, comprised of Mister Terrific, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl, does things on their own terms, which doesn’t sit right with Superman.

Despite having issues with his fellow heroes, the titular Kryptonian reaches out to them when he’s at his lowest, and they answer the call, stopping the fighting in Jahanpur and ensuring no innocent lives are lost. All the commotion makes it easy to forget that the Justice Gang isn’t the only metahuman team that Superman is supposed to set up. Fortunately, James Gunn will get a second crack at putting together a group of remarkable people in Superman: Man of Tomorrow.

The Authority Is Already a Major Part of the DC Universe

There’s so much superhero news these days that it’s hard to keep track of what happened last week, let alone a couple of years ago. However, heading into the way-back machine will reveal that The Authority was originally set to be one of the first DCU movies. Like Gunn’s other comic book-inspired teams, the Authority is full of “heroes” who don’t care how far they have to fly off the handle to achieve their goals. The members of the team, such as Jenny Sparks, the Engineer, and Grifter, don’t typically interact with characters from the larger DCU, but Gunn foresaw them taking up a major slot in his release slate. The hype was so real that the Engineer found her way into Superman.

The DC Universe is full of metahumans, so villains like Lex Luthor, who have no powers, believe they have to develop ways to fight back. In addition to cloning Superman, Luthor infused Angela Spica’s body with nanites, allowing her to create anything she can think of. The Engineer proves instrumental in ruining Superman’s reputation because she’s the one who fixes and translates the message the hero’s parents sent with him from Krypton. Unfortunately, that’s her last big moment because the Man of Steel wipes the floor with her at the end of his solo movie. The end of Superman doesn’t reveal the Engineer’s status, but a good bet would be that she’s going to get reinforcements while her boss rots in jail.

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Man of Tomorrow Can Get The Authority Train Back on Track

It’s easy to assume that the Engineer is done in the DCU, especially because Gunn has more or less confirmed that The Authority isn’t moving ahead. The development process for the movie has proved too taxing for a franchise that has its fingers in many pies, forcing it to the back burner. However, it’s too early for Gunn and Co. to throw in the towel. Man of Tomorrow will see most of Superman‘s cast reprise their roles, but it won’t be a straight-up sequel. Instead, the spotlight appears to be heading in Luthor’s direction, which opens up all kinds of interesting possibilities.

The prevailing theory is that Luthor and his nemesis will have to squash their beef when a new threat arrives on the scene, but that’s so predictable. The DCU’s version of Luthor is so against aliens that he’s fine watching the world burn if it means one of them gets wiped off the map. With the Engineer in the wind, Luthor may have given her instructions to seek out others like her and prepare for round two. The Authority can demonstrate to the world that Earth already has its protectors and no longer needs outside help. If everything goes smoothly and the reception to Man of Tomorrow is positive, DC Studios can rethink its position on The Authority. After all, there’s no such thing as too many superhero teams.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow hits theaters on July 9, 2027.

Do you still want to see the Authority in the DCU? Would you like to see them appear in Superman: Man of Tomorrow? Let us know in the comments below!