The cat is out of the bag: Superman is getting a sequel called Man of Tomorrow, which will once again see Lex Luthor attempt to ruin the Man of Steel’s life. The villain is going to have his work cut out for him because he’s currently sitting in Belle Reeve for attempting to tear Metropolis apart in order to kill the wholesome hero who torments his existence. Of course, Luthor is a man with deep pockets and a brilliant brain, meaning he can come up with half a dozen ways to break out of his cell before lunch. There is one unique path he could take, though.
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There’s no doubt that, no matter if the boss is in custody or not, LuthorCorp has an image issue in the DC Universe. No one is going to trust anything the business has to say after making Superman out to be a conqueror. A complete reset is in order, and luckily for LuthorCorp, the pages of DC Comics there’s an easy fix, one that could set the stage for Batman’s introduction.
Lex Luthor Could Hand the Reins to Superman in the DCU
Luthor isn’t exactly a spring chicken in the comic book world. Almost as long as Superman has been around, his bald rival has been scheming behind the scenes to bring him down. All that illegal activity has landed Luthor in the slammer on more than a few occasions. However, in Joshua Williamson and Jamal Campbell’s Superman run, the villain doesn’t immediately plan his escape. Instead, he offers Superman control of LexCorp, turning it into SuperCorp. The goal is to push the Man of Steel to put his fists away and use the company’s vast resources to find solutions to the world’s problems. Essentially, Luthor wants his greatest enemy to see the world the way he does and the challenges that come with being a mere mortal.
Superman’s speech at the end of the 2025 film could open the door for an adaptation of Williamson’s story in the DCU. Since Luthor rebukes the idea that Kal-El from Krypton understands anything about humanity, he should put his money where his mouth is and create SuperCorp in Man of Tomorrow. Superman could spend a chunk of the film in board meetings instead of in the skies, learning how much work it takes to create real change alongside the likes of Maxwell Lord and Ted Kord. And just when the boredom starts to set in, the titular hero can discover that another hero is moonlighting as an executive as well.
Bruce Wayne Would Be a Strong Ally for SuperCorp
It’ll be obvious from the jump that Luthor’s ultimate goal is to make a fool out of Superman. The villain could sabotage one of the hero’s initiatives or push him to do business with someone with nefarious connections. Either way, the change to the business world’s hierarchy is sure to get the attention of the world’s most famous billionaire, Bruce Wayne. Knowing Superman is making a mistake due to his naivety, Batman can investigate Luthor and reveal himself to Big Blue for the first time. It might take some convincing from a man in a bat costume to get Superman back on the right path, but it’ll happen, and the two can work together to take Luthor down.
With two major heroes on his trail, Luthor will have to bust out the big guns, such as the warsuit that’s part of all of the Man of Tomorrow art. A big third-act battle can go down, with Superman and Batman learning that they can trust each other when the chips are down. If James Gunn and Co. go down this route, there are sure to be comparisons to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but it’s impossible to escape the ghost of the DC Extended Universe. The powers that be shouldn’t be afraid to go in a direction that benefits the DCU, especially if it brings together the franchise’s two biggest heroes and paves the way for even bigger things.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow hits theaters on July 9, 2027.
Would you like to see Superman: Man of Tomorrow bring SuperCorp to the DCU? Do you think there’s a sport for Batman in the film as well? Let us know in the comments below!
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
