Superman and Lex Luthor are sworn enemies, something that was very evident to anyone who saw James Gunn’s Superman. Luthor spends the entire film loating Kal-El’s existence, doing everything he can to eliminate the Man of Steel from the face of the Earth. Whether he’s obsessively studying Superman’s moves to inform Ultraman’s attack patterns or restoring a damaged video file to expose Krypton’s plan to take over the planet, Lex has made it his mission to defeat Superman and prove he is better. Based on what transpired in the film, the last thing audiences would expect is to see Lex team up with Superman, but that’s exactly what’s happening in Man of Tomorrow.
Videos by ComicBook.com
During an appearance on The Howard Stern Radio Show (via DiscussingFilm), Gunn shared plot details about Man of Tomorrow. “It’s a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat,” he said.
Man of Tomorrow‘s Superman & Lex Luthor Team-Up Has Roots in the Comics
Moviegoers may be surprised to see Lex Luthor and Superman unite in Man of Tomorrow, but this is a development comics readers are likely familiar with. The two arch enemies have teamed up multiple times on the page. Over the years, they’ve joined forces to stop an alien invasion, fought against Terra-Man, and were even members of the Justice League together. In the “House of Brainiac” story arc, the two rivals paired up to deal with Brainiac and the Brainiac Queen.
Throughout his career, Gunn has demonstrated a penchant for embracing comic book sensibilities in his films, so it’ll be interesting to see what he pulls from the source material when depicting the DC Universe’s Lex/Superman team-up. Man of Tomorrow won’t be a one-to-one adaptation of any particular instance, but it could use elements from the comics as inspiration. For instance, Gunn’s tease confirms the film’s villain will be a significant threat that requires the combined forces of Superman and Lex to defeat. If not Brainiac, perhaps the two could square off against General Zod — which would be a fascinating way to pick up Superman‘s Kryptonian takeover thread.
It’ll also be interesting to see the circumstances that bring Superman and Lex together. At the end of Superman, Luthor was being taken away to Belle Reve Penitentiary, and he could still be incarcerated by the time Man of Tomorrow picks up. At one point in the comics, Lex and Superman formed an unlikely partnership while the former was still in prison (paving the way for SuperCorp), so it’s possible Man of Tomorrow will follow a similar setup. In the beginning of the film, Lex does what he can to aid Superman from prison, and then at some point he is released and can fight alongside the Man of Steel in his battlesuit.
Undoubtedly, Lex and Superman will still be at odds with each other during Man of Tomorrow. Shortly after the film’s announcement, Superman star Nicholas Hoult shared artwork of the two characters in mid-fight, suggesting they aren’t going to be best of friends for the entire run time. And even when they do form an alliance, it’ll likely be an uneasy one. Still, this is a very intriguing premise for the Superman follow-up. The first film established Lex and Superman’s dynamic, and now the sequel will develop it in a fascinating way by putting both characters in a challenging scenario. If Man of Tomorrow is as successful as Superman, moviegoers will be in for a treat.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image via THQ Nordic -
image courtesy of 20th Century Studios -
A closeup of a PlayStation 5 with a controller on top.
