James Gunn has confirmed that he is already writing another film while Superman: Man of Tomorrow progresses through post-production. The director shared the update in response to a fan question about whether he was ready to start his next screenplay, saying he had begun work while waiting for the Superman sequel’s assembly.
That same exchange also clarifies where Man of Tomorrow sits in its production timeline: its assembly cut is complete. Gunn had previously said filming wrapped in August, and the film remains set for theaters on July 9, 2027.
It is an encouragingly busy update, but it does not identify the project Gunn is writing. There is no confirmed title, release date, cast, franchise, or indication of whether the script is intended for DC Studios. The useful takeaway is simply that Gunn is developing a new feature screenplay while continuing to direct and oversee the next Superman film.
What an assembly cut means for Superman’s sequel
An assembly cut is an early complete arrangement of filmed material. Put plainly, it is the stage where the footage has been organized into the movie’s broad sequence so the creative team can begin judging how scenes connect, what the overall pacing is like, and where the story needs refinement.
It is not necessarily the final edit, nor does it mean all effects, music, sound work, color finishing, or other post-production elements are done. For a superhero feature involving characters such as Superman, Brainiac, Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner and Mister Terrific, those later stages can be especially consequential. Visual effects may need to integrate performances, environments, action, costumes, and other imagery into a coherent final frame. The assembly is therefore a major step forward, but not a promise that the finished film will resemble every detail of that initial version.
The distinction matters because “filming wrapped” and “the movie is finished” are very different milestones. Principal photography ending means the planned live-action shoot has been completed. An assembly cut means the editorial process has reached a form that can be watched as a full film. From there, the work can continue through editorial revisions and the substantial technical finishing required to deliver a theatrical release.
Gunn’s explanation also gives a practical sense of the overlap in his workload. Rather than waiting for Man of Tomorrow to be completely delivered before opening a new document, he has used a gap in the process to write. That is a normal creative reality for filmmakers whose responsibilities span development, production, post-production, and, in Gunn’s case, studio leadership. It should not be mistaken for confirmation that the new script has moved into casting or production.
What is confirmed about ‘Man of Tomorrow’
Superman: Man of Tomorrow follows 2025’s Superman, again with David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The central setup places the two adversaries in an uneasy team-up against a larger danger: Brainiac, described as a superintelligent antagonist and played by Lars Eidinger.
Related coverage includes James Gunn Is Already Writing His Next Film as ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Reaches Assembly Cut.
That premise immediately creates a different kind of dramatic pressure than a straightforward hero-versus-villain story. Lex Luthor remains Superman’s adversary, but the situation requires cooperation. The story’s tension can therefore come not only from the external danger posed by Brainiac, but also from the practical and moral question of how much either Superman or Lex can trust the other when they need a shared outcome.
Brainiac is the name attached here to the sequel’s major new threat, while the supplied details characterize him as superintelligent. That description is significant on its own: it signals a conflict where brute strength alone may not be enough. However, no further details have been confirmed about Brainiac’s specific plan, powers, look, or connection to the returning cast. Those remain areas for the film itself to define.
Rachel Brosnahan returns as Lois Lane, alongside Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher. The returning superhero roster includes Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific. Milly Alcock, who appeared as Kara Zor-El in a cameo, is also back following her lead role in Supergirl.
The film will additionally bring Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart to the big screen. Pierre is set to debut as the character in the HBO Max series Lanterns, making the Superman sequel an important point of connection between a television introduction and a theatrical appearance. It confirms a shared character continuum at the casting level, without establishing how large John Stewart’s role will be in the film or what narrative details will carry over from the series.
A growing ensemble, with room for uncertainty
The known lineup makes Man of Tomorrow a notably broad DC ensemble around Superman. That does not automatically tell audiences which characters will drive the story, receive extended screen time, or simply appear as part of a wider world. Cast announcements establish participation; they do not provide a scene-by-scene map of a film.
Still, the combination is meaningful. Superman, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen, Eve Teschmacher, Kara Zor-El, Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner, Mister Terrific, John Stewart, and Brainiac represents a mixture of familiar relationships, adversarial stakes, and wider superhero connections. The challenge for any sequel with that many names is clarity: a compelling Superman story needs its central character and emotional relationships to remain legible even as the scale expands.
There is a comics-adjacent angle to that wider roster as well. DC’s interconnected character history naturally invites attention to how figures are positioned beside each other in film and television, much as readers track team dynamics and long-running arcs on the page. For a recent example of those continuing superhero relationships in another format, see this look at JSA #24’s team-focused finale.
That said, speculation should stop where the available information does. Nothing in Gunn’s writing update confirms a character for the newly developing film. It also does not say that the project will follow Man of Tomorrow, adapt a particular DC storyline, or involve any member of the announced Superman ensemble. The cleanest reading is that one project has reached an early but vital editing milestone, while another has entered the writing phase.
Gunn’s dual role at DC Studios
Gunn’s schedule carries extra weight because he is not only the writer-director of the Superman films. He has run DC Studios with Peter Safran since 2022. In comments earlier this year, Gunn credited Safran with steadying operations, keeping departments aligned, connecting the studio with Jim Lee and the comics side, and helping unify areas that had previously operated separately.
That division of labor helps explain why a single post can matter without requiring readers to overinterpret it. Gunn’s new screenplay is one creative task within a broader slate-management role, while Safran’s responsibilities help support the organizational side of the studio’s work. Neither role eliminates the other; the partnership is designed to support both the storytelling and the coordination required around it.
For viewers, the immediate calendar item remains straightforward: Superman: Man of Tomorrow is scheduled for July 9, 2027. The project is past filming and into editorial work, and its cast and core conflict are known. Gunn’s next writing project is real enough for him to say he is actively working on it, but its identity is still unannounced. Until more is formally shared, it is best understood as a script in development rather than a defined addition to the DC release schedule.
