James Gunn is taking the James Gunn DCU villain hero concept to new heights as Superman 2 will place Lex Luthor, famously Superman’s longtime nemesis, in a new heroic role. In the upcoming sequel titled Man of Tomorrow, set for release on July 9, 2027, Superman and Lex Luthor must join forces against a greater threat, marking an unprecedented alliance within the DC Universe.
Lex Luthor and Superman: An Unlikely Alliance in Man of Tomorrow
As announced by DC Studios head James Gunn during a recent interview, Superman 2 will feature David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, forced into collaboration. This shift means Lex Luthor, traditionally a cold and power-hungry villain, aligns with the very heroes he once schemed to destroy, bringing a new layer to his storied rivalry with Superman. Rachel Brosnahan is also set to reprise her role as Lois Lane, rounding out the core cast for the highly anticipated DCU installment.
“It’s a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together.”
Gunn, DC Studios Head
This narrative decision will make Superman 2 not just a tale about heroism but a complex examination of trust, motive, and reluctant partnerships. Gunn underscored that the film will stand as much as a Lex Luthor story as a Superman one, giving both characters the narrative spotlight.
Previously, Superman and Lex have never teamed up in live-action cinematic history. This marks a distinct narrative departure, positioning one of comics’ most infamous villains on the side of the greater good—at least temporarily.
Other DCU Films Spotlighting Villains
James Gunn’s production agenda also includes the upcoming Clayface film, with a villain, Matt Hagen, as the focus. However, while this movie will explore the villain’s perspective, Clayface is not portrayed in a heroic light as Lex Luthor will be. The DCU’s willingness to challenge the conventional hero-villain dynamic positions it among a broader trend across superhero cinema.
DC and Marvel Films Where Villains Take Center Stage
Man of Tomorrow is not the first superhero movie to place a villain at the story’s heart. Over the years, both DC and Marvel have experimented with narratives that subvert traditional roles, featuring villains as protagonists or, occasionally, reluctant heroes. Below are notable examples from major franchises where the villain led the story, sometimes with sympathetic, morally ambiguous, or reformative arcs.
-
Catwoman (2004)
The first DC film to spotlight a villain protagonist starred Halle Berry as Patience Philips, who transforms into the leather-clad Catwoman. Despite its historic role and innovative premise, the film was largely panned, earning only 8% on Rotten Tomatoes, and focused on Catwoman’s fight against a corrupt cosmetics empire from within—a rare case of a Batman villain on the side of right, if only for her own purposes. -
Suicide Squad (2016)
David Ayer’s adaptation brought together a team of notorious DC villains, including Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Deadshot (Will Smith), forced to work for the government—led by Amanda Waller—on covert, dangerous missions. By centering morally conflicted characters, Suicide Squad captured the chaotic appeal of antiheroes struggling with, and against, their dark inclinations. -
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
While marketed as another epic for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the narrative was driven by Thanos, whose quest for the Infinity Stones and belief in his cosmic mission made him the movie’s focal point. Many viewers and critics argued that Infinity War is as much about Thanos’s motivations and decisions as the Avengers’ resistance, raising questions about what defines a hero or a villain. -
Venom (2018)
Sony’s introduction of Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom presented one of Marvel’s most formidable villains not as a world-conquering foe, but as a conflicted antihero. This take allowed for audience sympathy as Brock struggled with his symbiote counterpart, balancing destruction and heroism in a way few superhero films had previously dared. -
Joker (2019)
Todd Phillips’ Joker reimagined the backstory of Batman’s iconic nemesis, with Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal drawing widespread acclaim and the Best Actor Oscar. The film traces the downward spiral of Arthur Fleck, offering a psychological study of how societal neglect and personal trauma can fuel villainy, presenting the Joker as a tragic antihero rather than a simple antagonist. -
Birds of Prey (2020)
Following her acclaimed role in Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie returned as Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey. The film explores her journey post-breakup with the Joker, as she assembles a team of supervillains to take on crime boss Black Mask, played by Ewan McGregor. The focus is on Harley’s agency and chaotic morality in Gotham’s criminal underworld. -
The Suicide Squad (2021)
James Gunn’s take on Task Force X delves deeper into the absurdity, brutality, and camaraderie of DC’s most dangerous team. Building on the previous film’s premise, this installment has the antagonistic squad sent to Corto Maltese to combat a monstrous alien threat, again blending villainous impulses with moments of unexpected heroism. -
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Capitalizing on Venom’s box office success, the sequel intensifies the internal and external conflicts as Venom faces off against Carnage, another symbiote with even more erratic power and appetite for destruction. Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock once again navigates the boundaries between monster and savior, offering both spectacle and ethical ambiguity. -
Morbius (2022)
This Sony Spider-Man Universe entry starred Jared Leto as Michael Morbius, a scientist whose search for a cure turns him into a bloodthirsty vampire. Although Morbius has been a classic Spider-Man enemy in comics, here he becomes an anguished protagonist, blurring the line between monstrous villain and misunderstood outcast. -
Black Adam (2022)
Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam promised to“change the hierarchy of the DC Universe.”
The film follows Teth Adam, a being gifted with godlike power and a violent past. Confronted by the Justice Society, Black Adam’s actions are brutal and sometimes self-serving, yet the narrative positions him as a kind of antihero challenging norms of justice and order.
“change the hierarchy of the DC Universe”
Johnson, Actor
-
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
The sequel to Joker sees Joaquin Phoenix reprise his role, this time as Arthur Fleck in Arkham State Hospital, where he forms a bond with fellow patient Harley Lee Quinzel, played by Lady Gaga. While maintaining the original’s dark tone, the follow-up received a more divided response from critics and audiences, with diminished acclaim but persistent fascination with villain-led storytelling. -
Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
Directed by Kelly Marcel, this final installment in Sony’s Venom trilogy saw Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and Venom hunted by enemies from multiple worlds. The conclusion hinted at future threats with the arrival of Knull, though the continuation of this storyline remains uncertain. -
Kraven (2024)
The latest entry in Sony’s run of villain-focused features, Kraven starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the ruthless hunter in conflict with other Spider-Man foes like Chameleon and Rhino. The film capped off Sony’s series of antihero outings, at least for the immediate future, underscoring the persistent fascination with ambiguous characters.
Additional Villain-Led Superhero Films Outside the DC and Marvel Universes
Villain-centric narratives are not exclusive to Marvel or DC. A few standout titles have explored characters on the darker end of the moral spectrum, blending genres for unique twists on superhero conventions.
-
Brightburn (2019)
Produced by James Gunn, Brightburn imagines what might happen if someone with Superman’s powers was driven by evil rather than good. The film centers on Brandon Breyer, a young alien boy raised in Kansas whose demonic abilities threaten everyone around him, blending superhero origin with horror-thriller elements. -
Chronicle (2012)
This found footage film introduced audiences to Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan) and friends in Seattle, who develop telekinetic powers. As Andrew succumbs to darker impulses, he becomes the central threat, forcing a confrontation with his former allies—turning typical superhero camaraderie into a cautionary tale of power and corruption. -
Split (2016)
Director M. Night Shyamalan’s Split features James McAvoy as a man with dissociative identity disorder who becomes increasingly villainous. The story ultimately links to Shyamalan’s Unbreakable universe, where McAvoy’s character faces off against Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr. Glass, blurring lines between mental illness and supervillainy.
Looking Ahead to Superman 2 and the Future of the DCU
Superman 2 will arrive in theaters on July 9, 2027, with James Gunn once again taking on writing and directorial duties following his success with Guardians of the Galaxy. The cast consists of David Corenswet as Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. This film is set to test new boundaries for DC Studios, drawing from a long cinematic tradition of villains as heroes but with a uniquely prominent twist for the Lex Luthor character, as his alliance with Superman redefines both figures in the eyes of fans and critics alike.
By embracing the complexity of the James Gunn DCU villain hero dynamic, the landscape of comic book movies continues to evolve, prompting audiences to rethink established notions of heroism, villainy, and the shades of morality in between. If successful, Man of Tomorrow’s approach could set a precedent for future stories within the genre, further opening the door for unconventional narratives in superhero cinema.
