Many DC fans are currently focused on Lanterns, or perhaps eager to see the DCU’s first R-rated horror movie Clayface, but what is sure to be the franchise’s next biggest blockbuster is just around the corner. Specifically, the sequel to 2025’s Superman, Man of Tomorrow, is slated to hit theaters on July 9, 2027, and will bring back David Corenswet’s celebrated take on the iconic hero Superman. Many aspects of Man of Tomorrow are getting plenty of attention from the fanbase at present, from who Adria Arjona is playing (with many assuming she will be Wonder Woman, although that’s not confirmed) to whether there will be a direct connection to Lanterns in the movie and so much more.
Now, Corenswet has piqued viewers’ interest anew, as he just confirmed a Superman change for the movie. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight about Man of Tomorrow, Corenswet said, “The character is a little more mature. They’re going to go a little bit deeper,” in addition to teasing some other “crazy stuff,” such as Lex Luthor actor Nicholas Hoult in the War Suit. In terms of the former, though, while this change make sense, as time has inevitably passed since Superman, and Clark has no doubt gotten more settled into his role, it does run the risk of backfiring with audiences because of what it might mean for this beloved character.
It makes sense that Superman would be a bit more mature in Man of Tomorrow, as mentioned, but hopefully the movie can strike the right balance. A massive part of Corenswet’s appeal as Superman is that he brought a youthful, innocent interpretation of the character, wherein Superman sees the best in everyone and refuses to lose hope. While maturity obviously doesn’t automatically negate that, there is a risk of “maturity” translating to Clark becoming more serious, stoic, and/or slightly less optimistic. It feels very unlikely that Superman would suddenly be outright pessimistic, unless something really goes terribly wrong, but considering the bombshell truth he learned about his biological parents in Superman and the fact that he was able to maintain this positive outlook, that remains unlikely at best.
It also just feels particularly important to get this right. Superman was a very popular movie and seemed to be getting DCU films off to the right start, but earlier this summer, Supergirl proved to be a box office disappointment, and fans have rightfully grown a bit wary because of it. Although no single film should really be able to bring down an entire franchise, and that still isn’t the case for Man of Tomorrow, this movie doing well would prove that Superman wasn’t just a one-off success. Drastically changing Superman’s characterization would run that risk, though. Corenswet’s description of the change does make it sound mild, so hopefully that’s the case; however, it would be understandable for DCU fans to be a bit nervous about what this more mature take on the character could mean.
