Matthew Lillard Soars Into Superman Sequel Man of Tomorrow

So, in case you haven’t been keeping score, the DC Universe reboot is moving full steam ahead—even if it’s still a couple years away from hitting theaters. After this year’s Supergirl and Clayface movies do their thing, James Gunn is set to launch his first Superman entry in 2025, and now we already know what’s next: a direct sequel called ‘Man of Tomorrow’ lands in 2027. Here’s what makes this installment more interesting than your typical superhero follow-up: Superman and Lex Luthor (yep, you read that right) are actually going to be forced to team up. The villain they’re up against? Brainiac. For once, it’s not just Metropolis on the line—it’s a full-on world-ending situation, and maybe even a universe-sized problem.

The Cast: Familiar Faces, Fresh Villains, and a New Mystery

DC and James Gunn aren’t exactly hiding that they’re sticking with a lot of their core Superman cast. Here’s who you’ll recognize:

• David Corenswet – The man in blue himself, Superman/Clark Kent
• Nicholas Hoult – Lex Luthor (so hopefully you like your Luthors with a British edge)
• Rachel Brosnahan – Lois Lane
• Frank Grillo – Rick Flag Sr.
• Isabela Merced – Hawkgirl
• Lars Eidinger – As the new big-bad, Brainiac
• Adria Arjona – Unnamed role (rumor mill says Maxima, but that’s not official yet)
• Matthew Lillard – Freshly announced, role still tightly under wraps

The Lillard Effect (and a Real Reason to Be Curious)

If you’re getting déjà vu, that’s because Matthew Lillard and James Gunn have worked together before—namely on the early-2000s live-action Scooby-Doo movies (yep, Gunn wrote those, and Lillard was, of course, Shaggy). This is now their third time teaming up—except this time, we’re not getting talking dogs, but probably a whole lot more CGI.

Lillard’s resume is actually kind of wild if you step back. He’s a horror legend thanks to ‘Scream’ and, lately, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’, but he’s also popped up in the superhero genre already: if you clocked him as the mysterious Mr. Charles in Marvel’s ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ season 2 on Disney+, give yourself a gold star. (And before you ask: yes, that character is still alive, so in theory Lillard could keep his Marvel gig while moonlighting in the DC Universe. No one’s said he can’t pull double duty just yet.)

Hero, Villain, or Something Else?

So, who’s Lillard playing this time? They’re not saying—no leaks, no teases, nothing. And honestly, it’s a toss-up. The guy’s most iconic role is friendly, bumbling Shaggy, but his career is built on memorable villain weirdos. If you caught his work in Scream or even as the slightly sketchy but fun Mr. Charles in Daredevil, you know he’s great at being just a little bit unhinged. He’s also been pretty vocal for a while about wanting to jump into Gunn’s DC Universe, so this looks like a wish finally granted after years of campaigning from both sides.

But here’s the thing: there’s no hint if he’s showing up as a good guy or someone you love to hate (or both). He could go either way and, honestly, it’d be fun to see him chew the scenery next to Brainiac and Lex Luthor.

"Man of Tomorrow" is officially filming already and they’re expected to stay in production through the end of this year.

Lillard’s actual role probably won’t drop for a while yet, so don’t hold your breath for any Comic-Con reveals soon. But, with Gunn and Peter Safran pulling the DCU strings (and Lillard on board), the universe is at least getting a little more unpredictable—which, after a decade of safe comic book casting, is genuinely a good thing.

The movie is set for release on July 9, 2027, which, yes, feels absurdly far away—just enough time for at least three more casting rumors and probably one 'can he do both Marvel and DC?' internet debate. I’ll keep an eye out as the next details (eventually) trickle in.