Man Of Tomorrow Is The DCU's Empire Strikes Back

Published Oct 5, 2026, 8:19 PM EDT

The upcoming film, directed and written by James Gunn, is centered on Superman (David Corenswet) and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) needing to work together in order to take on the villainous Brainiac (Lars Eidinger). As a sequel to 2025's Superman, Man of Tomorrow not only brings back Kal-El and Lex, but other established DCU characters as well, including Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), and Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo).

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Corenswet was asked what he is most excited about delivering in Man of Tomorrow. He compared the movie to the second installment in the Star Wars original trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back, explaining how the feeling of re-meeting Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa is similar to the experience of re-meeting Superman, Lex, and Lois at the start of the DCU film.

He expanded on this by discussing how Gunn referred to the relationships of Superman and Lex, along with Superman and Lois, being in their second phase. Similar to Luke, Han, and Leia at the start of The Empire Strikes Back, Superman, Lex, and Lois are now in more established situations, and they are not the same as when the audience last saw them. Check out Corenswet's comments below:

The thing that I thought of was the opening of Empire Strikes Back and how every time I watch that movie I'm so excited when you re-meet Luke and Han and Leia. It was really exciting hearing James Gunn talk about how he wanted to bring the characters, especially the relationships of Superman and Lex, and then of Clark and Lois, into their second phase. They've been through more in the interim. And so, in Man of Tomorrow, we meet them in those more solid, established situations, but the stakes are obviously that those things are gonna be put at risk.

The Empire Strikes Back comparison comes after Corenswet previously shared his ideal Star Wars watch order and that he is interested in playing a Jedi Knight. Beyond once again displaying his enthusiasm for Star Wars, his response does provide a good idea of what to expect from Man of Tomorrow's beginning.

At the start of The Empire Strikes Back, Luke is now an official, experienced member of the Rebel Alliance and has grown as a Jedi. He is no longer the wide-eyed young man leaving home, entering a larger galaxy for the first time, and figuring out where he belongs. He is not only more established on an individual level, but in his relationships with Han and Leia, and they have undergone many experiences that further shaped them in the time between films.

Superman is poised to start in a similar situation, where he is now more situated as a public superhero, in his relationship with Lois, and having defeated Lex. Previously, Gunn clarified Man of Tomorrow's timeline, explaining that approximately two years have passed, the same amount of time since Superman debuted in theaters, providing plenty of time for these characters to have changed in important ways.

The Empire Strikes Back raises the stakes even higher than A New Hope, and the solid foundations that Luke, Han, and Leia have achieved are threatened by the Empire, bounty hunters, and destiny itself. Per Corenswet's comments, the stakes are also higher this time for Superman, Lex, and Lois due to facing a villain as formidable as Brainiac.

Beyond being the second chapter in the Star Wars original trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back is also known for having the darkest story of the three movies, culminating in Han being frozen in carbonite and taken to Jabba the Hutt, Luke losing a hand to Darth Vader, learning that the Sith Lord is his father, and an ending where the heroes are hopeful but not victorious.

Corenswet's comparison is more so about Man of Tomorrow's beginning, so the climax and conclusion may not have the same kind of parallels to The Empire Strikes Back. Unlike the Star Wars original trilogy, the DCU has released other projects between Superman and Man of Tomorrow, including Peacemaker season 2, Supergirl, Lanterns, and the upcoming Clayface, which makes the overall narrative trajectory quite different.

Man of Tomorrow releases in theaters on July 9, 2027.

Release Date July 9, 2027

Cast

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  Nicholas Hoult

  Lex Luthor

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  Rachel Brosnahan

  Lois Lane

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