DCU Shocker: Superman Returns in Man of Tomorrow
James Gunn has confirmed a familiar foe for Man of Tomorrow: The Engineer. Maria Gabriela de Faria’s nanotech villain will return for the Superman sequel, revealed during commentary on the Superman home release.
James Gunn just quietly confirmed that one of Superman's new villains is not done causing trouble in the DCU. And he might have left the door cracked for another familiar face to drift back in too.
The Engineer is back for Man of Tomorrow
During the home-release commentary for Superman, Gunn says The Engineer — played by Maria Gabriela de Faria — will return in the sequel Man of Tomorrow. If you remember, she spends a big chunk of the movie making life miserable for David Corenswet's Clark alongside Ultraman and Lex Luthor, then gets knocked out of the story and never reappears. Gunn basically confirmed that was a setup for her next chapter.
"[Superman knocked] The Engineer unconscious. She's out of the movie. Where does she go? Well, you're going to find that out in the next movie."
"He sends [Ultraman] up into the black hole. Is this the end of Ultraman? I don't know."
About that Ultraman tease...
Gunn also lays some groundwork for Ultraman possibly popping back up. In the film, they reveal he's a clone of Superman — not the Earth-3 Crime Syndicate version from the comics, but adjacent enough to make the comics folks nod. At the end, Superman slings him into a black hole. And as Gunn points out, comic-book black holes aren't exactly known for tidy endings. So, no promise, but the door is open.
What we actually know so far
- Man of Tomorrow hits theaters July 9, 2027.
- David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, and Rachel Brosnahan are set to return.
- The title nods to one of Superman's longtime nicknames. DC has used 'Man of Tomorrow' on multiple comic runs, and there was a 2020 animated film called Superman: Man of Tomorrow — but it is unclear if the DCU sequel pulls from any of that.
- Beyond The Engineer's return and that Ultraman maybe, details are being kept under wraps.
Want to catch up now?
Superman is out on digital to rent or buy, including Apple TV and Fandango at Home. Gunn's take launches the new DCU with a mix of big-scale action, offbeat humor, and a Superman who leads with compassion and a stubborn belief that people can be good — which, frankly, is the part that makes this version work.