Frank Grillo Teases Rick Flag Sr. As A Major Player In Superman Sequel Man of Tomorrow
Cameras roll next year as the sequel storms into production, setting the stage for a bigger, bolder return.
The next Superman movie is already lining up its shots: Brainiac is basically the big bad, and Frank Grillo says his Rick Flag Sr. is moving from supporting player to something a lot more central. Not exactly subtle hints, but it paints a clear picture of where this thing is going.
So, who is Superman punching this time?
While nobody has planted an official flag in the ground yet, Brainiac is, for all practical purposes, the villain in Superman: Man of Tomorrow. If you are keeping score, that gives the sequel a classic, heavy-hitter threat and sets up a bigger canvas than round one.
Frank Grillo is leveling up as Rick Flag Sr.
Grillo told The Hollywood Reporter that he will have a bigger presence in the sequel, and he sounded genuinely amped about it. He is back as Rick Flag Sr. after showing up in the first Superman film and in Peacemaker season 2, and he made it pretty clear you are going to see a lot more of him on the big screen this time.
Last July, he mentioned to GQ that his look should more closely match the animated version he voices in Creature Commandos — white hair and all. On the last go-round, he was filming Tulsa King back-to-back and could not make the switch, which turned into one of those extremely online nitpicks about his darker hair. Translation: expect the next live-action Rick Flag Sr. to line up with the animated one. It is a small detail, but for a character who is bouncing between projects, that kind of continuity matters.
Corenswet, Brosnahan, Hoult — and a lot of Lex
David Corenswet is back in the cape. Rachel Brosnahan returns as Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult is back as Lex Luthor. And according to James Gunn, Lex is not just lurking in the background this time; he is front and center.
"It is a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together, to a certain degree, against a much, much bigger threat. And it's more complicated than that. It's as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie. I relate to the character of Lex Luthor, sadly."
Gunn said that on Howard Stern's SiriusXM show, which is a pretty clear mission statement: Superman and Lex teaming up (sort of) while Brainiac looms is a juicy setup. Yes, please.
Release date and what it is chasing
Superman: Man of Tomorrow lands in theaters on July 9, 2027. The bar is set: the previous film pulled in over $600 million worldwide and sits at an 83% Rotten Tomatoes score from almost 500 reviews. The sequel is aiming to build on that momentum with a bigger villain, a larger role for Rick Flag Sr., and a story that gives Lex Luthor equal billing with the Man of Steel.