Almost 90 years after Superman was first called the Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn is reviving the name for his big sequel

Almost 90 years after Superman was first called the Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn is reviving the name for his big sequel

It's official: James Gunn's big Superman sequel is just under two years away, and it's been given the title Man of Tomorrow. What's more, it will center on a team-up between Supes and Lex Luthor against a new enemy who is powerful enough to bring them together.

Though it's a somewhat lesser known nickname, Superman has been called the Man of Tomorrow as long as he's been called the Man of Steel - or maybe even longer.

What does the title 'Man of Tomorrow' signify about James Gunn's Superman sequel, and what has it represented in comics? We'll break it all down right now.

The Man of Tomorrow in comics

Superman was first called the 'Man of Tomorrow' in 1939's New York World's Fair Comics #1, published specially for the World's Fair, which is, of course, a gathering of people from across the globe showing off new discoveries and celebrating the idea of invention and progress.

That's the same year he was first officially called the Man of Steel, in Action Comics #13, though an earlier 1938 comic had a reference to a "mystery man of steel" in 1938's Action Comics #9.

Still, the Man of Tomorrow nickname may actually date back even further than the Man of Steel title, as Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster used the term in earlier comic stories that presented a much different version of a character named 'Superman,' a kind of psychic overlord.

Up until the '90s, the Man of Tomorrow title was most notably used in the 1986 story 'Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?', a comic by legendary Watchmen writer Alan Moore and all-time-great Superman artist Curt Swan.

In that story, Moore and Swan tell the story of Superman's final days on Earth, checking in with many of his arch-enemies and supporting cast along the way. The story serves as Superman's final story before DC continuity was rebooted in at the end of the 1985/86 Crisis on Infinite Earths event.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow was also used as the title of a short-lived '90s comic series that ran for 15 issues, tying into some of Superman's biggest stories. At the time, Superman had four regular monthly titles, with one released each week. Man of Tomorrow was published in months that had five weeks of release dates.

What does the Man of Tomorrow title say about Superman 2?

Man of Tomorrow is an interesting title for Superman 2, as the film will focus on Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together against a more powerful foe (widely expected to be the alien conqueror known as Brainiac). That makes the title feel especially appropriate, given that it could easily refer to either Lex or Superman, while a nickname like 'Man of Steel' is less applicable to Luthor.

The lack of the name Superman in the title also seems to indicate that the Man of Tomorrow name is intended to apply somewhat ambiguously to both characters, which is reinforced by the concept art for the film which shows Superman and Lex fighting before somewhat begrudgingly joining forces.

There's also the potential that 'Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?' will add some influence to the movie, as the comic involves Superman confronting numerous members of his rogues gallery and his supporting cast.

Less likely is that the name Man of Tomorrow might indicate any kind of alt-reality or continuity reboot, factors in that comic book story. Gunn is already in the midst of building the architecture of the new DC Universe and smoothing out the seams with what's come before, so it seems like a stretch that there would be another reboot on the way.

We'll likely find out more in the lead up to Man of Tomorrow's July 9, 2027 release date. In the meantime, stay on top of all the upcoming DC movies and shows that are in the works.