James Gunn understands what it means to please fans.
Co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios and director of the upcoming Superman film« "Man of Tomorrow"» introduced die-hard fans to a new take on an old favorite costume: Lex Luthor's purple and green battle suit, which allows him to fight on equal terms with the Man of Steel.
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The suit, based on Kryptonian power armor, grants Luthor immense strength—though not on par with Superman's. It also allows him to fight his nemesis face-to-face for short periods of time and withstand Superman's blows.
Luthor's battle suit famously appeared on the cover of Action Comics #544, which featured two stories: "Luthor Unleashed!", which featured a Lexcorp genius seeking revenge with his new suit of armor, and "Rebirth!", which featured Superman battling a new version of his robotic nemesis, Brainiac.
Interestingly, there's a parallel with the upcoming film. In December, Deadline exclusively reported that German actor Lars Eidinger will play Brainiac in James Gunn's film. This marks the character's first big-screen appearance. Brainiac was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino and debuted in Action Comics #242, just two issues before the cover pictured above.
Director «Superman» and the co-head of DC Studios recently told Howard Stern that the next film is "a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together, to some extent, against a much, much bigger threat." Hmm... Maybe it's Brainiac?
«"It's as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie," Gunn added.
There are many variations of Luthor's costume in the comics. The image released today by Gunn shows a familiar color scheme reminiscent of Buzz Lightyear's suit, though it features more green than purple. It also appears slightly bulkier than traditional versions of the costume.
The filming of the movie was expected «The Man of Tomorrow» will begin production in April and will open in theaters on July 9, 2027. The previous Superman film was Gunn's first major blockbuster for the new DC Studios, headed by himself and Peter Safran; the film grossed over $616 million worldwide. In "The Man of Tomorrow"« Nicholas Hoult returns as Lex Luthor, Rachel Brosnahan returns as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific. Adria Arjona will play Maxima, and Aaron Pierre will also star.
Before that, on June 26, it will be released in cinemas. the film "Supergirl"« from DC Studios. Millie Alcock will play the lead role.
Sharing the photo today, Gunn wrote: "Look check. Live from the set of 'Man of Tomorrow.'".
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