The Moment
James Gunn just soft-launched Lex Luthor’s glow-up. On June 1, the DC Studios co-chief shared an on-set photo from the Superman sequel “Man of Tomorrow” with Nicholas Hoult suited up as Lex in the infamous warsuit. His caption was short and cheeky: “Fit check. Live from the set of Man of Tomorrow.”
Translation: Yes, we’re filming the sequel. Yes, Hoult’s Lex is stepping out of the boardroom and into battle armor. And yes, Gunn is doing what he always does: feeding fans a taste while keeping the entree under wraps.
Gunn already teased this exact move back in February during a playful Lex Luthor “birthday” post, winking that Lex is “not a villain” and flagging a summer 2027 theatrical window for “Man of Tomorrow”. Now we’ve got the first look to match the promise.
The Take
I love this for Lex. The warsuit isn’t just a costume; it’s a statement. If the first film reintroduced Metropolis, the sequel looks ready to throw elbows. Putting Hoult in power armor says this Lex won’t just monologue from a skyscraper; he’ll meet Superman on the tarmac.
It also flips the classic billionaire-in-a-black-suit cliche. The vibe here is: what if a tech CEO built a crisis-response exo-frame and called it philanthropy? It’s like a Fortune 500 earthquake kit, only with flight systems and a moral waiver.
Is this hype or substance? A bit of both. Gunn knows the internet will break into forensic squads over a single frame, and he’s smart to let the suit do the talking. The comics warsuit is basically Lex’s answer to godlike neighbors: strength, flight, force fields, energy blasts. Whether all of that shows up onscreen is still TBD, but the intent is clear. No more shadow-boxing. If the sequel really pits Superman and Lex against a larger threat, the armor lets Lex play “ally” without losing his favorite hobby: control.
And let’s be honest: audiences over 40 remember peak cape-movie spectacle and can smell empty fan service from two multiplexes away. This doesn’t read like a gimmick. It reads like escalation with purpose.
The Receipts
Confirmed:
- James Gunn posted an on-set photo on June 1, 2026, captioned “Fit check. Live from the set of Man of Tomorrow,” showing Nicholas Hoult in Lex Luthor’s warsuit (from Gunn’s verified social account).
- Nicholas Hoult is reprising Lex Luthor; “Man of Tomorrow” is the sequel to Gunn’s “Superman”, again written and directed by Gunn (per DC Studios’ prior confirmations and Gunn’s posts).
- In a February 2026 social post celebrating Lex Luthor, Gunn teased the warsuit and indicated a summer 2027 theatrical window.
Unverified/Reported:
- Brainiac is the main villain, reportedly played by Lars Eidinger. Awaiting an official casting announcement from the studio.
- Filming location specifically cited as Atlanta. The on-set post confirms filming, but the exact base has not been formally announced.
- Context: The warsuit’s abilities (flight, force fields, energy projection) are established in DC Comics lore; exact onscreen features are not yet confirmed.
Backstory (for Casual Readers)
Nicholas Hoult, the English actor from “The Great” and “Mad Max: Fury Road”, plays Lex Luthor in DC’s new continuity overseen by filmmaker James Gunn, who became co-CEO of DC Studios in 2022. Gunn’s first “Superman” film in this universe, retitled simply “Superman”, stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and set the tone for a brighter Metropolis. In the comics, Lex’s warsuit is alien-derived armor (often tied to the planet Lexor) that lets him go toe-to-toe with Kryptonians. Think corporate cunning plus sci-fi hardware.
What’s Next
Watch for an official studio synopsis that nails down the villain and Lex’s role: archrival, uneasy ally, or both. If tradition holds, the next beats could be a polished first-look still, a logo update, and a teaser window. A summer 2027 date was floated by Gunn; a calendar lock and confirmed cast list would make it real.
Gunn tends to share breadcrumbs on his verified accounts, so expect incremental reveals rather than a single info dump. And if the warsuit is already public, the marketing likely leans into “unlikely partnership” stakes and big, physical set pieces over mystery-box plotting.
What’s your read: do you want a temporary Superman-Lex team-up for a larger bad, or would you rather see Lex go full adversary from frame one?
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