Popverse's top stories

• DC to reissue the comic that current Batman writer Matt Fraction says shows that the Dark Knight is "capable of wonder and joy"
• What to Watch October 2025: Halloween is just around the corner, and Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Prime Video's Hazbin Hotel, and HBO's IT: Welcome to Derry are just a few ways to stream and scream
• Stranger Things season 5 fires the first shot as Netflix enters the popcorn bucket wars

James Gunn and DC Studios's Superman film has now hit HBO Max, so it's safe to say that we're feeling the spirit of Superman even though summer is over. And lucky for us, James Gunn has stoked the flames of our support by posting a look at the cover page of DC Studios's Man of Tomorrow on social media. 

In the manner of a cryptic oracle, Gunn posted a picture of the screenplay's cover page with a simple caption: "😈🤝😇 #MoT 7.9.27." Of course, the numbers refer to Man of Tomorrow's release date, and the emojis hint at Lex Luthor and Superman's team-up that's planned for the film. In the picture, however, you can also see a medical diagram showing the human brain and the carotid and vertebral arteries. So, time to speculate! 

Obviously, the brain diagram of it all makes us think Brainiac will be a part of Man of Tomorrow's plot. Brainiac is a classic Superman villain (and whose name is yet another example of Superman lore that has been adopted into the American English vernacular at this point), whose deadliness rests in his intellect as well as his endless thirst for more knowledge. Also, the villain has proven himself to be particularly adept at fashioning his own artificial intelligence, like the Brainiac Queen, who caused all sorts of problems for DC's heroes in 2024's Absolute Power crossover event by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. 

Taking into account Lex Luthor's attitudes about human potential in this year's Superman film, I can imagine that the guy would have some strong feelings about an alien AI like Brainiac coming to Earth. Personally, one of my favorite things to see in a Superman story is beef between different foes of the Man of Steel, and I would love for that to play out in Man of Tomorrow.

That said, my buddy Kevin noted that the brain diagram could also gesture towards the Ultra-Humanite, another classic Superman rogue. Like Lex Luthor, the Ultra-Humanite is a mad genius, except unlike Lex, the Ultra-Humanite has chosen to house himself within the body of an albino gorilla from Gorilla City. Thanks to his gorilla body, the Ultra-Humanite has the extra space for his massive brain, as well as immense physical strength. So regardless of whether it's the Ultra-Humanite or Brainiac that we see in Man of Tomorrow, DC fans will be eating well in 2027. 

Need more? Here's our picks for the best DC Comics stories of all time.