James Gunn has released the first look at Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor in his green-and-purple warsuit for Man of Tomorrow, giving DC Studios its clearest signal yet that the next Superman film will turn the rivalry between Luthor and the Man of Steel into a larger, uneasy alliance.
Gunn posted the image from the set with the caption, “Fit check. Live from the set of Man of Tomorrow.” The photo shows Hoult inside a comics-faithful armored suit, a long-running Luthor design that lets the billionaire scientist match Superman’s strength through technology rather than alien power. Gunn later wrote that the suit is “100 percent practical” and called it “unbelievably mobile,” adding a joke about “unbreakable Lexiglas” in the movie version.
The reveal builds on the artwork Gunn used when announcing Man of Tomorrow last year. That image placed Superman beside Luthor in the same purple-and-green armor, with a tone that suggested conflict, reluctant cooperation and repair work all at once. The film is scheduled to open July 9, 2027, with David Corenswet back as Superman and Hoult returning after his debut in Superman.
The warsuit carries heavy comic-book history. It first became a signature part of Luthor’s arsenal in the early 1980s, turning him from a criminal mastermind into a physical threat who could stand opposite Superman in a fight. The armor has appeared in television projects, including Supergirl and Superman & Lois, but Man of Tomorrow marks its first live-action use on the big screen.
Gunn has described the sequel as a story in which Superman and Luthor must work together against a larger threat. He has also said the movie gives Luthor major narrative weight, calling it as much a Lex film as a Superman film during a Howard Stern interview. That framing fits Brainiac’s expected role in the story, with Lars Eidinger attached to play the cold, hyper-intelligent DC villain.
The first Superman earned strong box-office returns in 2025 and gave Gunn and Peter Safran their first theatrical win under the rebuilt DC Studios banner. Man of Tomorrow now carries the job of proving that the new DC film universe can grow beyond a successful launch and turn its classic rivalries into sustained franchise momentum.
