The James Gunn Superman Reboot has sparked strong anticipation, buoyed by an 83% Rotten Tomatoes score and more than $600 million worldwide. This momentum for the James Gunn Superman Reboot continues as a sequel, currently titled Man of Tomorrow, is planned for wide release on July 9, 2027, signaling Gunn’s ongoing, bold influence on the Man of Steel myth.
Remembering Brightburn: Gunn’s dark twist on Krypton’s son
Before steering DC Studios, Gunn helped birth Brightburn, a 2019 film directed by David Yarovesky. The story imagines a powerful extraterrestrial child (Jackson A. Dunn) who uses his abilities to harm rather than heal, clashing with his adoptive parents portrayed by Elizabeth Banks and David Denman.
Brightburn was written by Gunn’s brother Brian and their cousin Mark and stands as a stark “what if” about a world where a would-be savior turns dangerous.
Brightburn really is what do you do if that superhero that you’ve adopted into your family ends up not being the greatest thing in the world,
James Gunn, Writer-Director
You expect him to be a world savior, but he’s quite the opposite of that.
James Gunn, Writer-Director
Although not tied to DC Comics or Warner Bros., Brightburn is framed as an Elseworlds-style exploration of power and responsibility, a lens Gunn has repeatedly applied to superhero myths.
I think that most of the superhero stuff that I’ve done is always coming at superheroes from a different angle than they usually are in cinema,
James Gunn, Writer-Director
Gunn has discussed a broader curiosity about superhero storytelling, including a project he made — The Specials — that focused on relationships among heroes rather than crime fighting, and about Super, a vigilante tale that probes what drives someone to violence within his wider universe of characters like Guardians of the Galaxy.
A movie I made — that’s not a very well-known movie — called The Specials was simply about a group of superheroes on their day off. It was about their interpersonal relationships and has nothing to do with fighting crime, it just has to do with their problems with each other.
James Gunn, Writer-Director
Super was the second superhero movie I made, which was about a guy who’s a vigilante, but it also examined what drives a person to go beat the crap out of people. And, of course, the Guardians [of the Galaxy] come in from their own strange version of an alien family and what it means to be a completely lost alien child who doesn’t feel connected to other people.
James Gunn, Writer-Director
Brightburn aired on SYFY in the following weeks and remains a touchstone when considering how Gunn’s darker approach to a superhero origin interacts with broader DC storytelling.
Brightburn’s place in Gunn’s DC vision
Brightburn isn’t a DC film, but its premise informs how Gunn envisions powerful beings confronting moral choices. The idea of a god-like child wrestling with right and wrong reflects Gunn’s broader interest in portraying heroism with depth, consequence, and humanity at the center of the action.
With that perspective in mind, the James Gunn Superman Reboot is positioned to redefine how audiences experience Superman in a modern, morally complex era.
What comes next for the James Gunn Superman Reboot
As plans move forward, a sequel remains on the horizon under Gunn’s leadership, with a wide release target for Man of Tomorrow on July 9, 2027. The project suggests a willingness to push tonal boundaries and reexamine Superman’s psychology, family dynamics, and place in a rapidly evolving world, potentially shaping future DC films and broader superhero storytelling.
