James Gunn Reveals First Look at Lex Luthor's Warsuit in 'Man of Tomorrow'

Summary

• Writer and director James Gunn has officially shared the first look at Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor wearing his iconic warsuit on the set of the upcoming DC Universe film, Man of Tomorrow

• The highly anticipated Superman (2025) sequel will see David Corenswet’s Man of Steel reluctantly teaming up with his archenemy to defeat a much larger extraterrestrial threat: Brainia

• The comic-accurate mechanical armor, which originally debuted in 1983’s Action Comics #544, empowers the billionaire villain to fight alongside his superpowered allies and marks the suit’s first proper live-action film appearance

The playing field in Metropolis is officially being leveled. As production continues on the highly anticipated Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, writer and director James Gunn has given fans a thrilling first look at the DC Universe‘s biggest villain suiting up for battle. Taking to social media on Monday, Gunn shared an official set photo revealing Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor clad in a comic-accurate, weaponized warsuit—confirming that the iconic green and purple armor is finally making its massive live-action cinematic debut.

Unlike traditional iterations where the billionaire mastermind operates purely from the shadows, Man of Tomorrow is pushing Luthor straight onto the frontlines. Gunn has previously described the 2027 tentpole as being “as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie.” The film’s central narrative forces David Corenswet’s Man of Steel to strike a reluctant, uneasy alliance with his greatest archenemy in order to face a terrifying, much larger cosmic threat: the alien android Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger.

To stand toe-to-toe with gods and extraterrestrial conquerors, Luthor needs serious firepower. Enter the warsuit. Originally debuting in the pages of 1983’s Action Comics #544, the heavy-duty mechanical armor is packed with advanced technology that grants Luthor the strength, flight, and devastating energy blasts required to actually hold his own in a fistfight. While scaled-down variations have appeared on television shows like Supergirl and Superman & Lois, Hoult’s imposing armor marks the first time the fan-favorite gear has been fully realized for the big screen with a blockbuster budget.

With the new DC Universe rapidly expanding—including the upcoming releases of Supergirl and the Lanterns television series—Man of Tomorrow is positioning itself as the massive, action-heavy cornerstone of the franchise’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Fans can expect to see Superman and Lex Luthor put their differences aside when the epic team-up crashes into theaters worldwide on July 9, 2027.

 

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