Is Lex Luthor the true hero of Man of Tomorrow? James Gunn reveals new details about the character’s role in the upcoming DC Universe film.
One of the most exciting aspects about Man of Tomorrow is that James Gunn seems to be flipping the formula for Superman on its head. While the first film in the DC Universe showed a story of good versus evil with Lex Luthor as the unequivocal villain, all signs point to the character having a much more nuanced role in the next installment for the franchise.
While the film is still quite a long way from production, James Gunn actually touched on the character’s role in Man of Tomorrow during a recent interview with The Ringer-Verse. It seems as though the director wants the film to drill down to the “heart” of a character like Lex Luthor, bringing a much more heroic side of the character to the forefront of the DC Universe.
“I think I’m just more interested in getting into the heart of Lex and seeing how he fits into all of this. I think getting to know more of Lex as a human being. I think we saw a lot about the evil part of Lex. He’s pretty evil. I think I just want to get to know- I think he, as a character, is really interesting. I think there’s something, despite everything, that is incredibly heroic about Lex.”
Lex Luthor’s Role In Man Of Tomorrow
Of course, many may find it hard to find the heroic nature in someone as so petty and ego-driven as Lex Luthor. Yet it seems that James Gunn has a pretty clear idea as to how that ego actually can serve as a force for good in the DC Universe (at least, in some circumstances). Continuing on about the character’s role Man of Tomorrow, he suggests that Lex may actually be the story’s underdog.
“Take aside morality, which is hard to do, but here is this guy who is saying, ‘You can hold up a building. You can shoot down planes with your eyes. F*** you, I’m going to kick your ass because I’m better than you. I can’t help but admire his tenacity and his ego. His ambition is beyond compare. So is his jealousy, his jealousy is crazy. He does this thing that so many of us do, comparing ourselves to other people, and judging our own successes by the metrics of others.
“And that’s something to me that’s fascinating about Lex…and to me he’s so much more full than most of these villains that we’ve seen in these movies because he’s got his reasons for everything. And he’s the underdog. At the end of the day, Lex is the underdog.”
Given that so much of Superman focused on showcasing the absolute best of what humanity can be, it seems as though James Gunn is setting out to make Man of Tomorrow to be a story about how even the worst of humanity can do some good. If that’s true, it certainly seems as though Lex Luthor’s role in Man of Tomorrow may be one for the history books.
Man of Tomorrow flies into theaters July 9th, 2027. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
