When James Gunn confirmed that Man of Tomorrow will see Superman and Lex Luthor working together against a larger threat, the fandom collectively raised an eyebrow. After all, Superman and Lex are usually the last two people you’d expect to fight on the same side. But with Gunn also hinting that the movie is “as much a Lex story as a Superman story,” and Brainiac heavily rumored to be making his DCU debut, it’s worth diving into DC comics to see what blueprints might inspire this new chapter. So, here are five DC comics storylines that Man of Tomorrow could adapt.
1. Superman: Brainiac (2008)
If Brainiac is truly the villain Gunn is saving for DCU’s future, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Superman: Brainiac is the most obvious starting point. It redefined Brainiac for the modern era, showing him not just as a collector of bottled cities but as a terrifying invader with godlike intellect.
Superman is pushed to his emotional and physical limits, and Lex Luthor’s presence in a Brainiac story almost writes itself simply because when Earth is on the line, even Lex’s self-preservation instinct forces him to work with Superman. For Gunn, this gives him a blockbuster spectacle with a deeply personal hook of Kal-El facing the villain who embodies his worst fears about alien power.
2. Superman: For All Seasons (1998)
On paper, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s For All Seasons is a Superman comic that isn’t about Brainiac at all. But what it does brilliantly is explore Clark Kent and Lex Luthor as two men shaped by Smallville and Metropolis in very different ways. If Gunn truly wants this film to be “as much about Lex as it is about Superman,” he’ll need this kind of emotional grounding. For All Seasons provides the character-driven core where Superman embodies hope, and Lex embodies ambition, forced to set aside their rivalry when the universe demands it.
3. Superman: Up, Up and Away! (2006)
Written by Kurt Busiek and Geoff Johns, Up, Up and Away! flips the usual dynamic, and Superman loses his powers, while Lex Luthor takes center stage. While James Gunn hasn’t hinted at a powerless Clark, the core idea fits since this is a story where Lex’s resourcefulness makes him crucial against a threat even Superman can’t handle alone.
If Brainiac is attacking Earth with overwhelming force, Superman might need Lex’s intellect and ruthlessness in ways he never wanted to admit. That uneasy alliance could be the beating heart of Man of Tomorrow.
4. Superman: The Black Ring (2010–2011)
Paul Cornell’s The Black Ring is one of the best modern Lex Luthor stories, where we see him on a cosmic journey to obtain ultimate power. Along the way, Lex faces threats bigger than even he can manipulate, forcing him into unlikely alliances. For Gunn, adapting elements of The Black Ring would put Lex front and center, not just as a foil to Superman, but as a co-protagonist with his own arc.
5. Superman vs. Brainiac / Injustice League Arcs (2007–2014)
From Justice League: Injustice League to Forever Evil, we’ve seen versions of Lex Luthor stepping up as Earth’s defender when bigger villains threaten annihilation. These arcs aren’t strictly Superman stories, but they capture the essence of what Gunn has teased, a reluctant partnership forged by necessity. If Man of Tomorrow borrows this DNA, we could see Lex and Superman clashing as much as cooperating, in some of the finest ways imaginable.
So, with that being said, here are my ideas of DC comics stories that could be adapted into 2027’s Man of Tomorrow, but if you have some ideas of your own, do let us know in the comments.
