James Gunn Allegedly Retcons ‘Justice League’ Hero, Major Recast Looms for ‘Superman’ Sequel

For DC fans, following the franchise over the last decade has sometimes felt harder than following the actual storylines. One reboot leads to another. Characters disappear for years before suddenly returning. Actors come and go, while entire movie plans get scrapped midway through development.

Even now, with James Gunn rebuilding the DC Universe from the ground up, the rumors and recasting conversations still haven’t slowed down.

Fresh reports tied to Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Superman (2025), suggest another major Justice League character may already be getting reworked. If the reports are accurate, the actor tied to the previous version of the hero reportedly will not return either.

For longtime DC fans, it is becoming a very familiar cycle.

Superman Finally Created A Real Foundation

Despite all the uncertainty surrounding DC in recent years, Superman managed to accomplish something the franchise desperately needed: stability.

David Corenswet’s version of Clark Kent gave audiences a younger and more hopeful Superman, while Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult helped reshape Lois Lane and Lex Luthor for the new DCU.

But the movie’s biggest accomplishment may have been how naturally it introduced future heroes.

James Gunn didn’t treat the film like a standalone reboot. Instead, he quietly started building a larger connected world. Nathan Fillion appeared as Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, Isabela Merced joined the universe as Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi introduced audiences to Mister Terrific.

At the same time, DC also started teasing bigger cosmic stories ahead, especially with Milly Alcock preparing to lead the upcoming Supergirl project.

Compared to Marvel, DC still has a relatively small active roster. Still, Gunn appears focused on carefully expanding the universe piece by piece instead of overwhelming audiences immediately.

Another Major Hero Set to Return

That careful setup may already be turning into something much larger.

Following the debut of the “Justice Gang” in Superman, many viewers started wondering when DC would finally introduce the full Justice League. According to recent insider reports, that process may already be happening.

Industry scooper Daniel Richtman recently claimed that Man of Tomorrow casting details point toward Martian Manhunter joining the DCU. While DC Studios has not officially confirmed anything, the rumor quickly caught the attention of the online community.

The character already appeared in the SnyderVerse through Harry Lennix’s General Swanwick. After appearing in both Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Swanwick was ultimately revealed as Martian Manhunter in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021).

Now, however, fans believe Gunn may be starting fresh with the character.

Speculation quickly shifted toward Andre Royo and Sinqua Walls after both actors reportedly joined Man of Tomorrow in undisclosed roles. Fans immediately connected them to Martian Manhunter, though no official casting announcement has confirmed that theory.

The rumors only intensified after Gunn previously referenced Chocos cookies, which comic fans strongly associate with J’onn J’onzz.

Even though none of this has been confirmed yet, many fans already believe Martian Manhunter’s DCU debut is only a matter of time.

The Sequel Sounds More Like A Justice League Film

The growing cast surrounding Man of Tomorrow continues making the movie feel much bigger than a standard Superman sequel.

Reports have linked Andor star Adria Arjona to the project as Maxima, while Lars Eidinger is reportedly stepping into the role of Brainiac.

That combination alone dramatically changes the scale of the story.

Brainiac is one of DC’s biggest cosmic threats because his goals stretch far beyond Earth. His obsession with collecting knowledge and entire civilizations opens the door for huge interconnected storylines. DC Studios also already teased Kandor, Krypton’s bottled city, causing many fans to suspect Brainiac may already have ties to Krypton’s destruction in Gunn’s universe.

Some fans even believe that connection could eventually tie directly into Martian Manhunter’s tragic backstory.

If that happens, Man of Tomorrow may end up functioning as the first true Justice League-level story in the new DCU.

Gunn Still Has Pressure To Deliver

Even with excitement growing around the DCU, Gunn still faces enormous pressure moving forward.

DC fans have experienced constant resets over the years, and each reboot asks audiences to invest emotionally all over again. That can become exhausting if the universe never fully settles into a clear direction.

Right now, Superman gave DC something it badly needed: momentum.

But if Man of Tomorrow truly becomes the massive crossover many fans expect, Gunn will need to successfully balance Superman, Supergirl, Brainiac, Martian Manhunter, and several other heroes without losing focus.

If he pulls it off, DC may finally have the connected cinematic universe it has chased for years.