DCEU Hero Confirmed To Return In James Gunn’s Superman Sequel Man Of Tomorrow
Another member of the DCEU is officially carrying over into the DC Universe.
While the DCU’s Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters” serves mostly as a reboot, a few elements and characters from the previous DC franchise are being included in DC Studios’ main continuity. As characters like John Cena’s Peacemaker were integrated into the ongoing universe, another superhero is getting ready to return to the screen.
The Wrap reports that Xolo Maridueña will be reprising the role of Jaime Reyes, a.k.a. Blue Beetle, in James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow. This comes shortly after online rumors surfaced that the Cobra Kai lead had been spotted on the set. As of writing, DC Studios and Gunn have not responded to the report.
2023’s Blue Beetle came out in the midst of the DCEU timeline, slowly reaching its end. However, despite the summer film’s box office result, Gunn had made it clear that Maridueña’s time as the iconic DC hero would continue under the DCU era.
Even though Jaime doesn’t have an upcoming DCU movie that he will headline in Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters,” an animated series is in development that would continue his journey after the 2023 installment. The movie’s director, Angel Manuel Soto, and screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer are returning as executive producers, while Miguel Puga and Cristian Martinez are attached as the showrunner and writer, respectively.
While the Blue Beetle animated TV show has remained in active development for nearly two years, no announcement has been made yet on when it will actually premiere and where it will air. However, ScreenRant got the following update from Maridueña about the project’s status in 2025:
Xolo Maridueña: “No scripts. I can say that they’re working really hard on it. The whole DC fam has been really welcoming to Blue Beetle and that character, so I’m really appreciative of that. We’re getting hard at work on Cobra Kai, this last season of Cobra Kai, so I haven’t had a chance to peep too much on what’s going on over in the Blue Beetle world. But I can say that after Superman, I’m hoping that the floodgates open for the possibility of how big [that world could be]. They’re busy at work, honestly, so I’m glad we’re both getting to do our things right now, so I’ll be ready for the call whenever it happens at DC.”
How Blue Beetle fits into the Man of Tomorrow movie remains to be seen, but he is now one of several heroes who will be seen in the 2027 continuation. The Superman sequel is also set to feature Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, and the two Green Lanterns, John Stewart and Guy Gardner.
Whether or not the upcoming David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult-starring feature will pave the way for Blue Beetle to appear in other DCU projects remains to be seen. In theory, Jaime would fit into multiple upcoming films and series, including the Booster Gold TV show.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
Jaime could also show up in the Teen Titans live-action film that is in active development, as the character is one of the members who has joined the team in the comics. As filming for Man of Tomorrow continues, time will tell if the world will get any glimpses of him through set photos and videos.
In ScreenRant’s Blue Beetle review, Tatiana Hullender praised how it “doesn’t lose its sense of fun when it dives into the titular superhero’s bag of tricks, and Maridueña’s performance is as perfectly suited to the sci-fi action scenes as it is to the more tender or comedic ones.” Gunn has also confirmed that the 2023 entry is loosely tied to the DCU franchise and stands on its own.
Man of Tomorrow is officially scheduled to release in theaters on July 9, 2027.
