UPDATE: 2026/05/06 16:31 EST BY ANDY BEHBAKHT
James Gunn Seemingly Confirms Matthew Lillard’s Man Of Tomorrow Casting
Following the initial casting report, James Gunn shared a new photo on Threads with him and Matthew Lillard, with the caption, “Just casually hanging out with my longtime friend @matthewlillard for no reason.” While it’s unclear where they are, it’s highly possible that they are at the Man of Tomorrow set.
The DC Universe is staging a reunion as one of James Gunn’s previous collaborators is joining the franchise.
Deadline reveals that Matthew Lillard is set to join Man of Tomorrow, which is currently filming in Atlanta, Georgia. At the time of this story’s publication, DC Studios has yet to comment on his casting, as it’s unknown who he would be playing in the upcoming superhero film.
Lillard starred in the filmmaker’s live-action Scooby-Doo movies that he wrote, which were from the early 2000s and were directed by Raja Gosnell. The actor played the iconic role of Shaggy Rogers in both films, which also starred Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne Blake, Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred Jones, and Linda Cardellini as Velma Dinkley.
The star has made it clear numerous times that he has wanted to join the DCU’s Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters for quite some time. During an appearance at Los Angeles Comic-Con 2025, with ScreenRant in attendance, Lillard said, “I have wanted to be in the superhero world. I’ve wanted to be in, you know, these. I mean, if anyone’s curious, if you run into James Gunn, tell him, I’m available. James Gunn wrote Scooby-Doo 1 and 2. He’s one of my dear friends. I keep waiting for that invitation. I don’t know if it’s lost in the mail, but yeah, I like that. ”
His addition marks the third new cast member in the Man of Tomorrow movie, which will see David Corenswet’s Superman and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor joining forces. Lars Eidinger has been tapped to play DC’s Brainiac, while Adria Arjona has boarded the project in a mystery role that is possibly Maxima.
Lillard is no stranger to the superhero genre, as he made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this year in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, which finished only a day prior to his DCU casting. Throughout the latest season, he played Mr. Charles, who served as a rival of Mayor Wilson Fisk.
It’s possible that Lillard will be spotted through Man of Tomorrow set photos and videos as they get further into filming, which may give clues to who he is playing in the DCU. The Scream star has previously been suggested to play DC characters like Plastic Man, but it’s unclear how Patrick ‘Eel’ O’Brian would fit into Gunn’s upcoming film.
The Superman sequel will feature the return of numerous DCU characters, including Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, a.k.a. Green Lantern, who will make his debut in the franchise on August 16 on HBO’s Lanterns. Isabela Merced, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica, Nathan Fillion, and Edi Gathegi are set to reprise their roles as Hawkgirl, The Engineer, Guy Gardner, and Mister Terrific, respectively.
The next upcoming DC movie will arrive on June 26 with Supergirl flying into theaters, starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, following her debut in 2025’s Superman film. After Lanterns premieres on HBO, the next installment in the franchise will be the R-rated Clayface movie, focusing on the iconic Batman villain, on October 23.
Man of Tomorrow is officially scheduled to release on July 9, 2027.
- Release Date
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July 9, 2027
Cast
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Nicholas Hoult
Lex Luthor
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Rachel Brosnahan
Lois Lane
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