Matthew Lillard is having one of the busiest periods of his career, and a new report suggests his run is far from over. The actor is fresh off his MCU debut as the slippery power broker Mr. Charles in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, which wrapped its run on Disney+. Now the DCU appears ready to put him to work on its biggest project yet: the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.
According to Deadline, Matthew Lillard joined the cast of Man of Tomorrow, but his actual role is currently unknown. The James Gunn-led film is currently in production and is set to release in theaters on July 9, 2027.
News of Lillard’s jump to Man of Tomorrow comes just one day after the season finale of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, where he plays Mr. Charles, a CIA fixer working for Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The character entered the show as an antagonist to almost everyone, including Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk.
By the closing episodes, he was seemingly running superhuman military operations, and Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye was spotted on a plane with him in the finale. It is one of the most attention-grabbing new villain turns the MCU has produced in some time.
Now, Lillard heads from Hell’s Kitchen to Metropolis. Gunn is writing, directing, and producing Man of Tomorrow, with David Corenswet returning as Clark Kent and Nicholas Hoult reprising his role as Lex Luthor.
Lars Eidinger is on board as the film’s main villain, Brainiac, and the supporting cast includes Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Adria Arjona as Maxima, and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart.
With the main villain, Brainiac, already cast and Gunn recently saying every major part has been filled except for one, whoever Lillard is playing would likely be memorable. This is a notable reunion for Gunn and Lillard, who previously collaborated on the live-action Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. In those cult classics, Gunn served as the screenwriter while Lillard delivered his iconic portrayal of Shaggy Rogers. After Lillard publicly expressed his desire to reunite with the filmmaker last year, his wish has been granted with his casting in the upcoming DCU blockbuster.
Lillard has built a reputation, especially over the past year, for stealing scenes in ensemble casts, He returned to the Scream franchise as Stu Macher in Scream 7, appeared in the second season of Prime Video’s Cross, and has A24’s Carrie series lined up next.
What To Expect From Man of Tomorrow
Man of Tomorrow is the fourth film in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DCU and the next chapter in Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. Gunn has been clear that this is not a traditional sequel and is not titled Superman 2. He has described the film as much a Lex Luthor movie as a Superman movie, with the two reluctantly forming an uneasy alliance against a greater threat. This threat is Brainiac, the hyper-intelligent Coluan invader, and Eidinger’s casting marks the character’s long-awaited live-action film debut.
The story also picks up directly from the foundation laid in Peacemaker Season 2. Gunn confirmed the season serves as a prequel to Man of Tomorrow, with Hoult’s Luthor making a cameo appearance and Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr. offering him a chance at redemption and transfer to Van Kull Prison.
The season finale also introduced the inter-dimensional prison Salvation, which is expected to play a large role in the wider DCU. The film features an intriguing premise that explores directions DC has yet to explore in live-action. Matthew Lillard’s casting only adds to the hype, and fans are eager to see which character James Gunn has in mind for him.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
