James Gunn's DC Universe is still finding its footing. However, no one can accuse the filmmaker and his collaborators of phoning it in. DC Studios continues to take huge swings, such as greenlighting a Clayface solo movie and a Jimmy Olsen TV series. But the company's biggest risk of all might be dropping Superman's name from the title of his upcoming sequel.
Despite a rumor floating around that Man of Tomorrow had changed its title to Superman: Man of Tomorrow, that's not actually the case. Gunn took to social media to confirm no such decision had been made. In fact, he revealed that he prefers not to put colons in titles.
That's a strange stance to take when operating in the superhero world, as just about every major franchise utilizes the punctuation mark to tease an adaptation of an iconic comic book story or reveal a significant development. Just because everyone else is doing something doesn't make it right, though, as Gunn clearly understands the dangers of putting the cart before the horse.
DC Has a History of Doing Too Much With Its Titles
The Man of Tomorrow controversy isn't the first time that Gunn has had to field questions about colons. Looking back at the initial DCU slate, two titles stand out more than the others: Superman: Legacy and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Gunn eventually decided to drop the fluff from his Kryptonian-led projects. While he provided solid explanations at the time, it's hard to imagine that the past didn't play a factor in his decision-making.
DC has been releasing movies on the big screen for decades, giving numerous heroes and villains their moments in the sun. Of course, no matter how much money Aquaman makes at the box office and how many critics Joker has in his corner, they will always be fighting an uphill battle against Superman and Batman.
Every few years, the Caped Crusader and the Last Son of Krypton find themselves on the front of another poster. Pn one occasion, they got to share the spotlight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The Man of Steel sequel marketed itself as an all-out war between the two characters. However, the collection of words after the colon promised something else, and it eventually derailed the entire movie.
Dawn of Justice was at its best when Batman and Superman were at odds, with each one attempting to deliver their own brand of justice. It all fell apart when Wonder Woman, Doomsday, and an email full of cameos from a couple of future Justice League members showed up. The "Dawn of Justice" was just too much for the DC Extended Universe to handle, putting the franchise on a dark path it never escaped from.
Not wanting to paint itself into a corner, the DCU is walking to the beat of its own drum, only promising what it knows it can deliver. Man of Tomorrow is sure to set up what's to come, but everyone can rest easy knowing it won't trip over its own feet in the name of worldbuilding.
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