DC Studios has locked in yet another name to its ever-expanding Man of Tomorrow cast. Following up on the resounding success of James Gunn's first Kryptonian epic, Superman 2 is set to soar into theaters during the summer of 2027. The new film, once again directed by the DCU headman, will see David Corenswet's Superman forced to team up with Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor to take on classic comic villain Brainiac (played by Lars Eidinger).
A new report from Deadline confirmed the sixth actor set to join the super-powered sequel, with Isabela Merced returning to play Hawkgirl in the upcoming film. Meced previously played the Justice Gang member in James Gunn's Superman, sporting her comic-accurate horned helmet and iconic mace. Now, however, it has been revealed that she will return for more fun within the DCU, marking her third appearance in the franchise (after Superman and Peacemaker Season 2).
The Hawkgirl had previously teased her potential involvement in Man of Tomorrow, so this announcement does not come as a complete surprise. In November 2025, the 24-year-old shared the eyebrow-raising note, "See you there," on Gunn's official announcement of the film, seemingly setting up this eventual announcement.
Merced has been enthusiastic about her role within Gunn's interconnected on-screen canon since it was first revealed she would take on the Hawkgirl role. So much so, in fact, that she has pitched her own future within the franchise, hoping to eventually get to explore the iconic Hawkgirl/Green Lantern romance seen in the beloved Justice League animated series.
James Gunn's Man of Tomorrow has not yet begun production, but is expected to start in the coming months. Marking the fourth overall DC Studios film, the high-flying sequel is set to hit theater screens on July 9, 2027.
Every Other Actor on the Superman 2 Cast
David Corenswet - Superman
After being introduced to audiences in 2025's Superman, David Corenswet's Man of Steel will be back in Man of Tomorrow. Corenswet's on-screen Kryptonian is the anchor from which Superman 2 will pivot, serving as the movie's titular hero and the first DC supe to get his very own movie sequel.
Man of Tomorrow will be a bit of a different experience for Corenswet's Superman. After spending James Gunn's first DCU blockbuster trying to take down the villainous supergenius Lex Luthor, he will now have to forge an alliance with his former arch-nemesis to take down a common enemy, Brainiac.
Nicholas Hoult - Lex Luthor
Nicholas Hoult has been confirmed to return in the upcoming Superman sequel as the iconic comic book villain Lex Luthor. The maniacal tech billionaire put his stamp on the DCU in Superman after attempting to rid the world of its super-powered metahumans, including the Man of Steel himself.
In Superman 2, Lex will be forced to stand on the same side as David Corenswet's Boy in Blue, after the emergence of a galactic threat known as Brainiac. Lex's role will also be slightly different in Man of Tomorrow, after the character was brought in as an advisor to the US government in Peacemaker Season 2.
Rachel Brosnahan - Lois Lane
Superman's conclusion finally sealed the deal between Davide Corenswet's Superman and Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane. The pair had been dating for several months before the events of the 2025 blockbuster, but after taking down Lex Luthor and his plot toward global domination, their relationship went up a level, sealed with a now-iconic mid-flight kiss.
According to DC Studios head James Gunn, Lois will be "important" to Man of Tomorrow's comic book narrative. It is unclear exactly what this could mean, but surely the intrepid Daily Planet reporter will be ready with her pen and paper.
Frank Grillo - Rick Flag Sr.
Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr. enters Man of Tomorrow in a rather interesting place. Introduced as one of the first heroes of the DCU, as the military leader of the Creature Commandos, the seemingly heroic character has flipped the script, going full villain mode after rising to the head of the Metahuman-governing ARGUS.
This culminated in the creation of a multidimensional prison known as Salvation, where he stranded John Cena's Peacemaker at the end of Peacemaker Season 2. Grillo's character is reportedly crucial to Man of Tomorrow, potentially bringing Salvation back into the picture for the 2027 blockbuster.
Lars Eidinger - Brainiac
Before Isabela Merced, the most recently confirmed Man of Tomorrow cast member was Lars Eidinger as Brainiac. For decades now, fans have been asking for the alien supergenius to make his way to the big screen, and they are finally set to get him.
Brainiac has been teased as Superman 2's central villain, emerging as such a threat that Lex Luthor and Superman have to put aside their differences and work together to take him down. Originating from the planet Colu, Brainiac travels the cosmos seeking to accumulate all knowledge in the universe, taking entire civilizations and shrinking them as personal trophies of his conquest.
