Two Superman 2 stars confirmed that a third Kryptonian character will appear in the sequel, Man of Tomorrow. James Gunn, the DC Studios co-CEO who wrote and directed Superman, is back behind the camera for the follow-up, which started filming in Atlanta in April. David Corenswet’s Superman and Milly Alcock’s Supergirl were already locked in as the sequel’s two Kryptonian heroes, leaving fans to wonder which other faces from the Fortress of Solitude could join them.
Superman actor Alan Tudyk confirmed he is reprising Gary, the Kryptonian robot from the Fortress of Solitude, in Man of Tomorrow, and Alcock separately revealed his presence on set. The sequel arrives in theaters on July 9, 2027. Gary’s return puts a third character with roots on Krypton alongside Corenswet’s hero and Alcock’s Kara Zor-El, reuniting one of the first film’s most popular supporting players with the Man of Steel.
Tudyk revealed his role in the Superman sequel on a recent episode of Once We Were Spacemen, the podcast he hosts with Guy Gardner actor Nathan Fillion. When Fillion asked about the project keeping him in Atlanta, Tudyk joked that his paperwork has a fake working title, telling his co-host that "Superman 2: Super Duper" is written on "all of my call sheets:"
"Well, it’s a project called ‘Superman 2: Super Duper,' I think, is the name. I’m not supposed to give that out. That’s what’s on all of my call sheets. 'Superman 2: Super Duper: The Rise of Gary,' which is my character, the robot named Gary at the end of the last movie, which was really great."
Tudyk continued, saying the sight of Gary’s name on his trailer door left him "filled with joy:"
"And I was very happy to see that make it into the movie. It definitely wasn’t a sure thing that it would make it in the movie. And I’m happy that when I showed up at work, I had Gary on my trailer door, which already, just stepping on set, I was filled with joy, which is definitely not always the case."
The silly title is a gag, but the casting is real. Gary went by Robot Four for most of Superman, leading the automatons who patch up the hero inside his arctic fortress. Tudyk improvised the name in the film’s final scene, a change Gunn and the team debated at length before keeping it in the finished cut.
Alcock also confirmed Garry's appearance and name-dropped Tudyk during her Happy Sad Confused podcast interview with host Josh Horowitz on her Supergirl press tour. Asked whether bouncing between her solo movie’s promotion and the sequel’s shoot was difficult, she admitted the two productions felt worlds apart before praising her new castmates, including "Alan, who plays Gary the robot:"
"It really is. It’s hard to code switch, and it’s a different environment than the environment that we had on 'Supergirl.' It’s a different story, but all of the cast that I’ve gotten to work with have been super open and really lovely, like Nicholas Hoult, David [Corenswet]... love him. Alan [Tudyk], who plays Gary the robot, was also there. He’s so funny. [laughter] And Lars [Eidinger]. We’ve had a few people."
Gunn later made it official, sharing a production update from the set on Threads that confirmed Tudyk was among the cast. The podcast appearances still offered the first word from the actors themselves, and Alcock’s shoutout hints that Kara might cross paths with Superman’s robotic helper again on screen.
Every Kryptonian Character Appearing in Man of Tomorrow
Superman
David Corenswet returns as Clark Kent, the last son of Krypton and the face of the new DCU. His first outing ended with Lex Luthor locked up in Belle Reve and Gary choosing his new name inside the restored Fortress of Solitude.
Man of Tomorrow will give Clark an even bigger challenge than what he faced in his first outing. Brainiac, played by German stage and screen veteran Lars Eidinger, poses a threat so massive that the hero and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor will have to work together to stop him. An enemy of that scale gives Clark every reason to call in help from the Fortress and from his own family.
Supergirl
Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El is fresh off her own solo movie, which reached theaters in June and sent her on a revenge mission across the galaxy with young Ruthye Marye Knoll. The story stripped away her party-first attitude and ended with her ready to give Earth a real chance.
Her role in the sequel sounds substantial. Gunn described it as a big one, and Supergirl executive producer Lars P. Winther explained that Kara’s wild days are behind her, with her Man of Tomorrow story staying Earth-based as she tries to reconnect with her cousin. This means the two surviving members of the House of El will team up properly for the first time in the DCU.
BONUS: Krypto
No announcement has confirmed the appearance of the super-powered dog, Krypto, in Man of Tomorrow yet, so this one is more of an educated guess than a confirmation. The case for him is strong, though. Supergirl ended with Kara flying back to Earth with Krypto at her side, and the pair crashed Clark’s Metropolis apartment in the final scene while the mutt raided the kitchen.
With Kara sticking around on Earth and Gary already confirmed, nearly the whole Fortress of Solitude household is accounted for. Leaving Krypto out of a movie that heavily involves Superman’s Kryptonian family would be a strange choice, especially after the scene-stealing dog became one of the first film’s most beloved characters.
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.
