James Gunn Explains When Man Of Tomorrow Takes Place On The DC Universe Timeline

The new DC Universe is continuing to unfold. James Gunn's "Superman" meaningfully kicked things off last summer. This year will bring us "Supergirl" and "Clayface" to a theater near you, with "Lanterns" opening things up even further on HBO. As we speak, Gunn is on set filming "Man of Tomorrow," which will feature the villain Brainiac. But where does the director's latest fall on the DCU timeline?

Gunn isn't just a director; he's actually the co-head of DC Studios at Warner Bros. alongside Peter Safran. So he's well connected to everything that's going on. He regularly replies to fans on social media with questions about the DCU. Replying to a fan on Threads who asked when the movie takes place on the timeline, "Basically real time," Gunn said initially. He then later clarified in another reply on Threads, "Real time like summer 2027."

This lines up with previous comments Gunn has made about the new DC Universe timeline, and it's not complicated. He's said "basically" it's as the movies and shows come out. So, "Man of Tomorrow" taking place in summer 2027 makes sense. That also helps keep things pretty simple for fans who are following along at home. It's not becoming some big, splintered mess of various timelines across various universes. It's relatively simple. At least for now.

"Clayface" takes place elsewhere on the DC Universe timeline, serving as "the first DCU film out of chronological order." That's an R-rated movie based on the "Batman" villain of the same name, one that got the green light almost out of nowhere, following a pitch from Mike Flanagan. It wasn't part of the original plan that Gunn and Safran put together, so there will be outliers as this continues to evolve.

Broadly speaking, James Gunn and Warner Bros. want to keep things simple for fans and more casual audiences. The Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline has had numerous mistakes and contradictions, the result of increasingly difficult continuity splintered across many projects over more than 15 years. At some point, it almost becomes impossible to keep everything neat and tidy. For now, WB and DC have the advantage of taking things one step at a time.

There will be outliers and special cases along the way. Director Matt Reeves' "The Batman Part II" is set during winter, as recent set photos confirmed, but the sequel has also been confirmed to take place outside of the new DC Universe continuity. Eventually, a new Batman will be cast for the DCU. So Warner Bros. and Gunn will have to do their best to communicate to casual audiences that Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne doesn't exist in the "Superman" universe.

As for "Man of Tomorrow," it's going to feature the return of David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, with the hero and villain reluctantly teaming up to tackle a larger threat. Presumably, Brainiac is that threat, but plot details are largely being kept under wraps. A recent set photo revealed Hoult's Lex Luthor in his warsuit.

Looking ahead, several projects in the DCU are in various stages of development. On the TV side, we have "Creature Commandos" Season 2, "Waller," and "Booster Gold," among others. Movies such as a "Wonder Woman" reboot, "The Brave and the Bold," and "Teen Titans" are in the works, but none currently has a release date set in stone.

"Man of Tomorrow" hits theaters on July 9, 2027.