Superman is returning to theaters in 2027 with Man of Tomorrow. A sequel to James Gunn's Superman, the film will see the Man of Steel teaming up with his archnemesis, Lex Luthor, against a common threat. Aside from that premise, there's still very little we actually know about Clark Kent's upcoming adventure. Fortunately, we might have gotten information on a crucial detail: Superman's costume.
When James Gunn announced Man of Tomorrow, diferent pieces of official art from the film drawn by different comic book artists, including Jim Lee. In the pieces, Superman was depicted wearing his costume from the eponymous 2025 feature. However, given that it was a drawing, it wasn't clear whether Clark would indeed be wearing the same suit, or if he'd get a new one. Now, we may have an answer for that.
The costumes used in the Superman movie have been on display at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood as part of the Superman Exhibit since May. Now, however, the Man of Steel's super suit appears to be gone from the display. Over on the r/DCU subreddit, user r/M00r3C posted a picture of the exhibit. In place of the costume, there is a notice that reads: "Superman costume currently being used by production."
Superman costume has been taken down, due to it being used for the Man of Tomorrow production
byu/M00r3C inDCU_
Before diving further into this, it's important to note there is a possibility the picture isn't real. Having said that, it was shared, as mentioned, on the r/DCU subreddit, which isn't known for misleading posts. It's also important to note that the production mentioned in the notice may not necessarily be a DCU film or TV show. It could have just as much been borrowed for a commercial, or some sort of promotional tie-in. With that said, let's assume this is true, and focus on the (feasible) possibility that this development is related to a major DC Studios production.
Superman Could Be Keeping His Costume for Man of Tomorrow
Given that the only DCU film gearing up for production in the not-too-distant future is Man of Tomorrow, it makes sense to assume the "production" being referred to on the notice is the upcoming sequel. One could argue Clayface may also be an option. Yet, given how it's been filming for nearly two months and how Clayface isn't a Superman villain, it seems unlikely. If the production is, indeed, Man of Tomorrow, it points to the possibility of Kal-El donning the same costume that he wore in Superman for Man of Tomorrow, at least for a portion of it (assuming he doesn't get a new outfit at some point in the film).
Now, it's understandable to read the notice and mistakenly believe that Man of Tomorrow is already in production. It's not. The film, however, is in pre-production, and is expected to begin filming summer 2026. With its release date being less than two years away, the costume department is likely already setting up the film's wardrobe. As such, it would make sense for the costume to be requested for the pre-production process.
Some may find it odd for a multi-million-dollar production to take a suit that's on display in an exhibit as opposed to simply making a new one. To explain why that might be the case, superhero costumes for major Hollywood productions can be incredibly expensive. As an example, Tobey Maguire's suits for 2002's Spider-Man were said to have cost approximately $50,000 each (comic book movies often require multiples of the same costume). With that, even if more than one Superman costume was made, their value is likely so high, that having them all back for a future production could save up a considerable amount of money in wardrobe.
Superman possibly keeping the same costume for Man of Tomorrow would make the film somewhat of an outlier in the superhero genre. Comic book franchises tend to avoid keeping the same costume from one installment to another. The MCU's Spider-Man has gotten a new outfit in every single one of his three (soon-to-be-four) films; Superman's suit changed in small ways from Man of Steel to Batman v Superman; Iron Man updated his armor at a rate most of us simply couldn't keep up with. Even Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy did this, with Batman receiving a major armor upgrade from Batman Begins to The Dark Knight.
If it is indeed the case that Man of Tomorrow will employ the same costume from Superman, the DCU would break away from that trend. This would make sense, though, given the challenges that designing it presented in the first place. During a Superman set visit (via Gizmodo), James Gunn explained what it took to land on the final design, given how difficult it was to make Superman's trunks work in live-action:
"We were trying on all these different versions, and we screened-tested with trunks and no trunks. And one of the things David said is that, Superman wants kids to not be afraid of him. He's an alien. He's got these incredible powers. He shoots beams out of his eyes... He's this incredibly powerful—could be considered scary—individual, and he wants people to like him. He wants to be a symbol of hope and positivity. So he dresses like a professional wrestler. He dresses in a way that makes people unafraid of him, that shows that hope, that shows that positivity. And that really clicked in for me. And I think trying to pretend that Superman's costume doesn't have some frivolity to it at its base, trying to make it look serious is silly, because he is a superhero. He's the first one, brightly colored and that's who he is."
Man of Tomorrow is slated to fly into theaters on July 9, 2027.
What do you think about the possibility of Clark Kent donning the Superman suit for Man of Tomorrow? Let us know in the comments!