James Gunn has confirmed that Sam McCurdy (“Peacemaker”) is the DP on his upcoming “Superman” sequel, ‘Man of Tomorrow,’ instead of Henry Braham—who shot Gunn’s last four films (“Superman,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and “Vol. 3,” and “The Suicide Squad”).
McCurdy stepping in as director of photography on the “Superman” sequel marks a notable behind-the-scenes shift for DC Studios. Braham has been a defining visual collaborator for Gunn’s recent work, helping establish a bold, vibrant color palette. Replacing him with McCurdy signals a clear recalibration—one that I suspect means Gunn is looking for his sequel to have a different visual identity.
McCurdy’s résumé is interesting, mostly revolving around acclaimed TV shows, especially “Shōgun”—large-scale spectacle balanced by grounded, naturalistic lighting—which might very well be hinting at the direction Gunn will be going in on the sequel. On the film side, he’s most well known for having lensed Neil Marshall’s “The Descent.”
German actor Lars Eidinger will be playing Brainiac in “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” — he’ll be the main villain. Also returning are David Corenswet (Superman) Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), and Rachel Brosnahan (Lois).
Gunn has already suggested that the sequel will see Lex Luthor and Superman forced into an uneasy alliance against a “much bigger threat.” Given the history of both the comics and “Superman: The Animated Series,” it isn’t hard to connect the dots: Brainiac has often clashed with both Superman and Luthor, making him the logical candidate.
“Superman” fared well for Warner Bros. in 2025, earning strong reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes) and pulling in $354M domestically for a $615M global total — despite softer overseas numbers. The official narrative put out claimed they made $120M from Gunn’s film.
Warner Bros. is already targeting an April 2026 production start, with a July 9, 2027 release date locked in for “Superman: Man of Tomorrow.”