Man of Steel 2: Everything we know

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Man of Steel 2 is all-but-confirmed

Henry Cavill as Superman in Man of Steel
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

The desire for Man of Steel 2, the sequel to Henry Cavill's only solo-Superman movie, was always there. Just ... not from everyone in the highest seats of power in the DC Extended Universe. But, as you might have heard, "the hierarchy of power in the DC universe" has changed — and so shall the upcoming DC movies.

And now, it looks like we're actually going to see that marketing slogan from Dwayne Johnson turn into reality, with the Black Adam star seemingly gaining more influence over DC Extended Universe movies. And it's all happening despite the box-office failure for recent DC movies placed upon Henry Cavill's chiseled shoulders.

So in less time than it takes Clark Kent to make an excuse about why he wasn't able to be there when Superhero saved Lois Lane, let's break down everything we know about Man of Steel 2, which seems likely to be made under the new regime at DC. (Speaking of which, we've got 5 ways James Gunn can save the DC Universe.)

An image indicating spoilers are ahead.

Man of Steel 2 is basically confirmed

Everything changed quite recently, when The Hollywood Reporter revealed that DC Films exec Walter Hamada was on his way out of the company. On top of that, the report states that Warner Bros. Pictures execs eyes "are very much on Superman. Under Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, Warners has an intense desire to reprise the Cavill iteration of the hero."

Then, on Monday (Oct. 24), Henry Cavill confirmed that he is back as Superman in an Instagram post. Referencing his appearance in Black Adam, Cavill said "Now that plenty of you have [seen Black Adam] I wanted to make it official that I'm back as Superman. ... There's a lot to be thankful for, I'll get to that in time, I wanted to thank you guys ... thank you for your support, and thank you for your patience, I promise it will be rewarded."

And, yes, he's seemingly back to appear in a project will "essentially" be Man of Steel 2. It even has a producer: original Man of Steel producer Charles Roven (The Suicide Squad, Uncharted, Wonder Woman 1984). 

So, while Man of Steel 2 may not be the name of the film, Warner Bros. has basically greenlit the production.

Man of Steel 2 release date window

From development to the screen, Man of Steel took approximately 5 years. So, Man of Steel 2 may not arrive until ... 2027.

And that year may not be a crazy stretch, either. The wish list for directors apparently includes Christopher McQuarrie, who is busy with Mission: Impossible 7 and 8. The latter doesn't arrive in theaters until June 28, 2024.

Man of Steel 2 cast possibilities

Right now, aside from Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, only one name really seems like a given to appear in Man of Steel 2: Dwayne Johnson.

Johnson, according to THR, has basically all but confirmed that Cavill appears in a surprise cameo at the end of Black Adam. Our explainer on the Black Adam post-credits scene can confirm or deny. All Johnson says that he's itching to make Black Adam vs Superman happen. 

(L, R) Dwayne Johnson and Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam

(Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty and DC/Warner)

As it turns out, Johnson played a huge role in getting Cavill back in the DCEU fold, going over Walter Hamada's head to get the green light from Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy.

That said, based on all the recent DCEU movies (and that little thing called Zack Snyder's Justice League), the following cast and characters are also in play:

  • Amy Adams as Lois Lane
  • Diane Lane as Martha Kent
  • Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
  • Laurence Fishburne as Perry White
  • Harry Lennix as Martian Manhunter

Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman and Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne/Batman are both seemingly possible, but not hinted at nor confirmed.

Man of Steel 2 plot possibilities

Man of Steel 2 could, arguably, be a very simple Superman movie. It's sort-of what the series needs. Man of Steel is origin story for Cavill's Superman. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the cross-over event, and Justice League is all about the death and resurrection of Superman.

Finally, maybe, we could see a regular Superman movie in the DCEU. Time, of course, will tell.

Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey

Henry was a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.