One of the next DC animated movies, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, has received a trailer. DC has been consistently releasing animated features since Superman: Doomsday in 2007. The most recent film, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, served as the culmination of the continuity that began at the end of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.
DC has released quite a few animated Superman movies over the years. For the most part, they have adapted iconic storylines from the comics. The Death of Superman was actually adapted twice, once in the standalone Superman: Doomsday, and more recently in the animated continuity. There was also Superman vs. The Elite and All-Star Superman, both adapting notable stories. The most recent film was Superman: Red Son, an adaption of the highly acclaimed Elseworlds book. The Man of Steel’s next outing is called Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Unlike the other animated films, Superman: Man of Tomorrow is set during the character’s early days. The Superman: Man of Tomorrow voice cast and a first look image were revealed in April.
Today, Warner Bros. (via IGN) premiered the Superman: Man of Tomorrow trailer, highlighting the story, characters, and animation style. The plot follows Clark Kent as a “Daily Planet intern,” taking “learning-on-the-job to new extremes when Lobo and Parasite set their sights on Metropolis,” says the official plot synopsis. Check out the trailer below.
As viewers can see, Superman: Man of Tomorrow retells the character’s origin, and it’s unclear whether this will be well received by fans. He begins work at the Daily Planet, meets Lois Lane, and introduces himself to the world. Lex Luthor is featured briefly, questioning what the “S” emblem stands for. Lobo appears, and based on the trailer, could be the first major opponent Clark faces in this version of the origin. Martian Manhunter also has a role, and a notable one going by the trailer. Finally, it looks like Parasite will be the main antagonist. While there may be some differences to other Superman origin stories, it has many of the classic hallmarks.
Although Superman’s origin is well known, his introduction to the world hasn’t been explored too much in animation. This gives Superman: Man of Tomorrow some leeway, but the movie looks to be a good blend of known story beats from the classic origin and new elements not explored in other movie and TV shows. For example, Lobo hasn’t appeared in any of the live-action Superman origin stories, immediately differentiating Man of Tomorrow. Further, Martian Manhunter having a role and some funny banter with Superman adds some new elements. And considering the two characters share a similar backstory in the comics, that could play a part in their character dynamic. Altogether, it looks like fans are in for a treat with Superman: Man of Tomorrow.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow will arrive on Digital, 4K, and Blu-ray later this summer.
