Superman: Man of Tomorrow — a modern and essential origin story
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Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020) is an 86-minute animated film that tells Superman's beginnings starting from an already adult Clark Kent, an intern at the Daily Planet, whom Metropolis nicknames “the Flying Man.” Directed by Chris Palmer from a screenplay by Tim Sheridan, it opens the Tomorrowverse, the second continuity of DC animation, and holds 93% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. In this article: the genesis of the project, the origin story as the film tightens it, the cast led by Darren Criss, Ryan Hurst and Ike Amadi, the animation style, the themes, the real role of Lobo and Parasite, the film's exact place in the franchise and its legacy. By the end, you will know why Man of Tomorrow remains one of the best animated entry points to the character — and what the summaries in circulation get wrong about it.
L’essentiel
- Release : August 23, 2020 (digital), September 8, 2020 (Blu-ray, DVD, 4K Ultra HD)
- Runtime : 86 minutes
- Crew : Chris Palmer (director), Tim Sheridan (screenplay), Kevin Riepl (music)
- Superman's voice : Darren Criss
- Adversaries : Lobo, then Parasite; Lex Luthor, an ally before he betrays
- Critical reception : 93% on Rotten Tomatoes (14 reviews), 7/10 from IGN
📋 Contents
2020 animated film context
Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020) is a DC animated film produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Released on August 23, 2020, it opens the second story arc of the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU), the one audiences nicknamed the Tomorrowverse, with a modern, tightened origin story.
- Release : August 23, 2020 (digital), September 8, 2020 (Blu-ray)
- Studio : Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment
- Direction : Chris Palmer
- Screenplay : Tim Sheridan, inspired by Superman: Birthright and Superman: American Alien
- Runtime : 86 minutes
- Critical reception : 93% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes (14 reviews)
- Concept : soft reboot after Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
After the dark conclusion of the DCAMU with Apokolips War, Man of Tomorrow represented a new approach that was brighter. This dimension reflects DC's need to offer an alternative after the very dark tone of the DCAMU finale. To explore Apokolips War, our complete analysis of Superman Legacy develops the modern context. Our complete guide to Superman comic books develops the mythological context.
A project announced a year before its release
Warner Bros. Animation unveiled Superman: Man of Tomorrow at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019, more than a year before it went online. The film is produced by Jim Krieg and Kimberly S. Moreau, with music by Kevin Riepl that WaterTower Music released as an album on September 10, 2020.
A rare detail for a film released straight to video: it was streamed free online on September 12, 2020, during DC FanDome, only four days after its release on Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD.
From the announcement to the last Tomorrowverse film
Modern origin story
Theorigin story offered by Man of Tomorrow is modern and concentrated:
- Clark Kent : young adult, intern at the Daily Planet
- Daily Planet : Lois Lane is already a reporter there and gets Lex Luthor arrested in the opening scene
- Meeting Lois : first professional collaboration
- Before the costume : the public nicknames him “the Flying Man”
- Kryptonian origins : revealed by J'onn J'onzz, one evening, at the Kents' home
- First costume : a gift from Martha Kent, after the fight with Lobo
- First public rescue : the LexCorp telescope rocket falling back on Metropolis
- First adversaries : Lobo first, then Parasite
This origin story approach is inspired by Superman: Birthright (Mark Waid 2003). The narrative compression — 86 minutes, and a story that starts with a Clark who is already an adult and already active — creates an unusual density. This dimension makes the film a perfect introduction to the character for new fans. To explore Krypton (the origin), our complete analysis of Krypton and our complete analysis of Jor-El develop the extended context.
What the film strips from the classic origin story
Tim Sheridan's sharpest choice is a subtraction. No Smallville adolescence, no montage of learning to use the powers: the story opens on an already adult Clark, an intern at the Daily Planet, whom Metropolis has nicknamed “the Flying Man” because he saves people with no costume and no name.
The consequence is a shift of subject. The question is no longer “how does Clark get his powers?” but “at what point does he agree to show himself?”. The costume only arrives after the fight with Lobo, a gift from Martha Kent, and it is the press that christens him Superman. The hero does not give himself his name: it is given to him.
Voice performance
The voice cast of Man of Tomorrow is notable:
- Superman / Clark Kent : Darren Criss (Glee, American Crime Story)
- Lois Lane : Alexandra Daddario
- Lobo : Ryan Hurst
- Lex Luthor : Zachary Quinto
- Parasite : Brett Dalton
- Martian Manhunter : Ike Amadi
- Martha and Jonathan Kent : Bellamy Young and Neil Flynn
The cast is entirely renewed compared to the traditional DCAMU. This dimension reflects the intent of a soft reboot. Darren Criss brings a freshness to Clark Kent. Zachary Quinto (Sylar in Heroes, Spock in Star Trek) gives Lex Luthor an unsettling intellectual dimension. To explore the Lex Luthor dimension in general, our complete analysis of Lex Luthor develops the extended context.
Ryan Hurst as Lobo, the role the summaries forget
The one missing from the synopses is the very character who sets the whole plot in motion: Ryan Hurst voices Lobo, the alien bounty hunter who lands in Metropolis because a bounty has been placed on the last survivor of Krypton. We learn later that it was Lex Luthor who hired him, after buying out S.T.A.R. Labs.
Ike Amadi holds the other end of the spectrum as J'onn J'onzz, an exile older and more cautious than Clark, whom he advises to stay hidden. Neil Flynn and Bellamy Young round out the cast as Jonathan and Martha Kent, and Piotr Michael voices Perry White. As for Cristina Milizia, regularly confused with Cristina Milioti in online summaries, she only voices secondary characters.
Animation and style
Theanimation of Man of Tomorrow adopts a modern style:
- Style : modern, updated design
- Superman costume : lively redesign
- Palette : light, bright colors
- Action : fluid sequences
- Metropolis : modern urban design
- No developed Kryptonian sequence : the story opens on an already adult Clark
- Visual reception : very positive
This modern visual dimension sets Man of Tomorrow apart from the other DCAMU films. The light, bright palette contrasts with the dark tone of Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. This visual dimension influenced the DC animated films that followed. To explore All-Star Superman (another classic animated origin), our complete analysis of All-Star Superman develops the extended context.
Central themes
Several central themes structure Man of Tomorrow:
- Discovering identity : who is Clark Kent really?
- Refugee experience : Superman as a Kryptonian migrant
- Trust : can humanity be trusted?
- Power and responsibility : the use of Kryptonian powers
- The Kent family : the importance of the adoptive parents
- Kryptonian heritage : connection to a lost Krypton
- Hope : the symbolism of the Kryptonian S
These contemporary themes make Man of Tomorrow an engaged film. The "refugee Superman" dimension resonates particularly with modern concerns. This dimension influenced other later adaptations. To explore the Superman logo dimension, our complete analysis of the Superman logo develops the extended context.
The disagreement between Clark and J'onn is the heart of the film
When J'onn J'onzz introduces himself to the Kents and tells Clark about Krypton, he adds a piece of advice: stay hidden, because humans are xenophobic. Clark refuses. That disagreement is not a detail of dialogue, it is the film's thesis staged — two survivors of two dead planets drawing opposite conclusions from the same experience.
The ending settles it in Clark's favor, but without a speech. Superman overcomes Parasite by speaking to Rudy Jones, the man, rather than to the monster, then introduces himself publicly under his Kryptonian name, Kal-El. Showing yourself as you are rather than hiding: the film makes that decision its closing gesture.
Parasite, first villain
Parasite is the main villain of Man of Tomorrow:
- Human identity : Rudy Jones, a janitor at S.T.A.R. Labs
- Power : absorbing Superman's powers on contact
- Origin : an energy-absorbing grenade from Lobo, during his fight with Superman
- Tragic dimension : an involuntary victim
- Fight : Superman must prevent physical contact
- Voice : Brett Dalton
- Outcome : he sacrifices himself to stop the Metropolis power plant from exploding
Choosing Parasite rather than Lex Luthor as the main threat moves the danger from the ground of intelligence to that of the body: Superman cannot reason with a being who drains his strength on contact. As for Lex Luthor, he is anything but a secondary role: a CEO arrested in the opening scene, he becomes the circumstantial ally of a Superman stripped of his powers, before betraying him in the home stretch. To explore the alternative origin stories dimension, our complete analysis of Superman Birthright develops the extended context.
A collateral accident, not a plan
Rudy Jones is neither an ambitious scientist nor an employee eaten up by resentment. He is a S.T.A.R. Labs janitor who befriends Clark and tips him off about the alien experiments being run in the laboratory. He becomes Parasite because he is in the wrong place during the fight between Superman and Lobo: an energy-absorbing grenade dropped by the bounty hunter fuses with his DNA.
Nobody wanted this monster. Rudy first goes back to S.T.A.R. Labs to demand answers from Lobo, and ends up freeing him by draining the energy from his cell. Only then does he ravage Metropolis: he drains Superman and J'onn on contact, pulls their knowledge out of them as well, and inherits their weaknesses along the way — something Lex Luthor is the only one to understand quickly enough to turn into a weapon.
Place in the DCAMU
The place of Man of Tomorrow in the DCAMU is unique:
- Status : the first film of a second arc, after fifteen films
- After Apokolips War (May 5, 2020) : the film that closes the first arc
- New continuity : a complete reset, with no link to the first arc
- Renewed cast : Darren Criss takes over from Jerry O'Connell
- Bright tone : contrast with Apokolips War
- Strategy : preparing the future Tomorrowverse
- Next film : Justice Society: World War II (April 27, 2021)
This dimension makes Man of Tomorrow the first film of the Tomorrowverse, DC's new animation continuity. This dimension laid the foundations for the later DC animated films. To explore James Gunn's DCU (the parallel movie universe), our complete David Corenswet guide develops the extended context.
The first film of a second arc
Man of Tomorrow's position invites confusion because it is twofold. The DC Animated Movie Universe already had fifteen films behind it, from Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (July 30, 2013) to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (May 5, 2020), loosely adapted from the New 52. Man of Tomorrow is not their sequel: it opens a second arc, with no continuity with the first.
It is this film, in fact, that gave the period its nickname. Audiences dubbed this second continuity the Tomorrowverse, after the title of the feature that inaugurates it.
| Criterion | DCAMU first arc (2013-2020) | Tomorrowverse (2020-2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Opening film | Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (July 30, 2013) | Superman: Man of Tomorrow (August 23, 2020) |
| Closing film | Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (May 5, 2020) | Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three (July 16, 2024) |
| Number of films | 15 | 10 |
| Superman's voice | Sam Daly, Jerry O'Connell, Alan Tudyk | Darren Criss |
| Comics sources | loosely adapted from the New 52 | Superman: Birthright and Superman: American Alien for the opening film |
The film's legacy
Thelegacy of Man of Tomorrow is notable:
Reference animated origin story. The film is recognized as one of the best Superman origin stories in animation. Its narrative concentration owes less to its runtime, 86 minutes, than to everything Tim Sheridan chose not to tell.
First Tomorrowverse film. The film launched DC's new animation continuity. This dimension makes Man of Tomorrow a founding project.
Darren Criss's performance. His Superman voice left its mark on fans. This dimension confirms the quality of the renewed cast.
Public reception. The film topped Blu-ray sales for the week of September 5 to 12, 2020 and has taken $3,234,932 in home video sales in the United States. To explore the entire source mythology, our complete guide to the history of Superman develops the extended context. To celebrate the animated film dimension, our store offers a complete selection of Superman figures, Superman posters and Superman decorations.
The numbers behind the good reputation
The film's reputation rests on measurable ground, even if the sample is narrow: Rotten Tomatoes shows 93% positive reviews, from only fourteen critics. IGN gives it 7 out of 10 and sums up the ambivalence well — a safe and predictable retelling, but one that goes to the heart of Clark Kent and the road he has to travel before becoming Superman.
On November 19, 2020, the film was nominated for best superhero movie at the first Critics' Choice Super Awards, against Birds of Prey, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Old Guard and Secret Society of Second-Born Royals.
Four misconceptions about Superman: Man of Tomorrow
- The film runs 75 minutes, making it one of the shortest DC animated films. It runs 86 minutes. That is comparable to the neighboring films in the same line: Justice League Dark: Apokolips War runs 90 and Justice Society: World War II 84. The 75-minute figure, very widely repeated, does not match the official runtime.
- Parasite is Superman's only adversary in the film. Lobo opens the hostilities as a bounty hunter come to claim the head of the last Kryptonian, and it is his absorbing grenade that turns Rudy Jones into Parasite. Lex Luthor, for his part, helps Superman before betraying him in the final act.
- Clark learns of his Kryptonian origins through a hologram of Jor-El. Jor-El is not a speaking role in the film. It is J'onn J'onzz who tells Clark about Krypton, one evening, at the Kents' home: the revelation is a conversation between two exiles, not a fatherly monologue.
- Man of Tomorrow continues the New 52 DCAMU. The first arc was indeed loosely adapted from the New 52. Man of Tomorrow opens a second arc that carries none of it over: not the voices, not the designs, not the events.
FAQ — Frequently asked questions
What is Superman: Man of Tomorrow?
A DC animated film released in August 2020. Directed by Chris Palmer from a screenplay by Tim Sheridan. Runtime: 86 minutes. A modern, concentrated origin story for the hero. The first film of the Tomorrowverse, DC's new animation continuity after Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.
Who provides the main voices?
Darren Criss (Glee, American Crime Story) as Superman/Clark Kent, Alexandra Daddario as Lois Lane, Ryan Hurst as Lobo, Zachary Quinto (Sylar in Heroes, Spock in Star Trek) as Lex Luthor, Brett Dalton as Parasite, Ike Amadi as Martian Manhunter. A cast entirely renewed compared to the traditional DCAMU.
How long is the film?
86 minutes, not 75 as is so often written: Justice League Dark: Apokolips War runs 90, Justice Society: World War II 84. What is tightened is the story: no Smallville adolescence, no learning of the powers, a Clark who is already an adult and already an intern at the Daily Planet from the opening minutes. The costume, a gift from Martha Kent, only arrives after the fight with Lobo.
Who is the first villain?
The first adversary is in fact Lobo, an alien bounty hunter come to claim the head of the last Kryptonian. It is his absorbing grenade, dropped during their fight at S.T.A.R. Labs, that turns janitor Rudy Jones into Parasite, the film's main threat. Lex Luthor is not a secondary role: arrested in the opening scene, he becomes Superman's forced ally before betraying him.
Place in the DCAMU?
The first film of a second arc. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (May 5, 2020) closed the first, after fifteen films; Man of Tomorrow opens the Tomorrowverse, with no continuity link whatsoever to what came before. A renewed cast, a redone design, a brighter tone. The next film is Justice Society: World War II, on April 27, 2021.
What themes does the film address?
Clark's discovery of his identity, the refugee experience (Superman as a Kryptonian migrant), trust in humanity, power and responsibility, the importance of the Kent family, Kryptonian heritage, hope (the symbolism of the S). Contemporary themes, with the 'refugee Superman' dimension resonating particularly with modern concerns.
Was the film well received?
Very well received: positive reviews, enthusiastic fans, considered one of the best Superman origin stories in animation. Rotten Tomatoes shows 93% positive reviews from 14 critics. IGN gives it 7 out of 10, judging the retelling safe and predictable but praising how truthfully it follows Clark Kent's journey. The film was also nominated for best superhero movie at the first Critics' Choice Super Awards, on November 19, 2020.
Did the film inspire James Gunn's DCU?
Not directly. But the concentrated, bright approach of Man of Tomorrow (2020) reflects trends similar to those of James Gunn's Superman (2025): a return to traditional, optimistic values after a dark era. Possible indirect inspirations. No direct adaptation.
Do you need to have seen the earlier DCAMU films to understand Man of Tomorrow?
No, and that is precisely the point of the film. It opens an entirely new continuity: none of the events, none of the voices and none of the designs of the first arc are carried over. You can watch it knowing nothing about the fifteen films that precede it. On the contrary, it serves as the entry point to the nine Tomorrowverse films that follow.
Who is Lobo and why does he come to Earth?
Lobo is an alien bounty hunter, voiced by Ryan Hurst. He lands in Metropolis because a bounty has been placed on Clark as the last survivor of Krypton; we learn later that Lex Luthor had hired him after buying out S.T.A.R. Labs. He is also the indirect creator of Parasite, his absorbing grenade fusing with Rudy Jones's DNA during their fight. Beaten by Superman, he then reappears alongside Luthor, blows himself up against Parasite, and survives all the same thanks to his regenerative abilities.
Does Martian Manhunter die in the film?
No. He appears to die, burned, during the fight against Parasite, but he has in fact faked his death using his psychic powers. He reappears to stop Lex Luthor at the moment Luthor betrays Superman, then leaves Earth in search of other Martians.
Conclusion
Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020) remains one of the best Superman origin stories in animation. Directed by Chris Palmer for Warner Bros. Animation from a screenplay by Tim Sheridan, carried by an entirely renewed cast around Darren Criss, this 86-minute story left its mark on fans. The first film of the Tomorrowverse, it launched DC's new animation continuity after the end of the DCAMU.
The compact origin story approach, the acclaimed Darren Criss performance, the bright modern animation, the contemporary themes (refugee Superman, power and responsibility, hope) make up a perfect introduction to the character. This dimension makes Man of Tomorrow a lasting reference for new Superman fans.
To explore all the other origin story dimensions, our Superman Birthright analysis, our All-Star Superman analysis, our Krypton analysis, our Superman (2025) analysis and our complete guide to the history of Superman retrace the whole extended dimension.