The Secret Blueprint of James Gunn’s DCU

When James Gunn talks abouts Man of Tomorrow and the grander DCU, the most intriguing clue isn’t who the villain is. It’s that Superman and Lex Luthor will be forced to work together against a much bigger threat.

That line may sound simple, but it’s quietly pointing to something much larger. Something thematic.

Because of this… and other reasons some are beginning to speculate that this could be leading to a story that is a lot like ‘New Frontier.’

New Frontier

In New Frontier, the world isn’t ready to trust superheroes. The government is paranoid, the public is fearful, and costumed vigilantes are seen as unpredictable variables.

That climate forces heroes to operate in the shadows or under government control… that is until something bigger than politics pushes them together.

That is sort of what has already begun taking shape in both SUPERMAN (2025) and Peacemaker Season 2.

Lex Luthor loudly put distrust in the public for Metahumans, specifically Superman. Then, Rick Flag Sr. starts his mission in not just catching bad guys… but he’s rounding up metahumans and exiling them to Planet Salvation, all in the name of “protecting humanity.”

This isn’t some cartoon villainy either… it’s fear. Deep, systemic fear of superpowered individuals. And that’s exactly the kind of world New Frontier depicted.

In the comic, Superman becomes the tipping point… a hopeful symbol that changes the conversation. (sound familiar?)

He inspires others to stand together instead of hiding.

If I were a bettin man I would say that’s likely what Man of Tomorrow is aiming to do.

DCU

Gunn’s version of Superman stepped into a world that doesn’t trust people like him, a world that builds prisons for metahumans and lets fear dictate policy.

But when the planet faces a truly existential threat, the old rules won’t work anymore. Superman isn’t just another superpowered figure… He will become their rallying point.

Gunn has already confirmed that the threat in Man of Tomorrow is so big that Superman and Lex Luthor will have to team up.

That alone says a lot about the story being told. This isn’t just about brute force, it’s about ideologies colliding under pressure.

Lex represents control, manipulation, and human superiority. Superman represents hope, trust, and cooperation.

When the world teeters on the edge, those two forces can’t ignore each other anymore. And in a way, the “big threat” might not be the real enemy. The real battle could be over how humanity responds to fear.

That’s what makes New Frontier so powerful… and why it could “quietly” be the blueprint for Gunn’s opening chapter.

The story isn’t really about a monster attacking Earth, even though that will probably happen, it’s about a world too fractured to defend itself… until it isn’t.

The villain is the fear itself… the mistrust, the paranoia, the divide between heroes and humanity.

The big threat simply forces everyone’s hand. It’s the kind of story where a hopeful Superman isn’t just punching something… he’s changing the world’s outlook. And that’s the perfect tone setter for an entire shared universe.

Maybe Man of Tomorrow and the DCU isn’t adapting New Frontier beat for beat.

But, It doesn’t have to.

The spirit of New Frontier, a fractured world forced to unite when hope steps forward, fits James Gunn’s DCU setup like a glove.

Planet Salvation. Rick Flag Sr.’s paranoia. A reluctant Lex. A bigger threat. And one man in a cape standing at the center of it all.

That’s not just a movie. That’s the moment the DCU finds its soul.