| Superman: Man of Tomorrow | |
|---|---|
 4K Ultra HD cover | |
| Directed by | Chris Palmer |
| Written by | Tim Sheridan |
| Based on | |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Edited by | Bruce A. King |
| Music by | Kevin Riepl |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Home Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Superman: Man of Tomorrow is a 2020 Americananimatedsuperhero film based on theDC Comics characterSuperman. Produced byWarner Bros. Animation, andDC Entertainment, and distributed byWarner Bros. Home Entertainment, it is the first installment in theDC Animated Movie Universe's second phase, and the sixteenth overall. The film is directed by Chris Palmer, and written by Tim Sheridan, and starsDarren Criss andZachary Quinto. The film depicts the early days of Clark Kent's career as the superhero Superman. It is the 42nd film in theDC Universe Animated Original Movies line.
Following the planetKrypton's destruction, Kryptonian infantKal-El was sent by his parents to Earth where he is adopted by farmersJonathan and Martha Kent who raise him as "Clark". Years later, Clark works for theDaily Planet as an intern and is known to the public as "the Flying Man" when using his abilities. He attends the launch of an orbital rocket telescope made byLexCorp in hopes to seek other life in the universe, but reporterLois Lane exposes LexCorp CEOLex Luthor of gross negligence that could lead to the destruction ofMetropolis leading to his arrest. Meanwhile, Clark befriendsS.T.A.R. Labs janitorRudy Jones, who informs him about extraterrestrial experiments going on inside the lab. Suddenly, the rocket falls towards Metropolis and Clark stops the rocket as the Flying Man. Unbeknownst to Clark, he is being watched by a mysterious figure in a trench coat.
S.T.A.R. Labs detect a UFO grabbing the attention of Clark, who is confronted by an alien bounty hunter namedLobo. Lobo reveals that Clark has a bounty on him because he is the last of his kind. During the fight, which is lead to S.T.A.R. Labs, Rudy is caught in the crossfire of the damage being fused with unknown substances while Lobo learns of Clark's weakness toKryptonite. Just as Clark is being beaten by Lobo, the figure intervenes, revealing himself as a Martian to the public. While he distracts Lobo, Clark uses Earth's sun to heal and ultimately defeat Lobo. That night, the Martian introduces himself asJ'onn J'onzz to the Kents and reveals Clark's Kryptonian history to him. He then warns Clark to stay hidden from humanity as they can be xenophobic despite Clark's disagreements. Elsewhere, a hospitalised Rudy awakens and discovers he has the ability to drain life, turning victims into husks.
Martha gifts Clark a new suit with an "S" imprinted at the front and a cape while the media officially coin him "Superman". Rudy attacks S.T.A.R. Labs in an attempt to gain answers from Lobo but frees him in the process after draining his cell's energy which transforms Rudy into a parasite-like creature who begins rampaging across Metropolis. Superman and J'onn work together to stop Rudy, but during the battle, Rudy is draining their powers while extracting information from them. The battle results in J'onn's death after being burnt by Rudy. A powerless Superman requests help from an imprisoned Luthor to help him restore his abilities by sending him to the sun. Through S.T.A.R. Labs CCTV footage, Superman realizes Rudy became the Parasite thanks to Lobo's grenade; it consisted of a purple foam/liquid and was designed to absorb energy, but instead bonded with Rudy's DNA to create the Parasite. Luthor deduces that the Parasite would have gained Superman's weaknesses from absorbing his energy, and reveals that he has enlisted Lobo after buying out S.T.A.R. Labs.
Lex, Clark, and Lobo devise a plan to lure the Parasite into Metropolis' power plant and use Lobo's Kryptonite ring to weaken it. The plan fails, prompting Lobo to suicide-bomb the Parasite. Luthor equips the ring with a magnifying pulse rifle and shoots the Parasite, ultimately taking it down. Luthor then double-crosses Superman but is stopped by J'onn, who had faked his death using his psychic abilities. With the plan failed, Superman tries to calm the Parasite down by using his humanity and in turn, Superman formally introduces himself to the world as Kal-El. Suddenly, the power plant begins to overload, and Parasite sacrifices himself to stop it. In the aftermath, Superman and J'onn meet at the roof of theDaily Planet where they also see Lobo alive due to his regeneration abilities. J'onn laments that they are each the last of their species but Lobo reveals there might be more Martians and Kryptonians out there with J'onn heading off to find them.
| Voice actor[1] | Character |
|---|---|
| Darren Criss | Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman |
| Alexandra Daddario | Lois Lane |
| Zachary Quinto | Lex Luthor |
| Ike Amadi | J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter |
| Ryan Hurst | Lobo |
| Brett Dalton | Rudy Jones / Parasite |
| Neil Flynn | Jonathan Kent |
| Bellamy Young | Martha Kent |
| Cristina Milizia | Maya, Petey, Kaylie |
| Eugene Byrd | Ron Troupe |
| April Stewart | Mrs. Ross |
| Piotr Michael | Perry White |
| David Chen | Med Student, Scientist |
The voice cast forSuperman: Man of Tomorrow was revealed in 2020, withDarren Criss,Alexandra Daddario andZachary Quinto in the lead, as Superman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, respectively.[1] In a July interview with DC Comics, writer Tim Sheridan said he drew inspiration from comicsSuperman: American Alien andSuperman: Birthright, with a touch of several others.[2]
Superman: Man of Tomorrow was revealed atSan Diego Comic-Con held in July 2019.[3] The film was released ondigital on August 23, 2020, and onBlu-ray,DVD, and on4K Ultra HD on September 8. The film was made available online for free duringDC FanDome on September 12.[4]
A soundtrack album by Kevin Riepl was released byWaterTower Music on September 10.[5]
Superman: Man of Tomorrow peaked at #1 of the Top Ten Blu-ray Sellers for Week and the Top Five Home Media Sellers for Week, achieving an HD market share of 100%.[6] It earned $3,234,932 from domestic home video sales.[7]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 93% based on 14 reviews.[8]
Jesse Schedeen ofIGN rated the film a 7 out of 10: "Superman: Man of Tomorrow is a safe and largely predictable take on the Man of Steel's iconic origin story. While that lack of narrative ambition is disappointing at times, there's a reason this particular story has endured so well over the years.Man of Tomorrow gets to the heart of Clark Kent and the emotional journey he has to experience before he can truly become Superman. With a revamped visual style and a strong voice cast,Man of Tomorrow serves as a solid start for this new animated universe".[9]
The film was nominated for Best Superhero Film at the2021 Critics' Choice Super Awards.[10][11]
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