Man of Tomorrow: The Superman, Brainiac, Lex Luthor and Maxima Keys to Know

Man of Tomorrow: The Superman, Brainiac, Lex Luthor and Maxima Keys to Know

Welcome back to On Screen Soon, our look at the comics behind the movies and shows coming next. This week it's all Superman. James Gunn has wrapped filming on the next chapter, the villain list is stacked, and the keys behind it run from the Silver Age to the Byrne era. Some of them are pricey. A lot of them aren't, and that's where we like to shop.

Man of Tomorrow: Superman, Lex and Brainiac

The news: DC Studios' Man of Tomorrow is set for July 9, 2027. James Gunn announced the end of principal photography on August 26, 2026. David Corenswet is back as Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Gunn has already shown Lex in a battle suit. Lars Eidinger plays Brainiac, and Aaron Pierre joins as Green Lantern John Stewart. In April 2026, Variety and Deadline reported that Adria Arjona will play Maxima, the warrior queen of Almerac. DC hasn't officially named her role.

A Superman and Luthor movie with Brainiac as the big threat is a gift for collectors, because these characters have been tangled together on the page for more than 60 years.

The Keys

Brainiac

  • Action Comics #242 (July 1958): 1st appearance of Brainiac, by Otto Binder and Al Plastino. It's also the issue where he shrinks and bottles the Kryptonian city of Kandor. This is the top book for this movie.
  • Superman #167 (Feb. 1964): "The Team of Luthor and Brainiac!" by Edmond Hamilton and Curt Swan. This issue reveals that Brainiac is a machine built by the Computer Tyrants of Colu. It introduces Vril Dox, his "son," who later becomes Brainiac 2. And it's the first time Luthor and Brainiac team up, with Lex upgrading Brainiac's intellect. If the film puts these two villains together, this is the issue that did it first.
  • Action Comics #544 (June 1983): the 45th anniversary issue. Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane rebuild Brainiac as the skull-faced robot with the skull-shaped ship, from an Ed Hannigan design. In the lead story, Cary Bates and Curt Swan give Lex his power armor. New Brainiac, new Lex battle suit, and a Siegel and Shuster anniversary feature, all in one book.

Maxima

  • Action Comics #645 (Sept. 1989): 1st appearance of Maxima, by Roger Stern and George Pérez. She comes to Earth looking for a mate worthy of her, and she picks Superman. With Arjona reportedly in the role, this late-'80s book is the one to watch.

John Stewart

  • Green Lantern #87 (Dec. 1971/Jan. 1972): 1st appearance of John Stewart, by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams. Pierre already plays Stewart in HBO's Lanterns, which premiered on HBO Max on August 16, 2026. A big-screen turn next to Superman adds to the case for this Bronze Age key.

The Modern Man of Steel

  • Superman #1 (Jan. 1987): John Byrne relaunches the series after Man of Steel, with Terry Austin inks. It's the first post-Crisis appearance of Metallo. It's a great-looking, low-cost book, and it's the start of the era that shaped the modern Superman and the businessman Lex Luthor.

In Stock at RSC

Action Comics #242 and Green Lantern #87 aren't in stock right now. Email us to get on our want list.

Our take: Action #242 gets the headlines, but Superman #167 is the sneaky one. It's the book that first put Lex and Brainiac on the same side, and Gunn is clearly putting them in the same movie. If you want a Silver Age Superman key with a real reason to own it in 2027, start there. Find more at Superman comics and key issues.

What We're Watching Next

  • Avengers: Doomsday: December 18, 2026
  • Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse: June 18, 2027
  • Avengers: Secret Wars: December 17, 2027

Expect keys tied to all three in upcoming issues of On Screen Soon.

The Fine Print

On Screen Soon is for fun and for collectors. It is not investment advice. Comic values go up and down, release dates and casting change, and a hot book this week can cool off by next month. Buy what you love. Sales figures are as reported by the sources listed and may not reflect current market value.