James Gunn’s Newest Superman Tease May Finally Redeem One Of The DCEU’s Most Wasted Heroes

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David Corenswet's Superman looking shocked with Green Lantern's green hue over him in DC's Superman movie

Published Jan 31, 2026, 11:41 PM EST

Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.

With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.

Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

James Gunn's latest photos from the set of 2025's Superman may look harmless, but they actually point toward a long-overdue redemption for one of DC’s most underused heroes from the previous DCEU.

On the surface, these new Superman photos appear to be just a fun bit of world building for the DCU and city of Metropolis. While that's certainly true, James Gunn's new post is also teasing the future debut of a major DCU hero that was wasted in the DCEU: The Martian Manhunter.

James Gunn Just Teased Martian Manhunter With New Superman Set Photos

Recent Superman set photos revealed the Chocos office building during the Hammer of Boravia’s attack on Metropolis. Chocos are the DC Universe equivalent of Oreos, but they also carry a very specific comic connection tied directly to J'onn J'onzz aka the Martian Manhunter, a classic member of the Justice League.

In DC Comics, Chocos are famously J’onn J’onzz’s favorite snack, the point of major obsession where he can go into withdrawal if he can't get his hands on them. Case in point, there's a notorious storyline from the comics where Booster Gold and Blue Beetle played a prank by clearing an entire city's supply of Chocos, creating a fake shortage that briefly saw J'onn turning into a Hulked-out rage monster thanks to his shape-shifting powers.

As such, it certainly seems as though James Gunn may be teasing the debut of The Martian Manhunter in the DCU's future, something that would be very exciting as the universe continues to expand with new projects.

The DCEU's Martian Manhunter Deserved So Much More Than The Synder Cut

Martian Manhunter revealed in Zack Snyder's Justice League

Technically, the previous DCEU universe introduced Martian Manhunter in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, albeit very underutilized. In the Snyder Cut, J’onn appears briefly to warn Bruce Wayne of threats in future Justice League movies that were never made nor explored due to the franchise’s abrupt course correction.

If James Gunn does bring Martian Manhunter into something like 2027's Man of Tomorrow and/or beyond, it would finally redeem what we didn't get in the previous DC Universe. To that end, Chocos is indeed the first breadcrumb pointing toward that exciting future (in this case, cookie crumbs).