Pierce Brosnan, the DCEU star who portrayed Doctor Fate in 2022’s Black Adam, publicly teased a possible return of the character in James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow. The comments, made during a November 2025 GQ interview, immediately fueled speculation about how integrating select elements from the previous DC Extended Universe could help define the long-term identity of the new DCU. Read the full ScreenRant report here.
In the interview, Brosnan said: “I’ve heard that Doctor Fate was going to have his own show, or his own movie. “I genuinely enjoyed the character’s perspective and the ideas behind his philosophy, and I’d definitely be open to revisiting that.” The next Superman-focused project is Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn’s planned 2027 sequel that continues the story of the franchise. 2025’s Superman, currently filming and set for release on July 9, 2027. Deadline covered the interview in detail.
Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson) was a key member of the Justice Society of America in Black Adam before the character was killed off. That film belonged to the old DCEU continuity that Gunn and Peter Safran reset when they launched the DCU. Brosnan’s openness to returning, paired with his claim of having heard about the role, raised the prospect of a rare bridge between the two eras. IGN published Brosnan’s full comments.
James Gunn shut the rumor down almost immediately on Threads, writing: “My opinion is I’ve never heard a Dr Fate rumor! The swift denial put an end to the initial rumors, but the wider debate remains alive because it raises a more important issue: how much of its earlier continuity the DCU is willing to preserve. Nerdist reported Gunn’s response.
How This Tease Could Shape the Entire DCU
Even without confirmation, the idea of a Doctor Fate return carries real weight for the franchise. Man of Tomorrow already forces Superman (David Corenswet) and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) into an uneasy alliance against Brainiac (Lars Eidinger). Gunn has described the film as “as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie,” centered on the two characters confronting a threat bigger than their rivalry. IGN detailed Gunn’s early plot comments.
Bringing in magical elements and members of the Justice Society through Doctor Fate would broaden the DCU’s storytelling possibilities from the beginning. It would also help create a stronger balance between the cosmic adventures and grounded narratives already being developed in projects like Superman, Supergirl, Peacemaker, and Lanterns. Gunn has previously confirmed that Doctor Fate appears in the Hall of Justice mural seen in Superman, noting that careful thought went into which heroes were shown and that some are being developed in different ways.
A selective return of a DCEU star like Brosnan (whether as the same character, a multiverse variant, or a new version) would also signal that the DCU is not completely sealed off from its predecessor. That kind of flexibility could become a defining feature of the entire shared universe—allowing it to honor successful performances while keeping a clean creative slate.
Where Man of Tomorrow Stands Right Now
Production on Man of Tomorrow is ongoing. Confirmed returning players include Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), Milly Alcock (Supergirl), Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl), Aaron Pierre (John Stewart / Green Lantern), Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific), Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner), and Frank Grillo (Rick Flag Sr.). Recent cast additions include Adria Arjona in an undisclosed role. MovieWeb reported on key cast expansions.
Gunn has additionally revealed that the movie’s storyline is set approximately two years after the events of Superman, following a similar timeline in the real world. Set photos and updates continue to surface, including recent images that have sparked fresh talk of other DCEU-adjacent returns. ScreenRant covered one of the latest set photo developments.
While James Gunn has ruled out the specific Doctor Fate rumor for now, Brosnan’s comments remain one of the most interesting “what if” moments in the lead-up to Man of Tomorrow. They show how even a single DCEU star’s tease can force fans and the industry to think about the larger identity of the DCU. Whether or not Fate ever appears, the discussion itself is already helping define what this new universe can become.
