James Gunn’s Superman Sequel Just Showed How Marvel’s Failed Iron Man For Years
The official first look at Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor warsuit for Man of Tomorrow has generated all kinds of excitement for the upcoming Superman sequel. Not only is it the first time a live-action Luthor has suited up in a comic-accurate armored battlesuit on the big screen, but it’s also a great reminder of just how great practical effects and costumes can be. One of the biggest draws in the early days of the MCU was how tangible and grounded everything felt, with Marvel’s biggest heroes operating in a world “just outside your window.” This was in large part due to the practical effects in use, the first and one of the best examples being full suits of real armor featured in Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man movies.
However, the progression of the MCU saw some of that practicality diminishing in favor of digital CGI elements as Iron Man’s armors became more complex and high-tech. As cool as Tony Stark’s nanotech is, there’s a decent portion of the MCU fandom that believes something was lost along the way, making Lex Luthor’s new armor in the DCU incredibly exciting (while also setting the bar pretty high for RDJ’s imminent MCU return).
Man of Tomorrow’s Lex Luthor Suit Is Fully Practical (A Reminder Of Iron Man’s Early Years)
Lex Luthor’s warsuit on the set of Man of Tomorrow
Thanks to an official image shared by James Gunn and new set videos from Man of Tomorrow’s ongoing production, it’s been confirmed that Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor warsuit is a fully practical costume in all of its green-and-purple glory. Looking as though it’s been ripped straight from the original comics, Luthor’s new armor makes him look more imposing and more than prepared for a major showdown than ever before. Likewise, the new warsuit reveal serves as a solid reminder of what made the MCU’s earliest Iron Man suits so effective. Created by Stan Winston Studios, the MCU’s first phase of films all had fully practical suits of armor for Iron Man’s various appearances. CGI was naturally used when necessary for the suit’s various functions, but there was still an actual suit of armor to be worn at the end of the day. As such, there was some genuine weight that gradually diminished following 2012’s Avengers heading into the second phase of MCU films. As Stark’s suits got more complex with new bleeding-edge tech, his suits were only partially practical, culminating in Avengers: Infinity War with the introduction of Iron Man’s nanotech suits, resulting in fully CGI armor that would materialize when Tony Stark needed it. As impressive as those visual effects often were, it’s been argued that they ultimately lacked some of the tangible charm that made earlier Iron Man appearances in the MCU so special. As such, Hoult’s Lex Luthor armor feels like a most-welcome throwback thanks to James Gunn.
Will Robert Downey Jr. Have Practical Armor Again With Doctor Doom?
robert downey jr doctor doom with avengers doomsday logo
Looking to the MCU’s future, one has to wonder about RDJ’s imminent debut as Doctor Doom and whether or not Marvel Studios has also embraced practical armor once more. While it does have high-tech capabilites that will no doubt require some CGI elements (just like Luthor’s no doubt will), Victor von Doom’s armor has always had a medieval aesthetic that would be great to see fully realized practically.
S.H.I.E.L.D. · Clearance Assessment
How Well Do You KnowThe Avengers?
OriginsAssembled
VillainsInevitable
BattlesEndgame
TeamInitiative
LegacyForever
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! →
01
The Avengers first assembled in Marvel Comics in 1963. In the original comic, the team formed to battle a villain who had been manipulated by his adopted brother. Which villain brought the original Avengers together?
AUltron
BThanos
CLoki
DKang the Conqueror
✓ Correct! In Avengers #1 (September 1963), Loki manipulated the Hulk into going on a rampage, which led Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp to band together. They defeated Loki and decided to form a permanent team — the Avengers were born.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Loki. In the original 1963 comic, Loki tricked the Hulk into a rampage, which brought together Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. Ultron came later, Thanos is a cosmic threat, and Kang is a time-traveling villain.
NEXT →
02
In the MCU, Tony Stark famously declared “I am Iron Man” at a press conference, breaking the superhero tradition of secret identities. In which year’s MCU film did Tony Stark first appear as Iron Man?
A2006
B2008
C2010
D2012
✓ Correct! Iron Man (2008) launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. The film’s post-credits scene with Nick Fury teased the Avengers Initiative, kicking off the most successful film franchise in history.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is 2008. Iron Man premiered on May 2, 2008, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr. It was the first film in the MCU and set the stage for everything that followed.
NEXT →
03
Thanos, the Mad Titan, sought to collect all six Infinity Stones to achieve his genocidal goal. In Avengers: Infinity War, he succeeded in his plan. What did Thanos do with the completed Infinity Gauntlet?
ADestroyed the universe
BSnapped away half of all life
CBecame ruler of Earth
DTraveled back in time
✓ Correct! With a single snap of his fingers, Thanos wiped out half of all living creatures in the universe. Known as “The Blip,” this devastating act erased trillions of lives and set the stage for the Avengers’ desperate time heist in Endgame to undo the damage.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is that Thanos snapped away half of all life in the universe. His twisted philosophy of “balance” drove him to commit universal genocide with a single snap, making it one of the most shocking moments in cinema history.
NEXT →
04
In Avengers: Endgame, Captain America proved worthy of wielding Thor’s enchanted hammer during the final battle against Thanos. What is the name of Thor’s hammer?
AStormbreaker
BGungnir
CMjolnir
DJarnbjorn
✓ Correct! Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star, bears the inscription “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Captain America wielding it in Endgame was one of the most celebrated moments in MCU history.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Mjolnir. Stormbreaker is the axe Thor forged in Infinity War, Gungnir is Odin’s spear, and Jarnbjorn is an axe Thor used in the comics before Mjolnir. Mjolnir is the iconic enchanted hammer.
NEXT →
05
Black Widow, born Natasha Romanoff, is one of the founding MCU Avengers. Before joining S.H.I.E.L.D., she was trained as an assassin in a secret Soviet program. What is the name of this program?
AThe Red Room
BHYDRA Academy
CThe Winter Soldier Program
DDepartment X
✓ Correct! The Red Room was a covert Soviet training facility that turned young girls into elite spies and assassins known as Black Widows. Natasha was subjected to brutal conditioning and sterilization. Her escape and defection to S.H.I.E.L.D. was explored in the 2021 Black Widow film.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is The Red Room. HYDRA is a separate evil organization, the Winter Soldier Program created Bucky Barnes, and Department X is from the comics. The Red Room is the infamous Soviet program that forged Natasha into Black Widow.
NEXT →
06
The Hulk was created when Dr. Bruce Banner was exposed to massive amounts of radiation during a weapons test. What type of radiation transformed Banner into the Hulk?
ACosmic Rays
BPym Particles
CGamma Radiation
DTerrigen Mist
✓ Correct! Dr. Bruce Banner was caught in the blast of a gamma bomb he designed, absorbing a massive dose of gamma radiation. This transformed him into the Hulk — a being of near-limitless strength whose power increases with his rage. Gamma radiation remains central to the Hulk’s mythology.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Gamma Radiation. Cosmic Rays gave the Fantastic Four their powers, Pym Particles are Ant-Man’s shrinking technology, and Terrigen Mist activates Inhuman abilities. Gamma radiation is what created the Incredible Hulk.
NEXT →
07
In the MCU, after Steve Rogers retired as Captain America, he passed his shield to a new hero to carry on the legacy. Who became the new Captain America?
ABucky Barnes
BSam Wilson
CJohn Walker
DIsaiah Bradley
✓ Correct! At the end of Avengers: Endgame, an elderly Steve Rogers chose Sam Wilson — the Falcon — to carry on the Captain America legacy. Sam’s journey to embrace the shield was explored in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, and he fully took up the mantle as Captain America.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Sam Wilson. While Bucky Barnes was Captain America in the comics, Steve chose Sam in the MCU. John Walker was temporarily given the shield by the government, and Isaiah Bradley was a forgotten super soldier from the past.
NEXT →
08
Ultron is an artificial intelligence who becomes one of the Avengers’ deadliest enemies. In the MCU’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, which Avenger inadvertently created Ultron?
ABruce Banner
BHank Pym
CTony Stark
DVision
✓ Correct! Tony Stark created the Ultron program as a global peacekeeping AI, using technology from Loki’s scepter (which contained the Mind Stone). The AI became sentient and immediately decided humanity needed to be eradicated. In the comics, Hank Pym created Ultron, but the MCU shifted this to Stark.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Tony Stark. While Hank Pym created Ultron in the comics, the MCU changed this to Tony Stark. Bruce Banner assisted but it was Tony’s initiative. Vision was actually created from Ultron’s technology, not the other way around.
REVEAL MY SCORE →
Mission Debriefing
Your Avengers Clearance Level
/ 8
Are you worthy of lifting Mjolnir — or still a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee?
↻ ASSEMBLE AGAIN
At any rate, Lex Luthor’s new DCU armor has already demonstrated how exciting physical comic-book costumes and armor can be, and it’s certainly thrown down the gauntlet for the MCU’s brand-new supervillain.
Man of Tomorrow releases July 9th, 2027 from DC Studios. Avengers: Doomsday releases December 18th from Marvel Studios.
تم النشر: 2026-06-05 03:48:00
مصدر: screenrant.com
