Matthew Lillard is joining DC Studios' Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to this summer's Superman reboot, and the casting tells you everything about James Gunn's strategy for the new DCU.

Lillard—beloved for Scooby-Doo, Scream, and a career of character actor excellence—joins David Corenswet's Superman franchise in an undisclosed role. Deadline reports he could be playing anyone from Lex Luthor's corporate rival to a Metropolis bureaucrat to a supporting Daily Planet staffer. The speculation is half the fun with Gunn's projects—he loves casting against type and rewarding actors who've been underestimated by the industry.

This is the Gunn playbook in action: build your universe with working actors who bring depth, weirdness, and lived-in authenticity to comic book roles. It worked for Guardians of the Galaxy, where he turned Chris Pratt from sitcom goofball into action star and gave Dave Bautista a second career. It worked for The Suicide Squad, where John Cena became a comedic revelation and Idris Elba got to play against his usual stoic persona.

Now he's doing it for Superman. Corenswet is relatively unknown, which gives him room to define the role. Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane brings indie credibility and comedy chops. Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor is inspired casting—charming, intelligent, slightly unhinged. And now joins a cast that includes , , , and .