Superman is hitting HBO Max soon, and there is a very important reason that explains why the move is happening so fast. James Gunn’s Superman movie is a success for the new DC Universe, with a sequel, Man of Tomorrow, already announced. According to Gunn, that film will see David Corenswet’s Superman and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor team up against a threat.

Before Man of Tomorrow arrives in 2027, DC fans will soon be able to either rewatch Corenswet’s debut as Superman or watch it for the first time when it releases on HBO Max on Friday, September 19. That is quite a short window from its theatrical release on July 11, but there is a good reason, connected to the DCU’s slate of projects.

James Gunn Explained Superman’s Early Digital Release

Before Superman comes to HBO Max, the DCU movie is already available on VOD, which was surprising when it was first announced. Superman was still doing solid numbers in theaters domestically, so the decision to release it on digital on August 15, a little over a month from its theatrical debut, did not make much sense. It limited Superman‘s box office chances.

However, James Gunn explained Superman‘s early VOD release, and the director revealed that another DC project was behind that decision. According to Gunn, he wanted as many DC fans to have watched Superman before Peacemaker season 2 released as possible. Gunn said so to ScreenRant, explaining, “Well, it’s very complicated, but the truth is it is because of Peacemaker.” Check out the full quote below:

“Well, it’s very complicated, but the truth is it is because of Peacemaker. I originally thought Peacemaker was going to be coming out next month. There was a lot of things that are beyond our control, so that Peacemaker is coming out now, and, at the end of the day, I wanted everyone to be able to see Superman that wanted to, even those people who couldn’t get to a theater before Peacemaker. And that’s really the reason for it.”

As Gunn explains, he originally thought that Peacemaker season 2 would be released later than it was. However, due to behind-the-scenes moves, that did not happen, and so Superman had to arrive on digital early to ensure that all the fans who did not watch it in theaters had a chance to catch it at home due to its connections to the HBO Max series.

Superman Releases On HBO Max Ahead Of Peacemaker’s Final 3 Episodes

With Superman releasing on HBO Max on September 19, even more fans will be able to watch the DC film, and that timing once again connects to Peacemaker. When Superman arrives on the streamer, there will only be three episodes left in Peacemaker season 2. Gunn has been open about how those episodes are full of spoilers, character appearances, and so on.

To that end, journalists were only sent the first five episodes of Peacemaker season 2, with Gunn keeping the surprises of the final three episodes safe in a vault until release. Given Gunn commented on how Peacemaker will set up the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, the film’s HBO Max release is timed perfectly with the show’s final stretch.