Brainiac Confirmed as the Villain in James Gunn's MAN OF TOMORROW
The new DC Universe is just getting started, and it looks like Man of Tomorrow is bringing one of Superman’s most iconic enemies to the big screen. Following the success of James Gunn’s Superman, reports now confirm that the sequel will introduce Brainiac as the central villain, and Superman will have to join forces with Lex Luthor to take him down.
According to The Wrap, Brainiac will be the major threat that unites these two rivals. After being imprisoned at the end of Superman, Lex Luthor, who will reportedly find himself in a more “gracious confinement” while working with Rick Flag Sr., must team up with the Man of Steel when the alien menace arrives.
Brainiac has been one of Superman’s most fascinating and dangerous foes since his debut in 1958’s Action Comics #242. A hyperintelligent Coluan, a green-skinned alien species known for their vast intellect and longevity, Brainiac originally appeared as a collector obsessed with preserving civilizations by shrinking and storing their cities in bottles.
Among his most infamous acts was capturing the Kryptonian capital city of Kandor before Krypton’s destruction.
Over the decades, Brainiac has evolved into a techno-organic tyrant with a single-minded goal of accumulating knowledge and control. Despite his long history in animation, video games, and comics, he’s never had a major live-action appearance, but it’s coming.
It makes sense that Gunn would choose Brainiac to challenge Superman in Man of Tomorrow. The director has made it clear he’s interested in exploring new corners of DC’s mythology rather than rehashing familiar ground.
As Gunn previously noted, he’s not looking to revisit Darkseid any time soon, which opens the door for other cosmic-level threats like Brainiac to take center stage in the DCU’s next phase.
Fans have been speculating about Brainiac’s involvement ever since Gunn posted a teaser image of the Man of Tomorrow screenplay back in September. The photo showed the title page with a detailed anatomical sketch of a human head, and a very prominent brain. That post set off a wave of theories, and now it seems the speculation was right on target.
If the reports are true, Man of Tomorrow could deliver a truly epic team-up between Superman and Luthor against one of the most intelligent and terrifying villains in the DC canon. Seeing Brainiac finally realized in live action is an exciting move that will push the DCU’s story in an exciting new direction.