It’s no secret that DC Studios co-head James Gunn has been hard at work on his latest installment in DCU Chapter 1, Man of Tomorrow. Details on the Superman follow-up have been kept tightly under wraps but, via the screenplay cover Gunn shared, fans theorized that Brainiac would be the film’s villain. The past few weeks have seen casting rumors swirl around a number of actors but, following that, the role has been cast. Gunn also signified the occasion with a message.
It can finally be said that the DCU’s Brainiac will officially be played by Lars Eidinger. The German actor and rapper has a considerable amount of acting credits under his belt, with more than a few of them being productions native to his country. Among his TV and film credits are My Little Sister, Dying, Babylon Berlin, About Joan, Jay Kelly and All the Light We Cannot See. With this casting, a major role box can now be checked off for the previously mentioned upcoming superhero film, and that’s great news.
James Gunn also seems to be quite pleased with this casting decision for his latest movie. Around the time the news broke, Gunn took to Instagram to share a photo of Eidinger as well as one of Brainiac from the comics. The writer/director also dropped a message as his caption:
In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars.
To say that I’m intrigued by this casting would be an understatement. Over the years, James Gunn has tapped some interesting stars for roles, and that’s especially true when it comes to villains. (His decision to cast Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was particularly inspired.) Based on Eidinger’s body of work, I think he can bring gravitas to his cold and calculating DC character and help make him a layered antagonist.
Ahead of this latest bit of news, several high-profile actors were linked to the role of Brainiac, an uber intelligent programming system with ties to Superman’s planet of birth, Krypton. One of those stars was Guardians alum Dave Bautista, but Gunn later denied that he and his former collaborator had ever spoken about a potential Man of Tomorrow role. That alleged shortlist also included Sam Rockwell, Claes Bang and Matt Smith, who was the basis of fan art involving the comic book villain.
It’s something of a relief that we can finally put the array of rumors to rest now that Lars Eidinger has secured the role of Brainiac. Considering that production on MoT doesn’t even begin until the spring of 2026, it’ll surely be sometime before fans receive their first official glimpse of Eidinger in costume. In the meantime, I’d expect fan art to hit the web as well as continued theories as to how Eidinger’s character fits into the story James Gunn is planning to tell.
Man of Tomorrow is set to open in theaters on July 9, 2027. In the meantime, grab and HBO Max subscription to Superman and other DC-related content.
More to come…