German actor Lars Eidinger has been cast as Brainiac in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. The film, scheduled for release in 2027, centers on the relationship between Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult, and Superman, played by David Corenswet, who are forced to join forces against a common enemy.
Fans have long speculated that the common enemy is Brainiac, and today Gunn finally confirmed that (along with the casting) regarding Blue Sky.
“After a worldwide search for Brainiac from Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger came out on top,” Gunn announced. “Welcome to the DCU, Lars.”
Eidinger is not a recognizable star to most American audiences, but he has been active on European stages and films for many years. He will appear in next year’s drama Jay Kelly from independent filmmaker Noah Baumbach, who is married to Barbie doll Greta Gerwig. He previously appeared in Baumbach’s White Noise and the Emmy-nominated miniseries All the Light We Cannot See.
“Man of Tomorrow” is one of Superman’s many nicknames in comics, and was also used as a subtitle for a quarterly comic in the 1990s, as well as for a 2020 animated feature film. Lobo will make his first on-screen appearance in Supergirl, where he will be played by Justice League star Jason Momoa.
Lobo and Brainiac both appeared in live-action on Krypton, a short-lived but much-loved Syfy series starring Cameron Cuffe as Superman’s grandfather. Brainiac was played by Blake Ritson in Krypton.
Director Gunn has not previously confirmed his choice of Brainiac as the villain, but it seems like the villain was smart money — and he’s not kidding. The film’s script features a sketch of a human brain on the cover, and Brainiac and Luthor have a long history in comics, often clashing over who has the more powerful and demonic mind. Don’t be too surprised if Superman’s “brains beat brawn” line is repeated in the next movie.
“Man of Tomorrow” will be released on July 9, 2027. This comes about two years after the release of “Superman” and one year after the 2026 release of “Supergirl,” starring Millie Alcock as the Girl of Steel. In a recent interview, Gunn hinted that there was a story he wanted to tell that would see Corren Sweat’s Superman evolve over four films. Some have interpreted this to mean that the star will make four Superman movies on his own, but it’s equally likely that his superfamily movie will be one of those four.
Aside from Supergirl, DC Studios is also currently hard at work on Clayface, a film centered around the shape-shifting Batman villain. Behind-the-scenes shots of Clayface, set in Gunn’s DC Universe, have been leaking on social media all week, showing small differences between the DCU’s Gotham City and the one seen in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
“Supergirl” is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 26, 2026, followed by “Clayface” on September 11. After “Man of Tomorrow” is released in July 2027, Reeves’ “The Batman Part II” will finally be released on October 1st.
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