The DC Universe (DCU) officially has its next villain. As fans have been theorizing for months now, Brainiac will be the main antagonist in 2027’s Man of Tomorrow.
Lars Eidinger has been cast as Brainiac in ‘MAN OF TOMORROW’
In theaters on July 9, 2027
(Source: Deadline) pic.twitter.com/xUH0WIGYUv
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 20, 2025
Deadline broke the news Saturday morning that German actor Lars Eidinger had been cast in the role. This comes just days after director James Gunn aggressively pushed back online against rumors that Dave Bautista had been given the part.
“Let’s forget a moment I’ve never said Brainiac was in the movie,” Gunn said in a lengthy post on Threads.
James Gunn sits for an interview – YouTube, GQ
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Even though Gunn himself had never explicitly confirmed that Brainiac would be in Man of Tomorrow, the only real surprise here is Eidinger’s casting.
Brainiac Rumors and Speculation
On November 13th, The Wrap confirmed the speculation that Brainiac would be making his live-action debut.
Prior to that, Gunn had posted on X a picture of the completed script, and the cover page in the photo featured an image of the human brain. That, in addition to the devil and angel emojis with a handshake emoji in between, followed by, “#MoT 7.9.27” in the caption, appeared to reinforce Gunn’s earlier remarks.
😈🤝😇 #MoT 7.9.27 pic.twitter.com/aIKSFpaHff
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 22, 2025
“It’s a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat,” Gunn told Howard Stern in an interview last fall. The official DC website notes that Brainiac is willing to destroy “billions of innocent lives” in his quest for knowledge, making him “one of the deadliest villains the universe has ever seen.”
Superman and Lex Luthor in a Jim Lee-Created teaser image for the Superman Sequel Man of Tomorrow – X, @JamesGunn
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From all the hints, it seemed it was only a matter of time before fans received an official confirmation. The main question on everyone’s mind was who would be playing the alien cyborg. Speculation ran to everyone from Hugh Laurie to David Hyde Pierce to Alan Ritchson.
Eidinger’s casting, much like David Corenswet’s as Superman, suggests that Gunn wants to work with actors who aren’t instantly recognizable.
A Creative Risk
Aside from roles in 2016’s Personal Shopper and 2019’s live-action Dumbo, Eidinger has primarily worked in German television. He was in 40 episodes of Babylon Berlin, which was available on Netflix for some time before leaving the platform. More recently, he played a German cyclist in Netflix’s George Clooney and Adam Sandler vehicle Jay Kelly.
Shortly after Deadline announced Eidinger had been cast as Brainiac, James Gunn posted on his social media accounts, “In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars.”
In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars. pic.twitter.com/atkWZpG1CT
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 20, 2025
Responding to fans who asked what drew him to Eidinger, Gunn simply replied, “His audition.”
Conclusion
Fan reaction will likely remain mixed until Eidinger can be seen in action. But the DCU and what Gunn has dubbed the “Superman Saga” would doubtlessly appreciate some enthusiasm. Superman had a rather disappointing final worldwide box office total of around $616 million. The first trailer for the next movie in the DCU, Supergirl, has received an overwhelming number of dislikes on YouTube.
Superman wounded in the snow in the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC
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Eidinger may bring a great and menacing performance as Brainiac. But by taking the unusual route of casting an actor unfamiliar to American audiences, Gunn may be making his uphill battle to win over fans even steeper.
What do you think of Eidinger as Brainiac? Let us know in the comments!
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This guy does look more suited to the role than Bautista.
This guy look like he should be on a sex offender registry and forced to stay 500 feet away from schools.
Loled
What is loled?
I’m not so sure about this tom anderson fella.
Wasn’t that Babylon Berlin show about the heights of degeneracy that the Weimar Republic allowed to flourish, such as child brothels and the world’s first sex reassignment clinic? Did they cover how hyperinflation drove the common people to resort to anything to afford food to stay alive while the (((elites))) stood back and laughed as the German people debased themselves? It’s almost like history is repeating itself… And it also seems like a show Gunn would’ve watched religiously.
And then one day, for no reason at all, the German people began voting for a former painter…