The Superman sequel, titled Man of Tomorrow, lit up speculation about the villain after Gunn shared a script cover that looks like X-ray vision focused on a brain.
James Gunn about Brainiac script tease
Asked if the image was a Brainiac hint, Gunn said he expected the chatter yet would not confirm story details: “Of course I wasn't unaware that when I posted the cover of the script that there was going to be discussion around that particular topic. But I think we’ll hold off from what exactly is happening.”
Who is Brainiac?
Credit DC
Brainiac is an ultra-intelligent alien AI from Colu. He collects knowledge, shrinks and bottles cities, and treats civilizations as data points. Different versions exist across comics and animation, but the core remains the same: twelfth-level intellect, skull-ship, drones, force fields, and a shrink ray that can wipe out a metropolis in minutes.
Lex Luthor and Brainiac
Lex is obsessed with proving human superiority and keeping power in his hands. When Brainiac enters the picture, Lex has alternated between exploiting him and resisting him, which makes for tense, temporary alignments with Superman.
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In Superman: The Animated Series “Ghost in the Machine” Brainiac forces Lex to rebuild him, which leads to a short, tactical rescue by Superman and Mercy to stop a greater danger.
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In Justice League Unlimited “Divided We Fall” Lex merges with Brainiac, creating a combined menace that dwarfs any single villain. That fusion underlines how Brainiac’s presence reshapes the Lex dynamic and the stakes.
These portrayals show why a story can place Superman and Lex on the same side of a line, even briefly, when Brainiac threatens everyone.
How Brainiac matches Gunn’s comments
Gunn said Man of Tomorrow is “as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie” and that the two will work together “to a certain degree” against a “much, much bigger threat.” Brainiac fits that description because he operates at a global, even cosmic scale, and because his methods often force Metropolis-level foes to think bigger than their feud. None of this confirms Brainiac is the villain, but it explains why the speculation makes sense with the creative direction Gunn described.
What is confirmed about Man of Tomorrow
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Status: Active development as the follow up to Superman.
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Cast returning: David Corenswet as Clark Kent. Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
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Tone and focus: Gunn has said the film leans into the Superman and Lex dynamic while they confront a larger threat.
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Date: Targeted for July 9, 2027.
Follow the movie on Looking Forward To to stay updated.
