DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has played weirdly coy with his Superman sequel plans, describing Man of Tomorrow as a follow-up to that movie, but not a sequel (to further muddy the waters, Peacemaker season 2 is supposedly a "prequel" to the upcoming blockbuster).
Regardless, Man of Tomorrow will feature Superman and Lex Luthor teaming up to take on a much greater threat. Gunn is setting out to explore the latter's heroic side, and in doing so, he'll need to put the spotlight on one of DC's greatest threats: Brainiac.
A super-intelligent techno-organic alien being from the planet Colu, whose obsession with knowledge has led him to shrink down many cities to bottle size, Brainiac is a mental and physical threat. Finding the right actor to portray the character will be no easy feat for Gunn.
In this feature, we share some suggestions for those we believe would be a good fit for the DCU's Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow. You can check them out by clicking the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
5. Michael C. Hall
If you're a longtime visitor to this site, chances are you'll remember the days when Dexter star Michael C. Hall was a fan-favourite choice to play Daredevil. The moment has passed for that, but he'd be perfect as the DCU's Brainiac.
While many of you will know him best for Showtime's serial killer series, Hall was similarly superb in Six Feet Under, and is long overdue for a movie role as big as this one.
The actor would nail Brianiac's aloofness, and is a diverse enough talent to successfully explore the weirdness of this super-intelligent alien while firmly establishing that, at his core, he's pure evil. Hall might be a "TV star," but c'mon, you know he would do right by Brainiac.
4. Henry Cavill
Is it a little too on the nose to pit David Corenswet's Superman against an actor who used to play the Man of Steel? Well, to some extent, yes, but Gunn did say he'd be open to finding a different role for the DCEU's Superman.
Brainiac couldn't be more of a departure, and any actor who plays him is likely to be buried in makeup and VFX. With that in mind, we see no reason not to let Cavill once again get his villain on after doing such a terrific job as Mission: Impossible - Fallout's main baddie.
This character has been portrayed in a multitude of ways. However, Cavill feels like the right choice to find that necessary balance between Brainiac's fierce intelligence and his imposing physical stature.
3. Andrew Garfield
We have to throw at least one wild card in, and here he is. Andrew Garfield is the Amazing Spider-Man, but his career is by no means defined by the role. Look no further for proof of that than his stellar work in Under the Banner of Heaven, Tick, Tick... Boom!, and on stage.
The English actor would bring a little manic energy to the DCU's Brainiac, delivering a version of the villain who can match wits with Nicholas Hoult's Lex, and gloat when he inevitably outsmarts and overpowers Supes.
It would be fascinating to see what Garfield does with the role, as we fully believe it wouldn't be what anyone expects. He doesn't appear to be against stepping back into the world of superheroes, and what a departure from Spider-Man this would be...
2. Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender did his best with the material he was given to work with as the X-Men Universe's Magneto. For the most part, the Irish actor did right by the Master of Magnetism, and when it comes to a possible DC role, Brainiac just feels right.
There's something inherently creepy about this alien who collects miniature cities in his spaceship, and we'd want to see Fassbender channel some of what he did in Prometheus, Steve Jobs, and even The Killer for his take on Brainiac.
Fassbender is an underrated character actor and would bring a sense of gravitas and power to this villain that would only serve to benefit his potential co-stars, Corenswet and Hoult.
1. Dave Bautista
Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista has made no secret of his desire to reunite with Gunn in the DC Universe. He's acknowledged that his chance to play Bane and Lex Luthor has passed, but this villain would give the former pro wrestler a chance to stretch his acting chops.
Bautista wants roles that challenge him, and who better than Brainiac for that? When the real version of this villain stepped out of the shadows, he was a physical threat to Superman, and even after dropping a lot of muscle, the former WWE Superstar remains an imposing presence.
Honestly, as much as we like the other suggestions in this feature, we believe that Bautista would deliver the most compelling, complex interpretation of Brainiac...and we'd buy him kicking Superman and Lex's butts, too.