James Gunn isn't quite ready to confirm (or deny) that Brainiac will be introduced as the "bigger threat" that will force Superman (David Corenswet) and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) to work together in Man of Tomorrow - but he does admit to knowing exactly what he was doing when he shared the first page of the script in a recent social media post.
The page featured the movie's title, along with an image of a medical X-ray of a human's brain.
"Listen, 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," Gunn tells EW. "But I think we'll hold off from what exactly is happening."
Even before this tease, fans had speculated that Brainiac might make his DCU debut in the Superman follow-up.
Last month, an hour-long documentary about the making of Superman gave us a quick glimpse of a storyboard featuring the Man of Steel, Supergirl, Krypto, and what looked a lot like the top of Brainiac's head. Though there was a chance this was simply an unused idea for Superman, many fans remain convinced that the superintelligent villain will make his DCU debut in Man of Tomorrow.
Spoilers for this week's episode of Peacemaker season 2 follow.
Gunn has confirmed that we will see a more "heroic" side of Luthor in Man of Tomorrow, and the character was offered a chance at redemption when he met with Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) during episode 6 of Peacemaker. Flag agrees to move Lex to a prison without Metahumans in exchange for his alternate dimension energy tracking technology
"Nick's a big fan of the show," Gunn says. "Everything's connected, so there is a story here that we're telling throughout the DCU, and this is connected very much to Man of Tomorrow."
"Ignorance is Chris" also confirmed the popular fan-theory that the alternate dimension Chris is so fond of is indeed a Nazi-ruled reality. Gunn clarifies that this "Earth-X storyline" won't carry over to the big screen, however.
"But there are other elements, and part of that is the relationship between Rick Flag and Lex Luthor, and that's an important thing going forward in the DCU and Man of Tomorrow and so on," he adds.
Superman also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho (we wouldn't be at all surprised if they also return for Man of Tomorrow).
The cast also features Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as "Ma" and "Pa" Kent, and Milly Alcock's Supergirl makes her DCU debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie.
"And that’s a wrap," Gunn posted last year when filming concluded. "God bless our cast and crew whose commitment, creativity, and hard work have brought this project to life. I set out to make a movie about a good man in a world that isn’t always so much. And the goodness and kindness and love I’ve encountered on a daily basis on the set has inspired me and thrust me forward when I felt too spent to move on my own.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It has been an honor. The destination has been Superman, but the journey has been the toil and the laughter and the emotions and ideas and magic we’ve shared together on set - and for that I am forever grateful."
You can check out a synopsis for the movie below.
"In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind."