Earlier this week, The Wrap reported that Brainiac will indeed be the main villain in Man of Tomorrow, and director James Gunn now appears to have confirmed the news.
The filmmaker shared the below image to Threads. Though it may not seem like it has much to do with Brainiac at first glance, the photo is actually a microscopic 3D reconstruction of brain tissue.
We can't be certain that he's teasing the super-smart cyborg, but it seems like a pretty safe bet!
Gunn is believed to be casting at the moment, and Dracula and Bad Sisters actor Claes Bang is rumored to have tested for the role. We have heard that other actors are in the mix, but no names just yet.
Many fans had assumed that Brainiac would be the movie's big bad, anyway, since Gunn appeared to hint at the character when he shared an image of a medical X-ray with an exposed brain on the first page of his script.
"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. But I think we'll hold off from what exactly is happening," Gunn said when asked about the page during a recent interview.
Brainiac has showed up in live-action DC-based shows such as Smallville and Krypton as well as numerous animated projects, but Man of Tomorrow will mark his first feature appearance. It remains to be seen how the character will be introduced in MOT, but there's a good chance it will have something to do with the events of the Peacemaker season 2 finale.
Gunn has previously confirmed that the Quantum Unfolding Chamber Rick Flag Sr. used to discover Salvation is "non-human," which could suggest that Brainiac will come to Earth to recover his technology.
Man of Tomorrow will hit theaters on July 9, 2027. Production is expected to get underway next summer.
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."