According to new reports from Jeff Sneider, there's a new frontrunner to portray Brainiac in the upcoming Superman follow-up (that's technically not a sequel), Man of Tomorrow.
To get straight to the point, it's none other than Guardians of the Galaxy Drax star, Dave Bautista - who previously portrayed the green-skinned alien, Drax.
Ironically enough, Bautista has also portrayed a humanoid android before, having appeared in Blade Runner 2049 as the Nexus-8 replicant, Sapper Morton.
We'll likely find out very soon if the rumor is true, as James Gunn could quickly take to @Threads to debunk the report if it's false. Likewise, his silence would be very telling.
Other actors said to be on the shortlist include Claes Bang (Dracula), Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2), and Matt Smith (Doctor Who).
Previously, Matt Smith was said to be the frontrunner, according to scooper Daniel Richtman, but as always with the mercurial nature of rumors and scooper culture, it's almost impossible to pin anything down until the final decision is made.
Positioned as the next chapter in the “Superman Saga,” Man of Tomorrow has been confirmed to be written and directed once again by James Gunn. He completed the script in September 2025 and stated that the film wasn't a true Superman sequel as it focuses heavily on Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor.
Luthor and David Corenswet's Superman are forced to team up to stop an unimaginable threat, according to Gunn. Responding to fans on @Threads, Gunn wrote, " Superman has a major role. It’s not Superman 2."
Shortly thereafter, Gunn would elaborate a bit more, adding, "...And it’s more complicated than that, but that’s a big part of it. It’s as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie. I loved working with Nick Hoult, who played Lex; I relate to the character of Lex Luthor, sadly, so I really wanted to create something extraordinary with the two of them. Oh man, I just love the script so much; I’m excited for people to see the movie."
Principal photography is currently scheduled to start in April 2026 in Atlanta.
Barring any delays, Man of Tomorrow arrives in theaters on July 9, 2027.