When it comes to casting the DCU's heroes and villains, scooping up pricey A-listers hasn't been a huge priority for James Gunn. Whether that's a money-saving tactic or a sign that he's simply casting the "right" people for these roles is up for debate.
The pressure is on Gunn to find the perfect Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, and Dracula star Claes Bang is the current frontrunner based on recent reports. However, if a new rumour is to be believed, the hunt for the Superman sequel's big bad is far from over.
According to scooper @MyTimeToShineH, "There are mostly unknown names and [three] big names testing for Brainiac (so far)." That's all we have to go on for now, but it's previously been reported that the actor who plays the villain will don prosthetics for a physical transformation.
Many fans were initially disappointed when Gunn went back to the Lex Luthor well for Superman. We don't know whether it was always the plan for Brainiac to take centre stage in a sequel, but the filmmaker does appear to have listened to fans eager to see him on screen.
Brainiac looks set to be a big enough threat to the DCU for Superman and Lex to put their differences aside. Whether he'll be part of the "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" slate beyond that remains to be seen, but there's every chance he'll somehow be tied to the Quantum Unfolding Chamber and "Salvation.
"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 previously said of the Brainiac speculation. "But I think we'll hold off from what exactly is happening."
"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," the DC Studios co-CEO later said of how Peacemaker leads into the movie. "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."
"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," Gunn continued. "I loved working with Nicholas Hoult. I relate to the character of Lex, sadly. I really wanted to create something extraordinary with the two of them. I just love the script so much."
Written and directed by James Gunn, Man of Tomorrow stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl, and Frank Grillo as Rick Flag, Sr.
Several actors and characters are rumoured to appear, including Aaron Pierre's John Stewart/Green Lantern and John Cena's Peacemaker. Recent reports point to Gunn possibly looking to cast the DCU's Wonder Woman, while Dracula star Claes Bang has been named as a possible contender for Brainiac.
Man of Tomorrow arrives in theaters on July 9, 2027.