Filmmaker and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn recently revealed on social media that German actor Lars Eidinger will portray the iconic villain Brainiac in the upcoming film, Superman: Man of Tomorrow.
Gunn shared on his Instagram account, stating, “In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars.”
Eidinger, 49, might be unfamiliar to some North American viewers, but he currently appears in the George Clooney and Adam Sandler film Jay Kelly, available on Netflix.
His extensive film and television work includes roles in Babylon Berlin, All the Light We Cannot See, High Life, Tim Burton’s Dumbo, My Little Sister, Dying, Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper, White Noise, and Irma Vep. Beyond acting, Eidinger is also known as a rapper, musician, and DJ.
Despite being a prominent figure in Superman’s gallery of villains, Man of Tomorrow will be Brainiac’s inaugural live-action appearance on the big screen. The film will feature Superman (David Corenswet) and his nemesis Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) forming an unlikely alliance to defend Earth against Brainiac.
Brainiac, created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, first appeared in 1958’s Action Comics #242. This brilliant alien android was initially known as Vril Dox, a scientist from the planet Colu.
As explained by Jesse Schedeen in an IGN article titled Why Brainiac Makes Perfect Sense as Man of Tomorrow’s Main Villain, Brainiac now operates as a cyborg, utilizing multiple super-strong bodies. His immense intelligence drives his primary objective: to gather all knowledge across the universe.
Brainiac’s method involves traveling to various planets, shrinking cities to add them to his collection as souvenirs, and then obliterating the remnants of the conquered civilizations. Among his most prized acquisitions is Kandor, a surviving city from Krypton. Certain interpretations of the Superman lore suggest that Brainiac was responsible for Krypton’s destruction after he stole Kandor.
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Production for Superman: Man of Tomorrow is scheduled to begin next year, with a theatrical release date set for July 9, 2027.
