Casting Brainiac In Man Of Tomorrow: 10 Actors Who’d Be Perfect For David Corenswet’s Superman Sequel

After James Gunn revealed his plans for a Superman sequel, titled Man of Tomorrow, everyone wondered which DC villain would be powerful enough to make Superman and Lex Luthor team up to save the world.

Lots of rumors were circulating, and it’s now been confirmed: Brainiac will be the villain in the upcoming Man of Tomorrow movie. This announcement comes before James Gunn and DC Studios have cast an actor to play the incredibly intelligent, green android villain – who is known as one of Superman’s biggest enemies.

Now that the potential cast for Man of Tomorrow is being discussed, let’s consider who could play Brainiac. The actor needs to be able to handle extensive makeup and prosthetics to convincingly become Brainiac’s physical form, and also portray a believable level of superior intelligence. Here are 10 actors who could pull it off.

Chukwudi Iwuji

You might be wondering, hasn’t Chukwudi Iwuji already been in the DC Universe as Clemson Murn in season one of Peacemaker? That’s true, and those events are officially part of the DC story. But James Gunn has shown he’s happy to cast actors in multiple, different roles – just look at Michael Rooker, who has played several characters in DC projects.

Keenanu Iwuji recently impressed as the intelligent villain High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and he excelled in the part. He’s proven he can convincingly play both brilliance and menace. Given that James Gunn has called him “one of the best actors” he’s worked with, giving Iwuji a larger role would be a strong choice.

Iwuji has also said he’s eager to play Brainiac, stating he’d gladly accept the role if offered. However, he notes that James Gunn hasn’t reached out to him about it yet, though that could certainly happen in the future.

Lee Pace

James Gunn clearly likes to work with actors he trusts, and Lee Pace is a perfect example. We first saw him as the villainous Ronan in Guardians of the Galaxy, and he really delivered. But honestly, I think he’s reached another level with Foundation on Apple TV+. He’s playing another complex bad guy, and he’s just fantastic – menacing, but also incredibly fun to watch. He’s really found his stride in these kinds of roles.

Pace would bring a powerful and serious presence to the role of Brainiac. Plus, at 6’5″, he’s one of the few actors who could physically look down on Superman and Batman, making the villain even more imposing.

Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes has long been a fan favorite to play Brainiac, and he remains an excellent choice for the role in Man of Tomorrow. He’s a truly gifted actor, able to bring depth and nuance to even the most complicated characters. He also has a strong track record of convincingly playing intimidating villains.

Ralph Fiennes is fantastic as Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies, and he played a wonderfully wicked character in The Menu. Since he’s already shared the screen with Nicholas Hoult, casting Fiennes as Brainiac would be a fun way to revisit that dynamic as the villain faces off against Lex Luthor in Man of Tomorrow.

LaKeith Stanfield

You know, James Gunn could really knock it out of the park if he cast LaKeith Stanfield as Brainiac. It’s true he doesn’t usually play the bad guy, but Stanfield just commands the screen. He’s got this amazing ability to become anyone, and we’ve already seen that in films like Sorry to Bother You, Judas and the Black Messiah, and The Harder They Fall. He just disappears into a role, and I think he’d be a fascinating Brainiac.

It would be fantastic if he got the chance to play a famous, incredibly intelligent villain. Even just hearing him speak lines written by Gunn for Brainiac would be a treat.

David Dastmalchian

Image via Apple TV+

David Dastmalchian is a veteran character actor who gained wider recognition after James Gunn cast him as Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad. Because Polka-Dot Man’s character died in the film, audiences wouldn’t be confused if Dastmalchian played a different role – specifically, the green android in Man of Tomorrow.

As a huge movie fan, I’m really excited about the possibility of David Dastmalchian playing Brainiac. His connection to James Gunn definitely helps, but honestly, he’s got the chops for it. He’s proven he can play characters with a strong tech side, like we’ve seen in Dune and Murderbot, and his performances in things like Prisoners and Late Night with the Devil show he’s fantastic at playing creepy, unsettling villains – exactly what Brainiac needs! I think he could bring a really unique and twisted energy to the role.

Jason Isaacs

Fabio Lovino / ©HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection

For the upcoming Man of Tomorrow project, Jason Isaacs would be a great pick for the villain. Although most fans haven’t experienced him playing this particular character yet, he previously voiced Brainiac in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Despite the game’s mixed reception, Isaacs delivered a fantastic performance and showed he could really embody the role.

It’s great that David Isaacs has the vocal talent for Brainiac, and even better that the upcoming film wants him on set as a physical performer. He’s consistently delivered compelling villainous performances in projects like Harry Potter, Star Wars: Rebels, and Star Trek: Discovery, so this role could be his most impressive work yet.

Giancarlo Esposito

Giancarlo Esposito has been a fan favorite to play Brainiac, the villain in a potential Man of Tomorrow movie, for quite some time. And he’s definitely up to the challenge. He’s proven he can brilliantly portray cold and calculating villains, consistently making them memorable and impactful.

Jeremy Esposito has often said he’d love to be in a comic book movie, and while he recently had a small part in Captain America: Brave New World, landing the role of Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow would be a significant step up. He has the ideal voice for the character, and his smaller size would create a striking physical difference alongside David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult.

James McAvoy

James McAvoy has experience playing shaved-headed characters from comic books, thanks to his role as Professor X in the X-Men films. He’s also demonstrated a knack for playing truly frightening villains, as seen in movies like Speak No Evil and Split. While those roles were more over-the-top, the underlying sense of threat he conveyed is exactly what the character of Brainiac needs.

James McAvoy’s ability to portray both brilliant minds, like Professor X, and deeply unsettling characters, as seen in roles like those in Speak No Evil, Split, and Glass, makes him an ideal fit for Brainiac. Taking on the role would be a fantastic opportunity for McAvoy to showcase his range and potentially create another memorable performance.

Daniel Kaluuya

Landing Daniel Kaluuya as Brainiac would be a major success for DC Studios. Though he’s known for playing relatable characters in films like Get Out and Nope, Kaluuya has proven he can also convincingly portray intense, complex, and memorable villains.

Daniel Kaluuya’s performance in Widows, though a smaller role, is both fascinating and intimidating. This, along with his Oscar-winning work in Judas and the Black Messiah, demonstrates his ability to deliver a powerfully commanding performance. He would be an excellent choice to play Brainiac, whether the character is portrayed as a completely cold robot or with some human qualities.

Michael Fassbender

It’s true that casting Michael Fassbender as a superintelligent android feels a bit obvious, since he’s played similar roles in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. However, he was fantastic in both, and he’d effortlessly portray Brainiac as the robotic, calculating, and intimidating villain the character needs to be.

Michael Fassbender has proven he can convincingly portray brilliant and complex figures, like Steve Jobs in the biopic of the same name. He’s also successfully played a villain, memorably as Magneto in the X-Men films. This makes him a strong candidate to play Brainiac, and while it might be a predictable choice, he’d likely excel in the role if offered one in a Man of Tomorrow project.

2025-11-14 20:23