Superman Man of Tomorrow: 5 Actors Who Could Play DCU’s Brainiac

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Okay, so James Gunn pretty much confirmed Brainiac will be the big bad guy in the new Superman movie, which is going to be called *Man of Tomorrow*. And now, like every movie fan, I’m already wondering… who’s going to play him? It’s a huge role, and I’m excited to start thinking about who could pull it off!

Whenever a superhero movie needs a villain, certain actors are always mentioned – people like Giancarlo Esposito, Mads Mikkelsen, Cillian Murphy, and Ben Mendelsohn. They’re all talented, and any of them could play the part well. However, they’ve all portrayed similar roles before, so it might feel familiar.

Let’s consider five more actors who could play Brainiac in the upcoming DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures film, ‘Man of Tomorrow’.

Our top picks to play Brainiac in Superman 2

Dave Bautista

Dave Bautista has often expressed his desire to join James Gunn’s new DC Universe. While he was initially considered for the role of Peacemaker, it didn’t come to fruition. Fans have suggested he’d be perfect as characters like Bane or Hugo Strange, but Brainiac could be an especially interesting fit for Bautista. He’s known for playing tough guys and making audiences laugh in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, but imagining him as a truly chilling and calculating villain – one even Lex Luthor would fear – could be amazing.

Bradley Cooper

We got a quick glimpse of Bradley Cooper as Jor-El in the 2025 Superman movie. But what if that wasn’t actually Jor-El? Some fans believe Cooper might be playing Brainiac disguised as Jor-El. This would explain certain clues in the message Jor-El left for his son, and suggests James Gunn may have been planning Cooper’s role as the villain for a long time.

Lee Pace

James Gunn often brings back actors he’s worked with previously, so many fans are wondering about Lee Pace, who played the villain Ronan in the first Guardians of the Galaxy. While Ronan wasn’t the most complex character, Pace delivered a convincingly intimidating performance. It would be fantastic to see him revisit that kind of intensity, and then really take it to the next level.

Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm has repeatedly said he’d love to play the villain Mister Sinister in a Marvel X-Men movie, but it’s unclear if Marvel will ever cast him. Even if they did, it could still be five to ten years away. That raises the question: what about DC? Hamm is a talented enough actor to pull off the role of Brainiac, and it would be great to finally see him play a truly villainous comic book character.

Austin Butler

This actor is incredibly popular at the moment, and it’s easy to imagine how thrilling it would be if David Corenswet were cast as Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Austin Butler as Brainiac in a new movie. That combination has a lot of potential for exciting storytelling. Plus, we know Butler would be fantastic – he already proved he can play a compelling, frightening sci-fi villain in Dune: Part Two.

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2025-09-23 22:59