James Gunn Confirms Lars Eidinger Cast as Brainiac in DCU’s Man of Tomorrow

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The DC Universe has confirmed its next big villain: Brainiac. For months, fans have speculated, and it’s now official that he’ll be the central antagonist in the 2027 film, Man of Tomorrow.

Lars Eidinger has been cast as Brainiac in ‘MAN OF TOMORROW’

In theaters on July 9, 2027

(Source: Deadline)

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 20, 2025

Deadline reported on Saturday that Lars Eidinger, a German actor, has been cast in the role. This news follows recent denials by director James Gunn regarding rumors that Dave Bautista had already been chosen for the part.

James Gunn jokingly acknowledged a recent discussion, saying, ‘Let’s just set aside the fact that I never confirmed Brainiac would be in the movie,’ in a post on Threads.

I always figured Brainiac might show up in Man of Tomorrow, even though James Gunn never actually said so. Honestly, the biggest shock for me wasn’t that character appearing, but learning who was playing him – Eidinger! That was a real surprise.

Brainiac Rumors and Speculation

As a huge DC fan, I was thrilled to read on November 13th that The Wrap officially confirmed Brainiac will finally be appearing in a live-action movie! It’s something we’ve been hoping for, and it’s exciting to see it actually happening.

Before that, Gunn shared a photo of the finished script on X. The cover page showed a picture of a human brain, and the caption included devil and angel emojis with a handshake in between, along with the hashtag “#MoT 7.9.27.” This seemed to confirm what Gunn had said previously.

😈🤝😇 #MoT 7.9.27

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 22, 2025

James Gunn recently shared that the upcoming film involves Lex Luthor and Superman reluctantly teaming up to face a far greater danger. According to DC’s official website, the villain Brainiac poses an extreme threat, willing to sacrifice billions of lives in his pursuit of knowledge, making him one of the most dangerous villains in the universe.

Everyone expected an announcement soon, and the big question was who would play the alien cyborg. Fans guessed a wide range of actors, including Hugh Laurie, David Hyde Pierce, and Alan Ritchson.

The choice of Eidinger, similar to casting David Corenswet as Superman, indicates that Gunn is leaning towards actors who aren’t already household names.

A Creative Risk

While Eidinger appeared in the 2016 film Personal Shopper and the 2019 live-action Dumbo, he’s mostly known for his work on German TV. He had a significant role in the Netflix series Babylon Berlin, appearing in 40 episodes before it was removed from the platform. More recently, he played a German cyclist in the Netflix film Jay Kelly, which also starred George Clooney and Adam Sandler.

Soon after Deadline reported Lars Eidinger would play Brainiac, James Gunn announced on social media, “Lars Eidinger was the clear choice after a global search for the role of Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow. Welcome to the DC Universe, Lars!”

After a global search for the perfect Brainiac for the upcoming DC Universe projects, we’ve cast Lars Eidinger. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the DCU!

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 20, 2025

Responding to fans who asked what drew him to Eidinger, Gunn simply replied, “His audition.”

Conclusion

People’s opinions are likely to stay divided until we see David Corenswet as Superman. However, the new DC Universe, and James Gunn’s planned ‘Superman Saga,’ could really benefit from some positive excitement. The previous Superman movie didn’t perform as well as hoped, earning only about $616 million worldwide. And the initial trailer for the upcoming Supergirl film has received a lot of negative feedback on YouTube.

Eidinger could be fantastic as Brainiac, delivering a powerful and intimidating performance. However, by casting an actor largely unknown to American viewers, James Gunn might be making it harder to gain acceptance from fans.

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2025-12-21 15:57