‘Man of Tomorrow’: Lars Eidinger Cast as Brainiac in ‘Superman’ Sequel
What To Know
- James Gunn has cast German actor Lars Eidinger as Brainiac, the main villain in the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, marking the character’s first appearance on the big screen.
- Fans have reacted positively to Eidinger’s casting, praising his look and performance, with Gunn noting that Eidinger’s audition secured him the role.
- Man of Tomorrow, featuring returning stars David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, is set to begin production in April 2026 for a July 9, 2027 theatrical release.
For filmmaker James Gunn, German actor Lars Eidinger is the smart pick to play Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to this year’s film Superman.
Gunn announced Eidinger’s casting as the legendary villain via an Instagram post on Saturday, December 20. “In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top,” he wrote. “Welcome to the [DC Comics Universe], Lars.”
Eidinger has already made his mark on the small screen, starring as Alfred Nyssen in Babylon Berlin and Reinhold von Rumpe in All the Light We Cannot See. In film, the actor has appeared in Dumbo, Irma Vep, and Jay Kelly, among other productions.
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Fans are already praising Eidinger’s casting. “I haven’t seen any of [Lars Eidinger’s] work, but he looks the part and has the height at [6-foot-3], where I can see him facing off against David Corenswet,” one X user wrote. “I’m glad we are finally seeing Brainiac in live action as the main villain for a Superman movie. I trust Gunn will do Brainiac right.”
Another X user shared a screenshot of Gunn telling fans that Eidinger’s audition is the performance that won the actor the Brainiac part. “Lars Eidinger as Brainiac is another massive [win] from Gunn,” that user wrote. “Man of Tomorrow will rock.”
His involvement in the upcoming sequel marks the first time the Brainiac has appeared on the big screen, though the super-intelligent android from planet Colu made his debut more than 60 years ago, in the 1958 comic book Action Comics #242.
Brainiac has, however, already made it to live-action television. James Marsters played the character in Smallville, Blake Ritson did so in Krypton, and Nikolai Witschl played human alter-ego Milton Fine in Superman & Lois.
Man of Tomorrow is scheduled to start production in April 2026 ahead of a prospective release date of July 9, 2027, according to Deadline.
Corenswet is returning to play Superman in the sequel, while Nicholas Hoult is back to play Lex Luthor, as the nemeses team up to respond to a new galactic threat, Deadline adds.
Superman, released this July, earned more than $616 million at the worldwide box office, per Box Office Mojo. The film’s $354-million haul in the United States meant the film bested 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($330 million) and 2013’s Man of Steel ($291 million) to become the highest-grossing Superman film domestically.
Man of Tomorrow, In Theaters, July 9, 2027
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