James Gunn thrives on attention. Few directors working today use social media as actively, or as transparently, as he does. During the rollout of “Superman,” Gunn’s updates were nearly a daily ritual—and they haven’t slowed since the film’s release.
The latest tease? A look at the script for “Superman: Man of Tomorrow,” complete with a not-so-subtle brain sketch on the cover. It’s about as close to confirmation as we’ve had that Brainiac is set to make his long-awaited live-action debut as the sequel’s villain.
Longtime fans will remember that Brainiac was nearly included in the first film before Gunn chose to hold him back, likely to ensure the character received the spotlight he deserves. Gunn has already suggested that the new film will see “Lex Luthor and Superman” forced into an uneasy alliance against a “much bigger threat.” Given the history of both the comics and “Superman: The Animated Series,” it isn’t hard to connect the dots: Brainiac has often clashed with both Superman and Luthor, making him the logical candidate.
For those unfamiliar, Brainiac ranks as one of Superman’s most enduring adversaries. Over the decades, he’s been reinvented as everything from an alien overlord to a rogue AI, and more recently, as a creation of Jor-El himself—a sort of dark brother figure to Kal-El.
Whatever version Gunn decides to bring to the screen, Brainiac’s arrival in “Man of Tomorrow” has been a long time coming. And if history is any indication, Gunn won’t keep the details under wraps for very long. Expect more teases—and likely outright confirmations—in the months ahead.
“Superman” fared well for Warner Bros., earning strong reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes) and pulling in $333M domestically for a $583M global total—despite softer overseas numbers. The official narrative the studio is putting out claims they made $120M from Gunn’s film.
Warner Bros. is already targeting an early 2026 production start, with a July 9, 2027 release date locked in for “Superman: Man of Tomorrow.”
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