German actor Lars Eidinger has been cast as the super-intelligent antagonist Brainiac in James Gunn’s next Superman movie, Man of Tomorrow.
Gunn confirmed the casting in an Instagram post Saturday morning. He wrote in the caption: “After a worldwide search for Brainiac from Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger came out on top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars.”
Brainiac is a superintelligent alien android with an imperious thirst for absolute knowledge of the universe. He has been known to shrink entire planets down and collect them in glass bottles, or wipe them out entirely if it doesn’t suit his tastes. Created in 1958 by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, Man of Tomorrow marks the character’s first appearance in a major DC film.
“Superman” stars David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult will reprise their roles in “Man of Tomorrow,” which is scheduled to be released on July 9, 2027. Gunn announced the release date in September and released a photo of Lex Luthor and Superman looking unusually close, which could mean that the archenemies will team up against a new intergalactic foe.
Eidinger recently starred in Noah Baumbach’s award-hopeful “Jay Kelly.” Other recent film work includes “Dead Language,” “The Light,” and “Dying,” which was nominated for Best Picture at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. Eidinger is repped by UTA.
Superman marked Gunn’s directorial debut as co-head of DC Studios with Peter Safran. The film was released on July 11th and grossed more than $616 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing superhero film of 2025.
