Lars Eidinger Joins Man of Tomorrow as Braniac

It looks like there is one villain sinister enough for Lex Luthor and Superman to put aside their differences to face, and that villain is Braniac. Per DC Studios co-head James Gunn, the role of Braniac has also been cast in the upcoming sequel, with German actor Lars Eidinger landing the part.

Gunn wrote on the casting decision on his X account, “In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars.”

Braniac is a classic and iconic Superman villain, dating back to the character’s first appearance in Action Comics No. 242 in 1958. Created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, Braniac is a super-intelligent alien who uses a shrink ray to shrink Metropolis in a collection of his alien cities he keeps in bottles. One of the cities Braniac captures also includes Kandor, the capital city of Superman’s home planet of Krypton.

Braniac has made various appearances in television shows and animated features over the years, including notable appearances in Smallville, Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and Legion of Superheroes. He’s also the main villain in the DC direct-to-video animated movie, Superman: Unbound. However, the character has never appeared in a live-action theatrical motion picture.

Gunn previously teased that Superman (David Corenswet) and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) would be forced to work together against a greater threat for the upcoming sequel. The upcoming sequel arrives on July 9, 2027. Gunn returns to both write and direct the upcoming sequel.

In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars. pic.twitter.com/atkWZpG1CT

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 20, 2025