German actor Lars Eidinger is stepping into the DC Universe as Brainiac, the iconic supervillain set to challenge Superman in James Gunn’s upcoming film Man of Tomorrow. Gunn announced the casting through his social media handles on Saturday, writing, “In our worldwide search for Brainiac in ‘Man of Tomorrow’, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars.”

This marks the first time Brainiac, introduced in 1958 by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, will appear in a major DC feature film. Traditionally portrayed as a hyper-intelligent alien android obsessed with cataloguing cosmic knowledge, the character is infamous for miniaturising entire worlds and preserving them in glass containers, or destroying them if they fail to meet his standards.

Eidinger’s addition to the cast follows a strong run of recent roles, including Noah Baumbach’s awards-season contender Jay Kelly, as well as Dead Language, The Light, and Dying, the latter earning a best film nomination at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival.

Returning to the franchise are David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult, reprising their roles from Gunn’s 2025 hit Superman. Gunn previously teased the Man of Tomorrow release date, July 9, 2027, with an image of Superman and Lex Luthor sharing a surprisingly friendly moment, hinting at an uneasy alliance against their new extraterrestrial adversary.

Superman marked Gunn’s first directorial outing since becoming co-head of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran. Released July 11, the film went on to earn more than $616 million globally, becoming 2025’s highest-grossing superhero title.