At a time when Marvel Studios is trying to fill Thanos' shoes, James Gunn's DC Studios is gearing up to unleash its own version of the Mad Titan. Gunn continues to play coy about the identity of the DCU's first big bad. Brainiac appears to be up for the task, as his transgressions will bring together a whole host of heroes in Man of Tomorrow. However, the dangerous android from Colu isn't getting much build-up, at least not to the level that Thanos did in the MCU's Phase 1.
Looking at other upcoming projects on James Gunn's DC Studios slate uncovers a couple of other potential candidates, including iconic Flash villain Gorilla Grodd, who will join Jimmy Olsen in his HBO Max series, and Clayface, who has a solo movie hitting theaters on October 23. It's hard to imagine either of those bad guys stepping on Thanos' toes, though. In truth, there's only one DC Comics villain who has what it takes to brush shoulders with the Mad Titan: Darkseid.
It just so happens that DC Studios is working on a show that will see the ruler of Apokolips follow in his Marvel counterpart's footsteps. The James Gunn & Peter Safran-led company had a significant presence at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, promoting projects such as Creature Commandos Season 2, My Adventures with Green Lantern, and the Absolute Batman animated series. Tom King's Mister Miracle series, which James Gunn is directly involved with as a producer, likewise got an opportunity to boast, playing a little bit of footage for those in attendance.
Cartoon Brew had boots on the ground and claimed that the footage "wowed audiences at Annecy with colorful visuals, plenty of blood, and a poignant, somber story." That's not surprising at all, as King and Mitch Gerads' comic of the same name, which the series is based on, is widely regarded as one of DC's better stories of the 21st Century.
While most of the story focuses on the titular hero and his relationship with Big Barda, the lovebirds' experience isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Darkseid's presence looms large throughout the 12-issue run, tormenting Scott Free and influencing many of his choices. Things won't be much different in the DC Studios series, if the Annecy footage is anything to go on.
Nexus Point News, which also attended the event, described a shot from the footage featuring a "comic-accurate Darkseid sitting on a throne." More than likely, the villain is biding his time on Apokolips, waiting to make his next move against the residents of New Genesis.
The image of a villain sitting on a throne is nothing new. Bad guys have been parking their butts in seats for centuries. However, it's hard to ignore the line the Mister Miracle footage draws between Darkseid and Thanos.
The Mad Titan made his MCU debut in the post-credits scene of The Avengers, which revealed he had been the mysterious being on the throne pulling Loki's strings throughout the 2012 film. He didn't want to get his hands dirty, so he entrusted the God of Mischief with the Mind Stone, a choice that blew up in his face.
Darkseid similarly has a tendency to delegate. DeSaad, Granny Goodness, and Steppenwolf are just a few of the villains that pick fights with DC's heroes in place of their master. But Darkseid, like Thanos, also knows that reaching the mountain top requires a fair amount of sacrifice.
Mister Miracle can lay the foundation for Darkseid's transition from seat-warmer to universe-ending threat. But the show doesn't have to drop on HBO Max for the process to begin. Another announcement could get the ball rolling and put Darkseid on a Thanos-like trajectory overnight.
Darkseid's Voice Actor Will Reveal Everything There Is To Know About the DCU Villain
When Thanos first showed up in The Avengers, he didn't speak. His menacing smile was worth a thousand words, as it teased his cutthroat mentality. Adding a voice to the scary face didn't hurt, though, as Josh Brolin delivered memorable line after memorable line during his MCU tenure.
King certainly has similar hopes for Darkseid. During an appearnce on The Brave and the Boys podcast early in 2026, the comic creator explained that the process to cast the iconic DC villain for Miracle Man was interesting:
"And then there were some people who are... I was like, 'That's not what I expected.' But that is what... that is Darkseid.'"
Tom King, James Gunn, and their collaborators at DC Studios are keeping a lid on the identity of the actor who will provide Darkseid's voice in Mister Miracle and beyond. And without a confirmed release date for the series, it might be a while before the Omega Beam-wielding cat is out of the bag. So long as the lucky performer dedicates themself as much as Brolin did for thanos, there's no doubt DC will have every opportunity to catch him in the pantheon of great comic book villain performances.
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