A new casting description has seemingly hinted at who the DCU's next major threat could be, starting with Superman 2: Man of Tomorrow. After kicking off his new interconnected on-screen DC universe with this year's Superman, director and DC Studios head James Gunn is getting set to take flight yet again with his first Superman sequel. Due out in 2027, not much is known about the movie, including who its primary villain might be.
After several months of theorizing who the Superman 2 big bad could be, a new report may have spoiled the surprise. Nexus Point News reported that its sources indicate the movie's villain will feature heavy use of prosthetics/makeup, and only actors with a "strong build and stature" are being considered for the role.
This lends credence to speculation that DC Comics' Brainiac will be the primary villain in the 2027 Superman sequel. The space-faring comic character notably has green skin, which would require the use of heavy prosthetic work if he were to appear in the film.
Brainiac's name has been thrown around since Man of Tomorrow's initial announcement, as it was revealed the film would feature David Corenswet's Superman and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor teaming up to take on a common enemy.
The Brainiac conversation escalated to another level when director James Gunn shared an image of a finished Superman 2 script with a cross-section of a human brain on its cover.
Of course, this is by no means a confirmation of Brainiac's involvement in the new DC blockbuster, but the evidence has been mounting in the character's favor.
Superman 2: Man of Tomorrow is set to soar into theaters on July 9, 2027. The movie, once again written and directed by DC Studios head James Gunn, will follow its titular Man of Steel teaming up with his sworn enemy, Lex Luthor, as they contend with a threat worthy of this allegiance-breaking team-up.
Who Will Be the Superman 2 Villain?
Thus far, fans have seemingly pegged Brainiac as the DCU's next big threat, with his debut assumedly coming in Superman 2: Man of Tomorrow. However, he is not the only character these all these clues could be pointing to.
Sure, the city-collecting antagonist fits the above description, being an imposing alien genius with green skin, but there are plenty of other characters the reported casting description could be referencing.
Another name that also fits the bill would be the menacing Mongul. This tantalizing terror of the comic book world is a Warzoon tyrant and ruler of Warworld (a space station that travels from world to world collecting slaves for gladiatorial combat).
Mongul, while not as popular a name as Brainiac, would also require an imposing actor to bring him to life, as well as the use of plenty of prosthetics and makeup for his orangish-yellow skin and metallic helmet frame.
He would also warrant the need for Superman to join forces with someone like Lex Luthor, as the DC villain is often seen as a Justice League-level threat rather than that of a solitary hero (read more about potential Superman 2 villains here).
Of course, there are plenty of other names who could end up as the Superman 2 big bad, but these two feel like the most likely at this point.
