Superman 2 (officially titled Man of Tomorrow) will make DC history by breaking a trend seen in Superman movie villains from the last 50 years. While DC Studios is coming in hot with dozens of villains in the new DCU, the franchise has a vast history of antagonists.
The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez and Casey Loving reported that DC Studios' Man of Tomorrow will feature Brainiac as its main villain. Not only will this be the first time Brainiac is used as a villain in a live-action DC movie, but it will also mark a major change in direction for a solo Superman film. Brainiac has not been cast yet as of writing.
Man of Tomorrow will be the first solo Superman movie in almost 50 years that does not feature either General Zod or Lex Luthor as the adapted villain from the comics. The only other movie to do this was 1983's Superman III, which used Robert Vaughn's Ross Webster (an original character not seen in DC Comics) as the main villain.
Michael Shannon brought General Zod to life in the DC Extended Universe, following the late Terence Stamp's original portrayal of the Kryptonian villain in the 1980s' Superman II. For Lex Luthor, Gene Hackman embraced Clark Kent's biggest villain in Christopher Reeve's Superman (1978) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). Nearly 20 years later, Kevin Spacey took over the Lex Luthor mantle opposite Brandon Routh in 2006's Superman Returns.
In the new DCU, led by DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, Nicholas Hoult joined the franchise in 2025's Superman as Lex Luthor, reprising the character in Season 2 of Peacemaker. Hoult will return for his third DCU appearance in Superman 2.
Man of Tomorrow will be the sequel to 2025's Superman. Starring David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, and Frank Grillo, this movie will feature Superman and Lex Luthor teaming up to take on Brainiac, who will threaten everything both of them hold dear. Man of Tomorrow will debut in theaters on July 9, 2027.
Brainiac's Expected Impact on Superman 2
Known as a Justice League-level threat in DC Comics, Brainiac is a techno-organic alien who collects entire intergalactic civilizations and displays them as trophies. This makes him easily the most dangerous villain Corenswet's Clark Kent has faced to date, and Man of Tomorrow should not be the only appearance for him either.
Also known for his obsession with acquiring all the knowledge he can, Brainiac will surely be out to do so from the Earth and its people, possibly including a large group of metahumans. After everything fans saw in Superman, Brainiac will be enough of a threat for Lex, a man known for his hatred of metahumans, to team up with his arch-rival in an attempt to save the planet.
Superman will also have the same realization that he cannot take on Brainiac alone, which will put him in new territory after taking down a horde of powerful antagonists in his first solo adventure.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
