James Gunn's 'Man of Tomorrow': Lars Eidinger to play Brainiac
What's the story
James Gunn, the writer-director of the upcoming film Man of Tomorrow, has announced that German actor Lars Eidinger will play Brainiac. The news was confirmed on Saturday when Gunn shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) saying, "In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars." This announcement ends weeks of speculation about who would portray this iconic character.
Twitter Post
'Lars Eidinger rose to the top...'
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
Actor's background
Eidinger's previous work and Brainiac's character
Eidinger is known for his work in Europe, especially in the acclaimed German series Babylon Berlin. He has also worked with Shawn Levy on Netflix's miniseries All the Light We Cannot See and with Noah Baumbach in White Noise. Brainiac, who first appeared in 1958's Action Comics No. 242, is a super-intelligent alien villain who uses a shrink ray to miniaturize Metropolis and store it among other cities from different worlds, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Film details
'Man of Tomorrow' to feature Superman and Lex Luthor
The upcoming film, Man of Tomorrow, will see David Corenswet reprising his role as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The plot is expected to revolve around a team-up between these two characters against Brainiac. This will be the first time Brainiac has been brought to life in a live-action film. The movie is set for release on July 9, 2027. Meanwhile, you can watch Superman on JioHotstar.