Shortly after the success of Superman, director and DC Studios co-head James Gunn moved full speed ahead on the follow-up, the film Man of Tomorrow. Notably, the story revolves around arch enemies Superman and Lex Luthor forming an uneasy alliance to work together and thwart a dangerous threat. Ever since the initial Man of Tomorrow announcement, fans have speculated what could bring the two rivals together. One long-standing theory was Brainiac, who reportedly is the main villain of Man of Tomorrow. Unsurprisingly, the rumor mill has been speculating who could be in line to portray the character, and Gunn is taking the time to provide some clarity on the situation.
On Threads, Gunn quoted a post relaying reports purporting that Gunn’s old Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista is the frontrunner to play Brainiac in the DC Universe. “Oh boy. Let’s forget a moment I’ve never said Brainiac was in the movie,” Gunn began his response. “I freaking love [Dave Bautista] & I have many ideas for who he could play in the DCU. But he & I have never discussed a role in Man of Tomorrow, nor have we discussed it amongst ourselves at DC. In addition, truly, NONE of the names, from the six or seven I’ve seen rumored for a role, have auditioned or been discussed at all.”
Gunn continued in a separate post, “In general I’m just letting the silly rumors go – and this is certainly not the silliest I’ve heard recently – but Dave is a friend and that makes it more irritating.”
Dave Bautista Could Be a Great Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow (but Will It Happen?)
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios
There’s a lot to unpack in Gunn’s comments, starting with his carefully worded response to the initial reports claiming Brainiac will be in Man of Tomorrow in the first place. While that was something fans were anticipating, it’s true that Gunn himself has not officially confirmed (nor denied) Brainiac’s role in the film. A month ago, industry trades reported Brainiac would be Man of Tomorrow‘s villain, so the information was coming from a reliable source. Gunn seemingly didn’t comment on the original Brainiac reports, which probably led many to believe there was truth to them. Gunn frequently addresses rumors and speculation about upcoming projects on social media, debunking any misinformation so fans can adjust their expectations accordingly.
It still stands reason to believe Brainiac is the Man of Tomorrow villain. He’s a powerful enough threat that his presence would require Superman and Lex Luthor to join forces and find a way to defeat him. The DCU could also be laying some groundwork for Brainiac in next summer’s Supergirl, which will feature sequences depicting the destruction of Krypton. In some comics, Brainiac himself is responsible for the planet’s end, as the removal of the city of Kandor causes the core to destabilize. If Supergirl pulls from that source material, the film could establish Brainiac and tease a larger role down the line. Gunn may not have publicly commented on Brainiac because he’s waiting to cast the role to make the announcement, or he’s waiting until production begins in the spring to peel back the curtain. Fans shouldn’t necessarily read Gunn’s post as confirmation Brainiac is not in the movie.
As for the other part of Gunn’s response, it’s disappointing to hear he hasn’t discussed a Man of Tomorrow role with Bautista. The actor would be a very intriguing pick for the villain. While most moviegoers associate Bautista with Marvel’s Drax, he has demonstrated incredible range across a variety of films, seamlessly transitioning between dramatic and comedic roles. He would definitely be up for the challenge of bringing Brainiac to life on the big screen for the first time. Bautista has the ability to convey Brainiac’s signature intelligence, and he would give the villain an intimidating screen presence, helping underscore the tremendous threat he presents. It would be great to see Bautista work with Gunn again in any DC role, but making him Brainiac would be an inspired choice that could pay off in spades.
It isn’t surprising to hear Gunn has “many ideas” for who Bautista can play in the DCU. The director remains very close with his Guardians of the Galaxy cast and has already brought some of those actors over to his new shared universe (Bradley Cooper’s Jor-El perhaps the most notable example). He’s always thinking about who Bautista or Chris Pratt could be in the DCU, and if the right opportunity presents itself, it’ll happen. It’s unknown if Brainiac is one of those characters Gunn has envisioned for Bautista, but it’s certainly an option he could consider. With Man of Tomorrow set to start filming in a handful of months, hopefully fans learn some concrete information about the movie (such as the Brainiac actor) straight from Gunn in the near future.
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