James Gunn has revealed yet another exciting detail about Superman’s next film, this time centered on the villain. The first film’s antagonist, Lex Luthor, earned strong audience praise for Nicholas Hoult’s ruthless portrayal. James Gunn now appears ready to bring similar intricacy to the Man of Tomorrow's villain, Brainiac.

Brainiac has reinvented himself since 1958, multiplying across comics, television, and film with alarming enthusiasm. The DC Multiverse catalogs over thirty-four variations. Such abundance naturally provoked a pointed question about James Gunn’s intentions for Braniac in Man of Tomorrow.

“I love aspects of many versions of the characters, from the 1950's Binder stuff to the surprisingly scary Wolfman stuff to the animated versions and up through the truly creepy and wonderful, current Absolute Brainiac,” Gunn offered this reply to a curious fan on Threads.

The director's Threads comment links Brainiac’s layered history with Gunn’s creative approach. Rather than selecting one version, he suggests synthesis. His Superman villain may merge classic science fiction intellect, animated clarity, and modern horror sensibilities with the mention of Absolute Brainiac.

Those who have not kept up with all thirty-four versions of Brainiac, here is a recap of the versions James Gunn just mentioned

The Brainiac versions James Gunn mentioned

The 1950's Binder stuff refers to the Silver Age Brainiac created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino. That version introduced the city bottling space pirate driven by false altruism and conquest.

Gunn then mentioned scary Wolfman stuff, which points to the Bronze Age Brainiac by Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane. This incarnation abandoned organic form. He became skeletal, fully robotic, and viewed Superman as a variable to eliminate.

He also cited the animated versions, referring to the DCAU Brainiac from Superman: The Animated Series. Voiced by Corey Burton, this Brainiac was a Kryptonian supercomputer. He allowed Krypton’s destruction to preserve data.

Finally, Gunn praised the truly creepy and wonderful current Absolute Brainiac. This Absolute Universe Brainiac presents an all consuming bio digital intelligence. That emphasis suggests Gunn’s Brainiac may combine traits from every referenced incarnation until now.

Which version of Brainiac would you want to see in Man of Tomorrow? Leave cues for James Gunn in the comments!

Written by

Iffat Siddiqui

Edited by

Itti Mahajan