The villain for James Gunn’s Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, has not been officially confirmed. However, fans believe they know who it will be. Only a very powerful threat could force arch enemies Superman and Lex Luthor to work together, and someone like Brainiac would certainly fit that bill. Gunn himself seemed to tease Brainiac’s potential role recently when he shared the cover page of the Man of Tomorrow script, which features an image of a bisected human brain diagram. As fans speculate about Brainiac’s arrival to the DC Universe, they’ve offered their dream castings. One popular pick is Chukwudi Iwuji, who’s now addressed those rumors.
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In an interview with Daniel Merrifield of The Movie Dweeb, Iwuji was asked if he could see himself playing Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow. After initially responding with a simple “No,” the actor clarified what he meant with a bit of humor at the end. “Could I see myself doing it? If James picked up the phone and called me, absolutely,” he said. “Is it a cool role? You’re like the 12th person that’s mentioned it. So, I obviously went online and looked and went, ‘Oh, wow. This guy is cool.’ So, could I see myself if I had the opportunity? I’d jump at it. The ‘no’ I said is just to let everyone know James hasn’t … This isn’t me lying to you. I’m so sorry I lied to you but I had to. I was under contract. They’d have arrested me, deported me … But this is not lying to you at all. There’s absolutely no links whatsoever to Brainiac. And I’m not lying. Okay?”
Here’s the full interview:
Could Chukwudi Iwuji Portray the DCU’s Brainiac?
Iwuji, of course, played Clemson Murn in Peacemaker Season 1. At first glance, this would seemingly prevent him from taking on a different DC role, though that might not be the case. While the character of Murn is canon to the DCU, Gunn has said on Peacemaker: The Official Podcast that Murn’s physical appearance may not be. That distinction (remember, Peacemaker Season 1 takes place in the DC Extended Universe) could open a path for Iwuji to play a different character in the DCU. There’s already a precedent for this; Michael Rooker previously played Savant in The Suicide Squad and then played eagle hunter Red St. Wild in Peacemaker Season 2. Events from The Suicide Squad are DCU canon, meaning there was likely a version of Savant in that timeline, but he could have looked differently from Rooker’s iteration.
Another thing working in Iwuji’s favor is Gunn’s penchant for frequently collaborating with the same actors. For instance, multiple Guardians of the Galaxy stars appeared in Superman, so it’s clear Gunn enjoys working with people he has a history with. Iwuji certainly falls into that category, having previously portrayed the villainous High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. That performance earned a lot of praise, with the character ranking as one of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe villains. Iwuji has already proven he’s more than capable of delivering a sinister, chilling turn as a highly intelligent antagonist, so he’d be a strong fit for a role like Brainiac.
Before fans get too excited about Iwuji playing Brainiac, there are a couple other factors to consider. First, there’s no guarantee Brainiac will be in Man of Tomorrow. Gunn is holding back from revealing too much information about the film for now (perhaps until after Peacemaker Season 2 is complete). Additionally, he will probably cast a wide net when searching for the actor to play the Man of Tomorrow villain. Depending on how any auditions go, there could be someone under the radar who proves to be the ideal pick. David Corenswet wasn’t at the top of Gunn’s wishlist for Superman, and he ended up being a perfect fit for the role. Iwuji’s past with Gunn likely helps, but it doesn’t mean Gunn is definitely going to cast him.
Brainiac has never been adapted in a live-action film before, so it would be exciting if he ended up being the Man of Tomorrow villain. It would help the movie stand out from what’s been done before, giving one of the most iconic members of Superman’s rogues’ gallery the spotlight he rightfully deserves. Some have theorized that General Zod could emerge at some point (building off of Superman‘s Kryptonian takeover plot twist), but he’s already been used in multiple Superman film series. That wouldn’t prevent Gunn from bringing Zod into the DCU (after all, there have been many big-screen Lex Luthors), but Man of Tomorrow would bring something really fresh to the table if it introduced moviegoers to Brainiac.
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Image courtesy of Stage 6 Films -
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm.
