Did Superman Just Reveal a Major DC Villain Was Cut From the Movie?

Since Superman doesn’t feature an origin story, it wastes no time dropping the Man of Steel (David Corenswet) into the middle of the action. The Hammer of Boravia is threatening the people of Metropolis, and it’s up to the titular hero to save the day. Of course, the villain isn’t working alone, as Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is pulling the strings in an attempt to ruin Superman’s reputation. The Kryptonian doesn’t appreciate the attacks on his character, especially because his friends on the Justice Gang take Luthor’s word for it. The situation is nearly too much for Superman to handle, and it could’ve been worse if director James Gunn had shown all his cards.

With the release of Superman on digital closing in, Warner Bros. has released the Adventures in the Making of Superman documentary, which features plenty of behind-the-scenes nuggets, including a passionate conversation between Gunn and Corenswet about the “being human” speech. The now-iconic scene features the Man of Steel pouring his heart out to Luthor, who believes the hero doesn’t understand what it really means to be human. Well, the villain should have saved his remarks for another alien that may have been part of Superman‘s script at one point.

Adventures in the Making of Superman goes as far back in the filmmaking process as possible, even showing off storyboards that reveal what the film looked like on paper. The art that stands out the most features Superman, Krypto, and Supergirl flying into the air, but something sinister lurks in the panel below them. All that’s visible is a lone figure with strange marks on their head, and based on the squiggling lines above them, they appear to be using a power of some kind, one that uses a lot of brain power.

Of course, the drawing bears some resemblance to the iconic DC villain Brainiac, who has yet to appear in a live-action Superman movie. Gunn didn’t discuss whether he considered bringing the villain from Colu into the DC Universe in Superman, but that storyboard certainly tells a story. Fortunately, there will be more opportunities for Brainiac to terrorize the Man of Steel on the big screen.

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James Gunn May Be Saving Brainiac for Another Time

While a direct sequel to Superman has yet to be announced, Corenswet’s hero isn’t going to sit on the sidelines for long. Gunn has confirmed that he will return sooner rather than later, and with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav revealing that his favorite director is already hard at work on another script that he plans to direct, all signs are pointing to a big project dropping in the next couple of years. The prevailing theory is that Gunn will bring Superman and Supergirl together to fight a massive threat, and Brainiac certainly fits that description.

It may be that Gunn planned to tease Brainiac at the end of his first DCU movie, but it just didn’t work out. That could be for the best, though, because the smartest being in the universe deserves a better introduction than a quick tease at the end of a Luthor-focused story.

Superman hits digital on August 15.

Would you have liked to have seen Brainiac in Superman? Do you hope James Gunn still finds a way to incorporate him into the DCU? Let us know in the comments below!