Director James Gunn has seemingly confirmed who the main villain will be in his Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, for the DC Universe, sharing an image of the front page of the script. Following the summer sensation of Superman, starring David Corenswet in the rebooted DC timeline, fans are eager to see where the director will take Superman next.

Once Gunn and DC Studios confirmed that the sequel тιтled Man of Tomorrow was in development, speculation turned to what the story might look like and what new comic book legends may be introduced. Now, an image Gunn has shared via X, showing the front page of the Man of Tomorrow script, heavily suggests that Brainiac will be the movie’s main threat.

See Gunn’s post with this image below, showing an X-ray-like illustration of someone’s brain:

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Man of Tomorrow is slated to release theatrically on July 9, 2027, with Corenswet confirmed to return alongside Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Gunn also teased that the Superman sequel would feature a team-up between Superman and Luthor out of necessity, when a “much, much bigger threat” comes onto the scene.

What This Brainiac Tease Means For Man Of Tomorrow

Brainiac is an extraterrestrial android who collects as much knowledge as he can from across the cosmos, destroying the places that knowledge comes from to make it more valuable. A world-ending threat like Brainiac is apparently what it would take for Superman and Lex Luthor to work together to ensure humanity’s survival.

Brainiac’s inclusion will also offer new thematic fodder to the dynamic that Gunn has already established between Superman and his arch-nemesis, where Luthor believes that his is the superior mind between the two and that “brain beats brawn.”

When Brainiac’s character also relies on immense knowledge being wielded destructively, Luthor may be forced to question what it means to be outsmarted. In Superman‘s ending, Clark also suggests that he believes Lex could do some good for the world, but it will still take an intense reckoning to get the character to this point.

Our Take On Brainiac Being Man Of Tomorrow’s Villain

When Lex Luthor and Clark Kent/Superman’s characterizations and rivalry are so well-executed in 2025’s Superman, upending that dynamic with a forced team-up could be a risky move. It is an opportunity to make these versions of the characters even better by exploring a new understanding between them if done right, but it needs to be earned.

I don’t think that just introducing a villain who wants to end the world will be enough — Lex has already demonstrated little regard for the world, even when it is where he lives, with his reckless actions in Superman. However, Brainiac has the potential to be the villain who works as a segue into further delving into the contrasts between Superman and Lex Luthor’s strengths.