Frasier Icon David Hyde Pierce in the Running to Play Brainiac in James Gunn’s Superman 2
Frasier fan favorite David Hyde Pierce is reportedly in the running to play DC’s Brainiac, after media commentator Grace Randolph said he is among three actors who have tested for the role.
File this under casting rumors I actually want to be true: David Hyde Pierce might be in the mix to play Brainiac in James Gunn's next Superman movie, Man of Tomorrow. The buzz started when Grace Randolph, who regularly stirs the pot with industry scuttlebutt, said one of three actors has tested for the role and more auditions are still happening.
'I hear ONE of these actors has tested for #Brainiac ... And it would make me SO happy if he got it!!!! But they're still auditioning more actors. Can you guess which one?'
So who is allegedly testing for Brainiac?
- David Hyde Pierce (Frasier) - the precision-tuned intellect and dry bite are basically his brand
- Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride, Young Sheldon) - a voice and presence you instantly recognize
- Claes Bang (Dracula, The Northman) - sleek, imposing, and very good at elegant menace
Why Pierce makes a scary amount of sense
Pierce has that surgical, hyper-articulate vibe that screams Brainiac. If you watched him as Dr. Niles Crane, you already know he can play 'galactically smart and a little superior' without breaking a sweat. On top of that, he studied English literature and theater at Yale, and he has decades of stage and screen work that bring real weight to even the smallest line reading. Brainiac is a superintelligent alien-cyborg who treats worlds like lab samples; the role needs precision, control, and a little gleeful pomposity. Pierce has all of that plus pinpoint comedic timing, which is valuable given the lighter tonal lane James Gunn tends to drive in compared to the Snyder era.
Wallace Shawn would be a left-field, fascinating voice-first take. Claes Bang is the more traditional 'elegant destroyer' option. But if I had to pick right now, Pierce feels like the smartest swing.
Brainiac is the villain this time
Per the latest updates, Brainiac is locked in as the main antagonist for Man of Tomorrow. Somehow, this will be the character's first time on the big screen in live action, which is wild given how central he is to Superman lore.
What Man of Tomorrow looks like right now
Gunn's Superman follow-up is the next chapter in his DC Universe run, but it is not a traditional 1-to-1 sequel structure. Think continuation instead of 'Part 2.'
Key details:
- Title: Man of Tomorrow
- Director: James Gunn
- US release date: July 9, 2027
- Production is planned to start in April 2026
- David Corenswet returns as Superman
- Nicholas Hoult is back as Lex Luthor
- Reported/previously announced cast includes Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., John Cena as Peacemaker, and Jason Momoa as Lobo. There are also heroes in the mix like Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, and Mister Terrific, described as 'Justice Gang' members in some notes, which is an odd label but read it as Justice League-caliber guest stars.
The story setup
The gist: Superman and Lex Luthor have to form an uneasy alliance to take on Brainiac, who poses a threat on a cosmic scale. The emphasis is less 'Lex vs. Clark' and more 'these two can barely stand each other but have to work together or everyone dies.' That dynamic follows the events of Gunn's 2025 Superman movie, where Luthor was defeated and imprisoned, setting the table for a reluctant team-up when a larger, nastier problem shows up.
Expect big questions about power, ideology, and what cooperation looks like when your partner might stab you in the back the second the sky stops falling.
Where this leaves the Brainiac casting
Randolph says testing is underway and more actors are still being seen, so nobody carve a name into the Fortress of Solitude just yet. If it ends up being David Hyde Pierce, though, that is a sharp, character-first choice that could give Brainiac a different flavor than the standard booming-voiced CG tyrant. Wallace Shawn or Claes Bang would each tilt the character in very different directions too, which makes this short list feel oddly specific and interesting.
Man of Tomorrow opens July 9, 2027 in the US. If Pierce gets the nod, I will not pretend to be calm about it.