James Gunn Breaks Silence on Brainiac Fan Theories for Superman Sequel Man of Tomorrow

James Gunn has been playing 4D chess with DC secrets for a while now, and fans are sprinting to keep up. After that head-spinning twist in Peacemaker season 2, the latest round of speculation is zeroing in on his Superman sequel, 'Man of Tomorrow' — specifically whether Brainiac is finally stepping into the spotlight.

About that brain on the script cover

Gunn recently posted the front page of his just-finished 'Man of Tomorrow' script, and yes, there was a big, unmistakable image of a human brain on it. Cue the internet connecting the dots to Brainiac — the Collector of Worlds and a classic Kal-El nemesis — and declaring him the movie’s big bad.

Gunn knows exactly what he did. He told Entertainment Weekly that he understood posting that cover would kick up this exact conversation, but he’s not confirming anything yet. Translation: he’s enjoying the chaos, and we’re not getting a villain reveal today.

Peacemaker just nudged Superman

Here’s where it gets juicy — and a little inside baseball. The latest episode of Peacemaker features Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) giving Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) a hand. Gunn says that matters for 'Man of Tomorrow' and the wider DCU story he’s building. Specifically, the Rick Flag/Lex relationship isn’t a one-off; it’s something that will ripple forward into Superman’s next chapter.

"Everything’s connected, so there is a story here that we’re telling throughout the DCU, and this is connected very much to 'Man of Tomorrow'."

So if you’re wondering why a Peacemaker subplot might end up steering parts of a Superman movie, that’s the plan. The shows and films are designed to feed each other, and Lex cozying up to Rick Flag Sr. is one of the threads Gunn is pulling on.

• 'Man of Tomorrow' is the Superman sequel, written and directed by DC Studios co-head James Gunn, with the script recently completed.
• The brain on the script cover kicked off Brainiac speculation; Gunn won’t confirm the villain but he clearly expected the chatter.
• Peacemaker’s latest episode has Lex Luthor helping Rick Flag Sr., a partnership Gunn says will matter in 'Man of Tomorrow' and beyond.
• Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor; Frank Grillo plays Rick Flag Sr.
• Gunn is keeping specifics under wraps for now — he told Entertainment Weekly he’s holding off on details.
• Release date: July 9, 2027. We’re going to be sitting on this one for a while.

Bottom line: the brain tease might be clever misdirection or a neon sign pointing to Brainiac. Either way, the Lex/Rick Flag alliance is a real breadcrumb, and it’s headed straight into 'Man of Tomorrow'.