Man of Tomorrow: Superman 2 Zeroes In On A Major Villain From The Creator Of Thanos
A new X tease hints James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow won’t stop at Brainiac—another Jim Starlin creation is crashing the party, pointing to Mongul and a brutal two-villain showdown.
File this under: rumor mill with some oddly specific clues. A casting blurb for James Gunn's next Superman movie, 'Man of Tomorrow,' has fans debating whether the big bad is Brainiac or Mongul. The tea leaves point to a heavily made-up, physically imposing antagonist, which has people leaning Mongul. And yeah, there is a Gunn connection that makes that guess feel less random.
The rumor and why Mongul is suddenly in the chat
'MAN OF TOMORROW' casting description reportedly hints at Brainiac or Mongul being the main villain
▪️ Makeup and prosthetics used on antagonist
▪️ Strong build and stature
(via: Nexus Point News)— ScreenTime (@screentime), October 28, 2025
That breakdown basically says: whoever Superman fights next will require serious prosthetics and a tank of an actor. Brainiac could fit if they go full alien shell, but the 'big, armored bruiser' silhouette screams Mongul. That guess gets louder when you remember Mongal, Mongul's daughter, already popped up (briefly) in James Gunn's 2021 'The Suicide Squad' before getting killed off. If Gunn wants a personal angle for a rematch with Earth, there's your hook.
One more nerdy breadcrumb: Mongul was co-created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin, and Starlin is also the guy who created Thanos for Marvel. That 'created by the Thanos guy' line you may have seen floating around is talking about him.
Quick note on the rumor itself: despite some wording out there, this isn't about two villains teaming up. The chatter is that the main villain will be one of two options — Brainiac or Mongul — based on that casting description.
Who is Mongul, and can he actually push Superman?
- First appearance: DC Comics Presents #27 (November 1980). Creators: writer Len Wein and artist Jim Starlin.
- Home base: Warworld — basically a weaponized planet built for gladiator combat and totalitarian fun times.
- Resume: One of Superman's most physically brutal recurring enemies. Not subtle, not small scale.
- Powers/skills: massive strength, speed, stamina, agility, near-invulnerability, plus actual tactical brains and hand-to-hand skill.
- DCU tie-in: His daughter Mongal showed up in Gunn's 'The Suicide Squad' (2021) and died, which is a tidy motive if dad wants payback.
Brainiac vs. Mongul for Man of Tomorrow: what makes sense
Brainiac is an extinction-level problem — city-bottling, civilization-collecting, apocalypse energy. Great villain, but if 'Man of Tomorrow' is the second outing for David Corenswet's Superman, dropping the ultimate end-of-the-world baddie this early could feel like skipping to dessert before you even get appetizers.
Mongul, on the other hand, is a classic 'he can beat him, but it will hurt' opponent. He brings spectacle, he forces Superman into tough, physical, crowd-pleasing fights, and he can circle back for rematches without needing to reboot reality each time. Add the Mongal thread from 'The Suicide Squad,' and there's a clean story reason for him to target Earth now.
If they go Brainiac this soon, it risks feeling rushed. Mongul buys time to build toward the Brainiac-level escalation later.
So when would we find out?
'Man of Tomorrow' is currently expected to hit theaters on July 9, 2027 in the U.S. If they stick to that, casting news and clearer villain intel should surface long before then.
Who do you want Corenswet's Superman to square up against next: Brainiac or Mongul?