Who Will Play Brainiac? Three Star Contenders Emerge for Man of Tomorrow
DC Studios is closing in on Brainiac for Man of Tomorrow: two Marvel villain alums have made the shortlist, and Matt Smith is among the top three contenders.
Brainiac is coming, and DC is reportedly down to a small pool of contenders. The fun wrinkle: two of the names have already played Marvel villains. Welcome to the multiverse of casting.
Per the latest chatter, DC Studios has a shortlist for the Man of Tomorrow big bad that currently includes Claes Bang, Matt Smith, and Sam Rockwell. None of this is locked yet, and the studio hasn’t announced anything official. Still, it’s a compelling trio — with a few behind-the-scenes caveats worth flagging.
- Matt Smith - The Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who and Prince Philip in The Crown, plus recent runs in House of the Dragon, Morbius (yep, he was the baddie), and Caught Stealing.
- Sam Rockwell - Recent Emmy nominee for The White Lotus, Oscar winner for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and of course Marvel’s Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2.
- Claes Bang - Breakout in The Square, title role in BBC’s Dracula, and a key turn in The Northman.
This originated with reporting that places those three among the top choices, but also warns that casting is still in motion and offers have not gone out. One note that tracks with what we see across big tentpoles right now: budget pressure. If DC is tightening the belt on this one, it could influence which name ultimately boards the ship.
On the testing front, Claes Bang has reportedly already read for Brainiac, with more actors set to test soon, including some lesser-knowns alongside a few heavy hitters. Translation: it’s early days, and the net is still wide.
"There’s a handful of others who are going to be tested, so it’s undecided."
Worth repeating: neither DC Studios nor James Gunn has confirmed any of this. It’s the kind of early casting smoke that could still change as schedules, chemistry reads, and money get involved. The initial scoop trail points back to SuperHeroHype’s Vritti Johar, with additional whispers from the usual industry scoopers.
What is official is the movie around the villain. James Gunn is writing, directing, and producing Man of Tomorrow, with Peter Safran co-producing. David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult are back as Superman and Lex Luthor, and Frank Grillo returns as Rick Flag Sr. The plan is to start shooting in Atlanta in April and run through the summer, with Brainiac locked as the main antagonist. Warner Bros. Discovery has it set for July 9, 2027.
Bottom line: Bang, Smith, and Rockwell are in the mix right now. Two familiar Marvel baddies in the hunt for DC’s ultimate collector of cities is a fun twist, but until the ink’s dry, treat it as what it is — promising, not final.