Brainiac is one of Superman‘s most iconic foes, and after many attempts to bring the character to the big screen, he reportedly will be the primary villain in James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow. While nothing is officially confirmed yet, multiple rumors surrounding the makeup test seem to point to Brainiac as the primary antagonist for the Superman follow-up. Surprisingly, no actor short list has emerged on who could play Brainiac in the DCU.
With cameras set to roll on Man of Tomorrow in April 2026, official confirmation of the actor playing Brainiac is likely to come soon. Brainiac is going to be a sought-after role, as it marks the character’s first cinematic appearance and is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed and box office hit Superman. With that in mind, here are eight actors who would be perfect to play Brainiac in the DCU, for both Man of Tomorrow and beyond.
8
Yura Borisov
James Gunn’s casting for the DCU has prioritized strong character actors over movie stars or stunt casting, meaning that the director is willing to take a chance on someone who isn’t a big name, and one actor whose profile should be on the director’s is Yura Borisov. The Russian-born actor broke out with American audiences following his Academy Award-nominated performance in Anora. Borisov is set to star in Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial as Ilya Sutskever, one of the co-founders of OpenAI.
Borisov’s performance as Igor in Anora was a standout, as he perfectly balanced the high-octane, absurd comedic moments while also serving as the film’s dramatic anchor. Brainiac is a role that will likely require a great deal of makeup, but Borisov’s striking eyes would still shine through. Borisov as Brainiac would be an inspired choice and fit with James Gunn’s history of taking a chance on lesser-known actors for leading DCU roles.
7
Jude Law
Jude Law was previously rumored to play Brainiac in a Superman Returns sequel that never panned out. Now, 20 years after being eyed to play Brainiac, Law would be a great fit to play the iconic villain in James Gunn’s DCU. While he would eventually join the MCU as Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel, MCU actors have jumped from that cinematic universe to the DCU.
The biggest factor working in Law’s favor is, of course, his voice, which often gets him cast as distinguished figures of authority. That hint of superiority and intelligence is often seen as a vital aspect of Brainiac’s character. With the classic green makeup applied to Law, it would seem like he leaped straight off the comic book page, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that he is an incredibly talented actor. It might be the obvious pick, but sometimes the obvious isn’t always a bad thing.
6
Ncuti Gatwa
It is almost a tradition for a Doctor Who actor to step into the role of a comic book villain. Christopher Eccleston as Malekith in Thor: The Dark World, David Tennant as Kilgrave in Jessica Jones, Matt Smith as Milo in Morbius, and Peter Capaldi as The Thinker in The Suicide Squad. While audiences wait for Jodie Whittaker to find the right villainous role, the most recent Doctor Who star, Ncuti Gatwa, would be an excellent pick for Brainiac.
In many ways, Brainiac is a dark subversion of the Doctor, as both are aliens who travel the stars visiting other planets. Yet, whereas the Doctor protects civilizations to keep their legacy moving forward, Brainiac destroys and hoards. With how warm, welcoming, and playful Gatwa’s Doctor was, it would be great to see the actor show a different side of himself and play a cold, calculating, and sinister villain like Brainiac. He could sink his teeth into a character like Brainiac, continuing his trajectory into global superstardom after departing Doctor Who.
5
Andrew Scott
Andrew Scott certainly has made a career for himself playing villains, from Moriarty on Sherlock to his dual villain role in 2015, when he appeared in both Spectre and Victor Frankenstein. Scott is far more than a go-to villain actor. His role in the series Ripley and the underrated film All of Us Strangers garnered critical acclaim and award recognition. In 2025, he can be seen in both Blue Moon and the upcoming Wake Up Dead Man, the next entry in the Knives Out franchise.
While Scott might not match the traditional physical requirements of Brainiac in the comics, his cold, often demeaning voice would be a great fit for the character. It would be easy to see a voice like Scott’s talking down a figure as powerful as Superman or even as self-important as Lex Luthor. Andrew Scott might not be the conventional pick for Brainiac, but pull out a comic and read any issue in his voice, and it’s hard not to see the vision.
4
Christian Borle
Christian Borle is a two-time Tony Award-winning actor who is now best known for voicing Vox on the hit Prime Video series Hazbin Hotel. Borle’s Broadway credits include Some Like It Hot, Mary Poppins, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His on-screen credits include guest appearances on shows like Gilmore Girls: A Day in the Life, Evil, and the recent hit CBS series, Elsbeth.
Before anyone dismisses the idea of a musical theater actor playing an intense comic book character, remember Hugh Jackman was best known for starring in Oklahoma! and had no real film roles before being cast as Wolverine. The recent season of Hazbin Hotel was a showcase for Borle’s range as a performer, as his character, Vox, needed to convey a charismatic quality that made him fun to watch, while also maintaining an evil, sinister, and calculating edge. After seeing what Borle brought to Hazbin Hotel, he would be a welcome addition to any film project and could specifically add something fresh to Brainiac.
3
Bill Skarsgård
Ever since Bill Skarsgård played Pennywise the Clown, fans have often fallen into the trap of the uninspired fan casting of him as the Joker. Yet Skarsgård would make for a great DC villain, specifically Brainiac. At 6’4″, Skarsgård matches David Corenswet’s eyeline and would make for a great physical match as much as an intellectual one. Skarsgård is also no stranger to makeup, having donned impressive prosthetics for both Pennywise in the It films and also Nosferatu, in which he starred alongside Lex Luthor actor Nicholas Hoult.
Both Nosferatu and It showed that Skarsgård is a chameleon, rendered almost unrecognizable through both makeup and voice work. He gives his characters unique and iconic sounds, something Brainiac needs to help distinguish him to general audiences as more than green-skinned Lex Luthor. Skarsgård as Brainiac would not only be great for the DCU, but would make up for how past comic book movies like Deadpool 2 and Eternals wasted the actor.
2
Jeremy Strong
Jeremy Strong won a Primetime Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance as Kendall Roy on the hit HBO series, Succession. A reliable character actor before in films like Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty, as well as television series like The Good Wife and Masters of Sex, Succession made him one of the most in-demand character actors in the world. He was recently nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Roy Cohn in The Apprentice and will next play Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network follow-up, The Social Reckoning.
Strong is known for his intense method acting. While that might not seem to mesh with James Gunn’s directing style, as he prefers working with actors who can work well in ensembles, Strong’s work on Succession and his willingness to joke about himself show he can collaborate effectively within an ensemble. YouTube video essayist Jenna Anderson’s “We Need to Talk About Brainiac,” which Gunn shared on his social media platforms, even said that Strong would be an excellent fit for the classic Silver Age version of Brainiac, and we certainly agree.
1
David Strathairn
David Strathairn is one of the greatest character actors working today. He was already known for roles in Dolores Claiborne, L.A. Confidential, and The Notorious Bettie Page before he was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck in 2005. Since then, he has been a consistent presence on screen, appearing in films ranging from The Bourne Ultimatum to Godzilla to Nomadland and recently voiced the villainous Milton Lynxley in Zootopia 2. Strathairn as Brainiac could be one of the all-time best casting decisions for a super villain.
Not only is Strathairn an Academy Award-nominated actor, but he is also not the traditional pick for a blockbuster super-villain role, which makes him a more exciting pick. He would lend a similar gravitas to Brainiac’s casting that Gene Hackman did for Lex Luthor in the original Superman: The Movie. Strathairn’s gravely,authoritarian voice would give Brainiac a commanding presence that honors both the Corey Burton voice from Superman: The Animated Series and the Jeffrey Combs portrayal in Injustice 2. Fans have waited years to see Brainiac on screen, and the perfect actor to play the role has been here the whole time. Hopefully, James Gunn considers Strathairn.
- Release Date
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August 23, 2020
- Runtime
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87 minutes
- Director
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Chris Palmer
- Writers
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Tim Sheridan
- Producers
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James Krieg
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Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman (voice)
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Ike Amadi
J’onn J’onzz / Martian Manhunter (voice)
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Eugene Byrd
Ron Troupe (voice)
