With so many big names rumoured to be in the mix for Man of Tomorrow's Brainiac, DC fans were surprised when German actor Lars Eidinger (All the Light We Cannot See) was cast as the iconic villain.
Still, he's a powerhouse talent, and James Gunn's unexpected casting choices have always paid off. Look no further than Chris Pratt as Star-Lord for proof of that.
The Hollywood Reporter recently caught up with Eidinger, who discussed his excitement to join DC Studios' DCU in the Superman sequel. He also opened up on the experience of seeing David Corenswet's Man of Steel hovering before him on set.
"Even if it seems surprising at first, these films have a serious philosophical ambition. They carry great allegorical weight for me," the actor shared. "Take just the word 'super' — it’s used as a superlative, for something excellent, wonderful. But 'super' really only means 'over' or 'above.' So Superman is the Übermensch. You have the Super Ego."
"There’s already a deep psychological dimension built in," Eidinger continued. "Last week I was on set during rehearsals and asked if I could watch some of the filming, which had already started. And I saw an actor in the Superman costume, suspended on wires in front of a bluescreen. I looked at that image and thought: This is the essence of fiction."
"It’s as significant an image as Hamlet holding the skull: Superman, in that Superman pose, hanging from wires in front of a bluescreen. Being in the Superman universe wasn’t a dream or burning desire for me. But now that it’s happening, I can see a certain inevitability in it, something almost fated," he added.
While cameras have been rolling on Man of Tomorrow for several weeks, we've yet to see a single set photo or video from the movie. That could change when production presumably returns to Cleveland for Metropolis-set scenes, but for now, the next chapter in the Superman Saga is being kept under wraps.
We may not have seen Brainiac yet, but it sounds like the villain will be suitably evil, which helps explain why Superman and Lex Luthor would set their differences aside to fight the alien invader.
Later in the interview, Eidinger opened up on how his work in theatre "enormously" helped prepare him for his blockbuster debut. "I involves a different register of performance, one that isn’t primarily realistic and allows for a far more expressive style of playing."
"When I watch a film like James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, I find it has a great theatrical quality — in the handling of good and evil, and in a certain tendency toward allegory," he noted. "Brainiac is described as the incarnation of Satan. I find that almost Shakespearean. The king, the fool — there are so many parallels for me."
In Man of Tomorrow, Superman will be forced to team up with Lex Luthor to battle Brainiac, a threat not just to Metropolis but the entire world.
Written and directed by James Gunn, previously announced stars include David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Lars Eidinger as Brainiac, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag, Sr., Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.
Andre Royo, Matthew Lillard, Sinqua Walls, and Adria Arjona recently joined the cast, though we still don't know for sure whether the latter is playing Maxima or Wonder Woman. There's also speculation about Eva De Dominici playing one of those characters.
Man of Tomorrow arrives in theaters on July 9, 2027.