Lars Eidinger Calls Brainiac the “Incarnation of Satan” and His Shakespearean Take on the Villain Could Make ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Unmissable

James Gunn’s rebooted DC universe has been building momentum since its theatrical debut, and the follow-up to his blockbuster first entry is already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about superhero films on the horizon. With ‘Man of Tomorrow‘ set to push the boundaries of what audiences have come to expect from the franchise, the casting choices surrounding its central villain have been a subject of intense fan interest.

German actor Lars Eidinger was confirmed as the latest addition to the ‘Man of Tomorrow’ cast, tapped to take on the iconic villain Brainiac opposite returning stars David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult. Director James Gunn made the announcement via Instagram, writing that after a worldwide search for the right performer, Eidinger rose to the top. It was a casting choice that surprised some corners of the fandom but quickly generated a wave of genuine excitement from those familiar with the actor’s European body of work.

Now Eidinger is opening up about the role, and what he has to say makes a compelling case for why Gunn chose him above anyone else. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor described his approach to the character in terms that immediately set this portrayal apart from anything the DCU has attempted before. Eidinger described Brainiac as the incarnation of Satan, adding that he finds the character almost Shakespearean, drawing parallels to archetypes like the king and the fool.

Brainiac first appeared in Action Comics number 242, introduced as a super-intelligent alien who uses a shrink ray to miniaturise cities and store them as part of an obsessive collection. Despite being one of Superman’s most enduring adversaries in the comics, the character has never appeared in a live-action Superman film, making ‘Man of Tomorrow’ a long-overdue big-screen debut for the villain. That alone gives the sequel a sense of occasion that even casual fans are already responding to.

The film is expected to centre on an unlikely alliance between Superman and Lex Luthor, forced to set aside their rivalry to contend with Brainiac’s arrival as a shared threat. It is a dynamic that raises the dramatic stakes considerably, and framing Brainiac as a near-mythological evil rather than just another superpowered antagonist fits neatly into the Shakespearean lens Eidinger is bringing to the part.

Eidinger comes to the role with a string of acclaimed credits behind him, including Noah Baumbach’s awards contender ‘Jay Kelly’ and a European Film Awards nomination for the Matthias Glasner-directed film ‘Dying.’ ‘Superman’, released in the summer of 2025, grossed over 616 million dollars worldwide, making it the highest-grossing superhero film of that year, setting a formidable benchmark for its sequel to aim at.

‘Man of Tomorrow’ is currently targeting a theatrical release on July 9, 2027. With Eidinger already drawing on ideas of Satanic grandeur and classical tragedy to shape the character, this version of Brainiac could become one of the most philosophically charged villains in superhero cinema in years.

Whether you think this casting is a stroke of genius or still needs convincing, it is hard to deny that the ‘incarnation of Satan’ pitch is a very different energy from anything the DCU has served up before, so drop your thoughts below on whether Lars Eidinger’s Shakespearean take on Brainiac has you sold on ‘Man of Tomorrow.’