The recent casting reveal for the iconic villain Brainiac was a move born out of necessity rather than a planned marketing beat.
On December 20, James Gunn took to social media to confirm that German actor Lars Eidinger will portray Brainiac in the upcoming film “Man of Tomorrow,” the direct follow-up to the 2025 “Superman” reboot.
At the same time, observant fans noted a distinct lack of official updates regarding “The Batman Part II,” despite persistent rumors linking Scarlett Johansson to the project. The radio silence has raised eyebrows, given that both DC blockbusters are currently eyeing 2027 release dates.
Addressing the discrepancy, Gunn explained that the decision to announce Lars Eidinger’s role prematurely was a preemptive strike against potential spoilers.
“The Batman 2 is a DC Studios production, and Peter and I are serving as producers on it. As a general rule, we don’t make significant announcements for projects that haven’t entered active production yet. The situation with Lars and Brainiac was the exception to the rule, simply because we knew the information was bound to leak eventually.”
Ultimately, the reveal was a strategic response to the reality of modern film production rather than a traditional promotional milestone.
“Man of Tomorrow” is currently slated for a July 2027 release, with “The Batman Part II” following shortly after in October 2027. Production for both features is expected to begin simultaneously in the spring of 2026.
Source: iXBT.games