Lars Eidinger Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text James Gunn has found a very brainy actor to play the villain of Man of Tomorrow, his sequel to this summer's Superman. "In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars," writer-director Gunn wrote on X Saturday. The casting ends weeks of rumors about who would step into the role. The German actor is largely known for work in Europe, such as the acclaimed German series Babylon Berlin, but he worked with Shawn Levy on the Netflix miniseries All the Light We Cannot See and Noah Baumbach on White Noise. Related Stories Movies Louis Theroux, 'The Settlers' Set for Copenhagen Doc Fest CPH:DOX Music Girlset on "Little Miss," Learning From One Another and What's Next For the Girl Group Brainiac is the classic Superman villain who debuted in 1958's Action Comics No. 242. The issue, from writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, introduced Brainiac as a super-intelligent alien who uses a shrink ray to shrink Metropolis and place the city in a collection of alien cities he keeps in bottles. The villain is considered a chief antagonist of Superman's, and has been a threat big enough to force Lex Luthor to team up with the Man of Steel to stop him. David Corenswet once again stars as Superman, with Nicholas Hoult playing Lex Luthor, with the duo rumored to form an uneasy alliance to face a bigger threat. Man of Tomorrow is following quickly on the heels of Superman, and has a release date of July 9, 2027. With Hollywood hit by the pandemic and labor strikes, sequels have often taken longer than two years to materialize in recent years. Gunn will direct and write the script. He will produce with his DC Studios co-chief, Peter Safran. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Heat Vision 'Avatar' Box Office: James Cameron's Epic Firing Up $85M-$95M U.S. Bow, Crosses $100M Globally Sigourney Weaver In 'Avatar: Fire and Ash,' Sigourney Weaver Gets to Play the Hero Again Heat Vision James Cameron Breaks Down That Horny 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Tent Scene Louis Theroux Louis Theroux, 'The Settlers' Set for Copenhagen Doc Fest CPH:DOX Tom Holland 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Shooting Wraps When Harry Met Sally... How Rob Reiner Influenced Today's Comedy Creatives: "I Owe a Large Part of My Career to Him" Heat Vision 'Avatar' Box Office: James Cameron's Epic Firing Up $85M-$95M U.S. Bow, Crosses $100M Globally Sigourney Weaver In 'Avatar: Fire and Ash,' Sigourney Weaver Gets to Play the Hero Again Heat Vision James Cameron Breaks Down That Horny 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Tent Scene Louis Theroux Louis Theroux, 'The Settlers' Set for Copenhagen Doc Fest CPH:DOX Tom Holland 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Shooting Wraps When Harry Met Sally... How Rob Reiner Influenced Today's Comedy Creatives: "I Owe a Large Part of My Career to Him"