Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: dcu

  • James Gunn Explains His Wide-Ranging Inspiration for the DCU’s Brainiac

    James Gunn Explains His Wide-Ranging Inspiration for the DCU’s Brainiac

    After months of speculation about who the villain of Man of Tomorrow would be, director James Gunn confirmed the widespread belief that classic Superman supervillain Brainiac was indeed set to antagonize Kal-El and Lex Luthor.

    Gunn also revealed that German actor Lars Eldinger had landed the role after a “worldwide search” for the right talent to bring the Coluan Collector of Worlds to life, explaining only that his audition separated him from the pack and convinced DC Studios that he was the right man for the job. Following the news, Gunn took to social media to explain what inspiration drove the creation of the DCU’s version of Brainiac.

    I love aspects of many versions of the characters, from the 1950’s Binder stuff to the surprisingly scary Wolfman stuff to the animated versions and up through the truly creepy and wonderful, current Absolute Brainiac.

    -James Gunn

    Otto Binder‘s original version of Brainiac debuted in 1958’s Action Comics #242 and established the core elements of the character that remain iconic today, including his “12th-level intellect.” Co-created with artist Al Plastino, this version was a product of the Silver Age of comics–which inspired Gunn‘s decisions on Superman–characterized by high-concept science fiction and “B-movie” alien aesthetics.

    Binder‘s most significant contribution to the Superman mythos via Brainiac was the introduction of Kandor, the capital city of Krypton. While infiltrating Brainiac’s ship to save Metropolis, Superman discovered a bottle containing Kandor, revealing that Brainiac had visited Krypton before its destruction, creating a deep personal link between the villain and Superman’s lost heritage.

    Marv Wolfman’s version of Brainiac– introduced in 1983 for the 45th anniversary of Action Comics (#544)–is widely considered the most terrifying and radical redesign of the character in the Pre-Crisis era. Wolfman transformed the character into a cold, cosmic horror: a living machine driven by pure logic and a nihilistic need to destroy.

    For Superman: The Animated Series, Brainiac was reimagined as Krypton’s planetary AI/supercomputer. After betraying Jor-El, Brainiac downloaded his consciousness into a satellite and spent decades travelling the galaxy gathering knowledge from the computers of other civilizations before destroying them. This iconic version of the character–complete with the “three dot” symbol–returned for Justice League and Justice League Unlimited and is likely the iteration of the character with whom the core audience of Man of Tomorrow would find recognizable.

    In DC’s recent Absolute Universe, writer Jason Aaron has reimagined the Coluan as a sadist, williing to torture and experiment on his enemies–or even his own clones. The recent version also looks to employ psychological tactics that are more calculated cruelty than logic, removing him from his roots by an exponential margin.

  • James Gunn Confirms ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Villain, Announces German Actor Landed the Role

    James Gunn Confirms ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Villain, Announces German Actor Landed the Role

    After a month of rumors in which Claes Bang, Matt Smith and Dave Bautista were all alleged front runners for the role of Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn–who recently took to social media to shoot down those rumors–announced the actor who will bring the antagonist to the screen.

    In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars.

    -James Gunn

    Man of Tomorrow is “a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat.“ After months of playing coy, Gunn has finally confirmed that Brainiac will be that threat.

    In the comics, Brainiac’s primary motivation is generally a cold, unquenchable thirst for absolute knowledge and self-improvement—which involves collecting and destroying civilizations; however, modern writers have created a more sadistic version of the character, will to torture and experiment on his enemies–or even his own clones in the Absolute Universe–and employ psychological tactics that are more calculated cruelty than logic.

    Gunn previously revealed that the villain “was considered” for Superman and with Supergirl hitting theaters in 2026, it wouldn’t take much to give some background to Brainiac’s fascination with Kryptonions and reveal that he visited Krypton before it was destroyed and shrunk and stole the capital city of Kandor.

  • James Gunn Shoots Down Major ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Casting Report

    James Gunn Shoots Down Major ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Casting Report

    For some time now, James Gunn‘s social media presence can be interpreted as a barometer for the DC Studios’ rumor mill. Gunn’s responses to rumors and reports often create a clearer picture of what fans can expect from upcoming projects and, interestingly enough, what he doesn’t respond to is equally interesting.

    For example, when recent reports seemed to indicate that Wonder Woman might make her all-new, all-different DCU debut in Gunn‘s next film, Man of Tomorrow, the DC Studios’ co-chair remained tight-lipped, even as the buzz intensified. Does that mean Diana will join the battle against Brainiac in the Superman sequel? Or is Brainiac even in the film?

    While Gunn has yet to confirm that the Coluan Collector of Worlds will indeed be the villain of Man of Tomorrow, recent trade reports have indicated that Brainiac will be the catalyst behind Kal-El’s team up with Lex Luthor. Following those reports, rumblings about casting for the role have begun to pop up, with Claes Bang and Matt Smith reportedly among those up for the role. More recently, Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista was mentioned as a favorite to ultimately portray Brainiac but it seems as though that’s not going to be the case.

    Shortly after Bautista’s name was thrown out by Jeff Sneider as a to contender for the sadistic supervillain, Gunn took to Threads to shoot down the report.

    Oh boy. Let’s forget a moment, I’ve never said Brainiac was in the movie. I freaking love [Dave Bautista] [and] I have many ideas for who he could play in the DCU. But he [and] I have never discussed a role in Man of Tomorrow, nor have we discussed it amongst ourselves at DC.

    -James Gunn

    Gunn‘s statement left little room for interpretation, directly addressing the actor and the role. Bautista may not have been the best fit for the role anyway but Gunn went on to explain that none of the “6-7” other names associated for the role have been screentested or offered a part in Man of Tomorrow.

  • ‘Supergirl’ Trailer Description Teases Intergalactic Action

    DC Studios held a “launch event” in New York City to unveil the first teaser trailer for Supergirl ahead of its release sometime this week. The film’s star, Milly Alcock, was joined by director Craig Gillespie and studio co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran.

    As expected from such an event, a description of the teaser quickly made its way online and while it sounds as though the new film will have comedic beats, it also seems to be very much a “road trip” film in which Kara Zor-El will come to terms with her past traumas.

    The description below comes via social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello. The teaser will be released online this week, though no date has been confirmed by DC Studios at this time.

    The trailer opens with Krypto peeing on a newspaper with Superman on the cover.

    Kara wakes up hungover, and we then see her boarding a space bus.

    She’s shown celebrating her 23rd birthday alone at a bar, really emphasizing her isolation.

    The trailer then moves into a montage of her and Ruthye traveling across the galaxy to different locations.

    Krem appears briefly in a shot. Lobo is shown walking down a hallway.

    The trailer ends with Kara in full costume, fighting enemies aboard a massive space battleship.

  • Talented Trio Tops Reported Shortlist to Tackle Techno-Organic Terror in ‘Man of Tomorrow’

    Talented Trio Tops Reported Shortlist to Tackle Techno-Organic Terror in ‘Man of Tomorrow’

    After months of speculation and teasing, confirmation finally came down the pipe that the sadistic supervillain Brainiac would indeed make his theatrical debut in the Superman not-really-but-also-kind-of-sequel Man of Tomorrow.

    The Coluan Collector of Worlds will serve as the “bigger threat” that catalyzes the team up between David Corenswet‘s Kal-El and Nicholas Hoult‘s Lex Luthor, which director James Gunn has described as a “complicated” scenario.

    With principal photography on Man of Tomorrow set to get underway in April, casting for the film has begun, including the search for an actress to play a character believed to be Wonder Woman and an actor willing to disappear behind prosthetics to bring Brainiac to life. In mid-November, Dracula star Claes Bang reportedly read for the role and now, a follow-up report claims that a pair of actors have joined Bang on the shortlist to land the role of Brainiac.

    According to Nexus Point News, Doctor Who star Matt Smith and Academy Award-Winning actor Sam Rockwell have joined Bang on the shortlist to play the supervillain.

    The report makes it clear that no offers have been made at this point and that ultimately, a cash-conscious approach by parent studio Warner Bros. may constrain Gunn‘s casting reach.

    Man of Tomorrow will hit theaters on July 9, 2027.

    Source: NPN

  • Additional ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Casting Info Intensifies Wonder Woman Buzz

    Additional ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Casting Info Intensifies Wonder Woman Buzz

    On the heels of a report that DC Studios was searching for a character believed to be Wonder Woman for a key role in Man of Tomorrow, a second report has surfaced containing additional details about the role.

    Following the initial report by insider Daniel Richtman, Nexus Point News has come through with some new information that certainly makes the new character sound like Wonder Woman. Take a quick look at a breakdown of the key points:

    • Late 20s
    • Has “an edge to her”
    • Height requirement/taller actresses
    • Strong physique
    • Character is a warrior

    As NPN pointed out, though the description does lend itself to Diana, there are indeed other tall, female warriors that could be pulled from the deep DC Comics roster. However, with a Wonder Woman film on the way, having the character appear in Man of Tomorrow does seems relatively sensible.

    Source: Nexus Point News

  • New Casting Information for ‘Man of Tomorrow’ May Point to Another of DC’s Trinity Joining the Battle Against Brainiac

    New Casting Information for ‘Man of Tomorrow’ May Point to Another of DC’s Trinity Joining the Battle Against Brainiac

    After months of speculation that the sadistic supervillain Brainiac would finally make his big screen debut in DC Studios Man of Tomorrow, a trade report confirmed the Coluan Collector of Worlds would indeed serve as the catalyst bringing Superman and Lex Luthor together. With Hawkgirl confirmed to return and other heroes such as Supergirl and John Stewart also believed to be joining the fray, plenty of Superfriends will be on hand to assist in the battle against Brainiac. However, new casting information has fans believing another hero might be set to appear as well and if speculation is correct, it’s one of DC’s heaviest hitters.

    …a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat.

    -James Gunn on Man of Tomorrow
    Following a report from insider Daniel Richtman that DC Studios is searching for an actress in her 20s for a major role in Man of Tomorrow, speculation is growing that Wonder Woman will make her DCU debut in the film.

    It’s important to note that Richtman’s report doesn’t provide anywhere near enough information to determine that the female character will be Wonder Woman. However, with DC Studios co-chair James Gunn recently saying that the character was crucial to the success of the fledgling shared universe and that a script for a new Wonder Woman project by Ana Nogueria was in the works, it’s not the worst guess.

    With principal photography on Man of Tomorrow set to kick off in April, casting is certainly underway, so if the character is indeed Wonder Woman, expect trades to get on the case soon and try to figure out what actresses are in the mix for the role.

  • New Report Confirms Sadistic ‘Superman’ Sequel Supervillain; Rumored Front-runner Emerges

    New Report Confirms Sadistic ‘Superman’ Sequel Supervillain; Rumored Front-runner Emerges

    Following the successful launch of Superman, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav teased “an ambitious, 10-year plan of interconnected sequels and spinoffs,” which included the “next movie in the Super-Family,” set to be directed by James Gunn. Gunn then spent the next few weeks teasing the next installment in his Superman Saga which was ultimately revealed to be a Superman and Lex Luthor team-up film titled Man of Tomorrow.

    In between Zaslav’s tease and the announcement of Man of Tomorrow, fans discovered an unused storyboard from Superman in the behind-the-scenes featurette, Adventures in the  Making of Superman,which they believed revealed the villain of the 2027 Superman sequel. The storyboard features Superman, Supergirl and Krypto flying but a closer look at the bottom corner reveals the head of one of the House of El’s greatest enemies: Brainiac. Gunn further teased the classic Superman villain by releasing a photo of the script for Man of Tomorrow with a brain front and center on the cover page, but stopped short of confirming his inclusion. Now, a trade report seems to have taken care of that.

    According to The Wrap, Brainiac will indeed be the catalyst that causes Superman and Lex Luthor, complete in his Warsuit, to join forces in Man of Tomorrow.

    Gunn previously revealed that the villain “was considered” for Superman and with Supergirl hitting theaters in 2026, it wouldn’t take much to give some background to Brainiac’s fascination with Kryptonions and reveal that he visited Krypton before it was destroyed and shrunk and stole the capital city of Kandor.

    In the comics, Brainiac’s primary motivation is generally a cold, unquenchable thirst for absolute knowledge and self-improvement—which involves collecting and destroying civilizations; however, modern writers have created a more sadistic version of the character, will to torture and experiment on his enemies–or even his own clones in the Absolute Universe–and employ psychological tactics that are more calculated cruelty than logic.

    Following the news, social media scoopers collaborated to indicate that Claes Bang, who played the title role in Netflix’s Dracula, has already rested for the role. However, tests are ongoing and given Gunn’s previous work with DC Studios, will involve multiple rounds of testing, including reading with leads David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult.

    Source: The Wrap

  • DC Studios Latest Streaming Project Brings the Legion of Doom One Step Closer to the DCU

    DC Studios Latest Streaming Project Brings the Legion of Doom One Step Closer to the DCU

    As the all-new, all-different DCU continues to add projects to its upcoming lineup, fans continue to search for clues as to the nature of whatever large-scale crossover project its first chapter, Gods and Monsters, is building toward. Originally intended to be comprised of at least 10 projects, all of which DC Studios’ co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran had hoped to release by the end of 2027. While nothing is impossible, with many of those projects facing developmental delays, it’s likely the goal posts have moved. And so has the composition of the slate.

    With projects such as The Brave and the Bold, Paradise Lost and Waller coming together slowly, other projects have jumped them in the queue. Though the DCU’s Batman has yet to be cast, director James Watkins‘ Clayface looks to be tasked with introducing the DCU’s Gotham and, perhaps, its villains. And the latest project to be announced, the Superman spinoff DC Crime, will also serve as a way to introduce additional DC supervillains into the DCU.

    According to prior reports, DC Crime–which will feature Skyler Gisando‘s Jimmy Olsen–will be an anthology that would feature the character as he investigates supervillains for the Daily Planet. The first season of the fictional true crime series, written by Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, will reportedly feature Gorilla Grodd, a classic Flash baddie but also a key member of a group of villains that might just show up down the road.

    First introduced in ABC’s Challenge of the Superfriends in 1978, the Legion of Doom has since appeared across multiple mediums and become a staple of supervillainy for DC. Originally assembled by Lex Luthor, the Legion consisted of 13 baddies from the rogues galleries of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern. Gorilla Grodd is indeed counted as one of the original 13 and is the third member of the Legion set to pop up in the DCU, joining Luthor and Green Lantern villain Sinestro, who will be played by Ulrich Thomsen in Lanterns.

    With Gunn’s next film in the Superman Saga, Man of Tomorrow, seemingly set to introduce Brainiac and theories that Superman‘s secondary villain, Ultraman, might return to the DCU as a Bizzaro-ized Supes dupe, the number of LoD members could climb quickly. Thinking out loud, additional members such as Toyman, Scarecrow, Riddler and Captain Cold could easily be introduced in future seasons of DC Crime, leaving just a few characters such as Black Manta, Giganta, Cheetah and Solomon Grundy for other projects (looking at you, Waller).

    Given what we know about Gunn‘s sensibilities, it seems reasonable to wonder if he was a fan of Challenge of the Superfriends; if so, it’s possible he’s planning to continue to find ways to work the characters into the DCU ahead of what could be an incredible big screen crossover featuring the Justice League and the Legion of Doom, complete with a Hall of Doom hidden in Slaughter Swamp. It wouldn’t be the weirdest choice…

  • ‘American Vandal’ Creators Set to Deliver DC Studios’ First Streaming ‘Superman’ Spinoff

    ‘American Vandal’ Creators Set to Deliver DC Studios’ First Streaming ‘Superman’ Spinoff

    Ahead of the July launch of the all-new, all-different DCU, the Wall Street Journal reported that a pair of streaming series intended to spin out of Superman were in development. According to the Wall Street Journal, a pair of series featuring Superman’s pal, Jimmy Olsen, and Mister Terrific were being considered by DC Studios’ co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran.

    Less than two weeks later, with Superman  having been a hit with audiences and critics alike, DCU Leaks revealed that the Olsen-centric spinoff was moving forward. According to the report, Skyler Gisando was set to repeirise therole of Jimmy Olsen in an anthology that would feature the character as he investigated supervillains for the Daily Planet. Now trade reports have come through with more information on the series which will indeed move ahead.

    According to THR, Gisondo will star in DC Crime, “a fictional true crime series set in the DC Universe.” The project will be created by Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, the creators of “the critically-acclaimed Netflix show American Vandal, which spoofed the true crime genre.”

    Variety’s report also revealed that the first season of the show will feature Gorilla Grodd, a member of Flash’s Rogues Gallery. Grodd is a hyper-intelligent, telepathic gorilla from the hidden African community of Gorilla City. The original lore, from back in The Flash #106 (1959), says an alien meteor gifted him and his people super-intelligence and psychic powers.

    Grodd isn’t just strong (and he is ridiculously strong—he can trade blows with people like Wonder Woman and Superman). His telepathy is his real ace in the hole. He can straight-up take over the minds of others. The Flash has a fast brain, but Grodd has a powerful one. He’s also a brilliant schemer, which is why he’s consistently a founding member or a major player in groups like the Secret Society of Super-Villains and the Legion of Doom. He brings the brains and the brute force.

    Grodd, whose presence in the series was originally revealed by Jeff “The In” Sneider, was already seen Creature Commandos. Appearing in a vision of the future where he aligned with the Pokolistan army to take out metahumans, Grodd looked to be set up as one of the DCU’s biggest bads.

    Source: THR