Despite the sudden demise of Henry Cavill's highly-anticipated Man of Steel 2, the new DCU can't afford to throw away everything connected to the canceled sequel--especially its proposed antagonist. Cavill's return would reportedly have seen Superman battle the iconic supervillain Brainiac in his live-action film debut, marking a first for live-action Superman movies. Even with the film's cancelation, however, Brainiac's appearance should still happen in James Gunn's new Superman movie.Only weeks after his not-so-surprising return in the mid-credits scene of Black Adam, it has been revealed that Henry Cavill's Superman will no longer return in future DC movies. With the shakeup at DC that finds James Gunn and Peter Safron at the forefront of the cinematic universe, Cavill's version of the character no longer fits with the new DCU. However, recent reports suggest that the scrapped Man of Steel 2 would have included the alien menace of Brainiac, a character who is still the perfect supervillain for Superman's next movie, even if the project no longer includes Cavill.
Brainiac Needs To Be A Superman Movie Villain, Even Without Cavill
Brainiac remains one of the most intriguing Superman villains to have never appeared in any live-action films. The alien cyborg supervillain has almost been introduced in several projects prior to Man of Steel 2, including early drafts of Christopher Reeves's Superman III, Bryan Singer's canceled sequel to Superman Returns, and the scrapped Superman Reborn film. The latest film's cancelation marks another missed opportunity from DC executives to include one of Superman's greatest enemies in their universe.
Despite his many missed opportunities to menace Superman in a live-action film, Brainiac is still the DCU's best bet for the nemesis of their new incarnation of the superhero. His incredible strength and intellect make him one of the Man of Steel's most powerful foes, combining the best qualities of other well-established villains like Lex Luthor and General Zod. Furthermore, the character has acted as a Justice League-level threat on numerous occasions in DC Comics, making him a true challenge for the DCU's new Superman, testing both his strength and resourcefulness.
Brainiac Could Help The DCU's Superman Reboot Stand Out
Brainiac's inclusion in James Gunn's updated DCU Superman movie would also help the film stand out against the many other adaptations of the classic superhero, which tend to resort to reusing the same villains over and over again. Despite having starred in six live-action solo films since 1978, Superman has rarely fought supervillains outside of Lex Luthor and General Zod. In fact, Superman III remains the only live-action Superman movie not to feature either of these two characters as a major antagonist.
Brainiac can fix this SUperman movie mistake and give the franchise a chance to break free from repeating the same stories and battles over and over again and finally do something different. Not only is he a worthy villain for the next Man of Steel, but he is also a character with whom general audiences may not be intimately familiar. This gives the filmmakers a chance to craft a compelling antagonist free from the shadow of prior iterations.
Currently, Brainiac's future in live-action projects remains woefully clouded. Although James Gunn has confirmed that he is already working on a brand-new script for a Superman DCU movie with a different actor, he has yet to reveal who may act as the antagonist therein. While Brainiac may yet make an appearance in the film, fans will forever mourn their missed opportunity to see the supervillain battle Henry Cavill's Superman in Man of Steel 2.
