Could an already famous genre actor be the cosmic villain of Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow? One insider believes it's the case!
After the massive success of the David Corenswet-led movie earlier this year, all eyes are on James Gunn for the sequel. Gunn has revealed the key villain will be Brainiac, with the question of who can play this iconic Superman foe.
As reported by Comic Book Movie, there have been numerous names approached. That includes Oscar winner Sam Rockwell and Dracula star Claes Bang. But according to noted insider Daniel Richtman, Matt Smith is actually seen as the frontrunner to take on the role at the moment.
Going for a non-A-list actor may be surprising, but it fits Gunn’s vision for the new DC Universe to cast the right actors rather than big names. It worked for the first Superman film with David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Smith would fit in well there.
Introduced in 1958, Brainiac is easily one of Superman’s most iconic enemies. He’s been through various transformations, with the gist being that he is a computerized alien genius who invades worlds, shrinking a city into a bottle to study, and often wiping out the rest of the populace. He and Superman have clashed countless times, with Brainiac transforming himself into robotic forms.
The storyline will likely have Brainiac attack Earth, forcing Superman and Luthor to work together against him. Having Smith in the role would be perfect casting.
Why Matt Smith works as Brainac
After a quiet start in various TV shows and films, Matt Smith exploded to fame in 2010 when he was cast as the Eleventh Doctor on Doctor Who. He quickly became one of the most loved actors in the role and an international icon.
Since leaving the series, Smith has made his mark on genre films and TV shows such as Terminator Genisys (in he actually played a corrupt AI quite like Brainiac) and Morbius, as well as his other standout roles as Prince Phillip in The Crown and, most notably, Daemon Targaryen on House of the Dragon. That genre experience is a boon to playing Brainiac.
Smith can easily capture the cold, alien nature of this monster who claims to be above petty emotions, yet gets satisfaction from shrinking cities for his collection. He could easily handle the green makeup and other effects and that wonderful voice is tailor-made for Brainiac’s methodical and clipped vocals. He's already played the Doctor, so Smith should have no problem handling another alien creature.
Seeing him potentially clash with Superman and Lex together would make for a terrific showdown. In fact, the Doctor Who star just fits the role so well that it’s now hard to imagine someone else taking on the part.
Of course, this has yet to be confirmed and therefore it remains a rumor for the time being - or some potential scheduling conflict could ultimately keep Smith from being cast if it were, in fact, true. So we'll temper our expectations until a casting announcement is made. But having this former Doctor as this famed Superman villain can only make Man of Tomorrow even bigger for fans.
Superman is streaming on HBO Max. Man of Tomorrow arrives in movie theaters on July 9, 2027.