Brainiac’s Lars Eidinger Discusses Superman Sequel Casting
German-born actor Lars Eidinger has discussed the process of being cast as supervillain Brainiac in the upcoming and highly anticipated Superman: Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to James Gunn’s successful and highly acclaimed Superman. The film is the first in a carefully planned reboot of DC Comics film adaptations, cited as the DCU and taking over from the original DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
Man of Tomorrow has been confirmed as reading not as an exact sequel to the first film, but rather a film which features the superhero in a central role. Eidinger’s casting was confirmed in late 2025, a process the actor shared details on during an interview.
“I actually thought that at 50, Hollywood wasn’t going to happen for me anymore. And then, suddenly, this Zoom call with James Gunn came along. I was sitting in my living room, totally nervous, trying to be present somehow,” the actor told Missverstehen Sie Mich Richtig.
“I had no idea how I was coming across or whether anything would come of it.”
Eidinger then was told to “do a self-tape”, which he recorded “15 times in [his] living room” until he “got it right”. The efforts paid off as once he sent the final product, “they were completely obsessed with it.”
The actor also shared details of the filming process, such as watching “the new Superman movie to get in the mood,” as well as completing “a body scan first, 3D modelling, and so on.”
“And then I got this Brainiac – that’s the name of the character – a Brainiac mask,” Eidinger added.
“The whole time, I didn’t really know whether there were others there or if I was the only one,” he concluded. “I thought maybe after the makeup, I’d still have a moment to concentrate or be by myself.”
Lars Eidinger also took time to mention that “James Gunn said he’s looking forward to designing the role together with me. And now I’m training four times a week because I need to be fit for the shoot, which is supposed to start in April.”
Superman: Man of Tomorrow hits cinemas on July 9th, 2027.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
