Brainiac makes a surprising reappearance in My Adventures with Superman season 3, setting up a new arc for Supergirl, while a drastically different version of the villain is poised to debut in the DCU's 2027 film Man of Tomorrow.
Brainiac , one of Superman's most formidable adversaries, is set to play a central role in the upcoming DC Universe film Man of Tomorrow, scheduled for release in 2027.
The character, portrayed by Lars Eidinger, will debut in the sequel to James Gunn's Superman movie, marking a significant addition to the DCU's cinematic roster. Despite Brainiac's prominence in the comics, his appearances in live-action Superman adaptations have been surprisingly limited; prior to this, no live-action Superman film had featured the iconic alien villain.
His previous live-action portrayals have been confined to television, with Blake Ritson embodying a classic version in the prequel series Krypton, and James Marsters playing a humanized iteration in Smallville. While the DCU's Man of Tomorrow was anticipated to be the next major Brainiac appearance, another version of the character has resurfaced earlier in the animated series My Adventures with Superman.
The show's third season premiered on HBO Max on June 14, 2026, and reintroduces Brainiac after his role as the primary antagonist in season two. In that arc, Brainiac attempted to build a cosmic empire, manipulating Supergirl-adopted as his daughter-into unwittingly destroying planets. His defeat came when Superman revealed the truth to Kara, freeing her from his influence.
Given this resolution, his return in season three was unexpected, but the villain makes a brief comeback through a vision-like sequence triggered by Kryptonian technology. Supergirl, having brought Brainiac's remaining CPU to the Fortress of Solitude for safekeeping, is confronted by a digital imprint of him. He taunts her, insinuating that she is inherently like him, thereby setting the stage for a new personal conflict as Kara grapples with her identity and legacy.
This iteration of Brainiac stands in stark contrast to the one planned for the DCU. In the comics and various adaptations, Brainiac is often directly responsible for the destruction of Krypton, a trauma Supergirl remembers more vividly than Superman, having been older at the time. If the DCU aligns with this established backstory-as suggested by the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comics and early trailers-then there will be no father-daughter bond between Milly Alcock's Supergirl and Lars Eidinger's Brainiac.
Instead, their dynamic could be defined by vengeance and hatred, as Supergirl may hold Brainiac accountable for her planet's demise. With the Supergirl film slated to arrive just two weeks after this analysis, fans are eager to see whether Brainiac will also appear in that movie, creating a narrative bridge between the two projects.
The juxtaposition of these two Brainiacs-one emotionally manipulative and paternal, the other potentially a genocidal destroyer-highlights the versatility of the character and the differing creative directions within DC's animated and cinematic universes. As the DCU continues to expand under James Gunn and Peter Safran's guidance, the return of Brainiac in multiple forms underscores his enduring significance as asymbol of cosmic threat and psychological complexity, capable of driving both intimate character studies and universe-spanning conflicts.
The convergence of these storylines may also set up future crossovers, where the lessons from My Adventures with Superman's emotional take on Brainiac could inform the DCU's more traditional, world-ending interpretation, enriching the overarching narrative tapestry of Superman and his allies
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