Brainiac: The DC Villain Who Could Change the DCU Forever
If Lex Luthor is Superman’s greatest human enemy, Brainiac is his most terrifying alien one.
First appearing in Action Comics #242 (1958), the green skinned genius from planet Colu quickly became infamous for shrinking entire cities… most famously Kandor from Krypton… and storing them in bottles for study.
Over the decades, DC has reimagined him as everything from a humanoid alien to a cold, skeletal android, and even a bodysnatching psychic.
But one thing never changes, Brainiac is the ultimate “Collector of Worlds,” destroying planets after he’s stolen their knowledge.
Powers & Personality
Brainiac’s Twelfth Level Intellect puts him far beyond human comprehension.
He’s a master of alien tech, from force fields to his devastating shrinking ray, and often commands an army of drones from his iconic skull shaped ship.
Depending on the version, he also wields powerful telepathy and technopathy, letting him hijack minds and machines alike.
He is cold, calculating, and obsessed with data.
Brainiac believes knowledge is most valuable when only he has it… making genocide just another part of his “preservation” process.
Appearances in Other Media
Fans have met Brainiac in a few live action TV shows, most notably Smallville (James Marsters) and Krypton (Blake Ritson), both praised for bringing menace and intelligence to the role.
In animation, Corey Burton’s chilling voice in Superman: The Animated Series is considered definitive, while John Noble (Superman: Unbound) and Jeffrey Combs (Injustice 2) have also delivered standout performances.
Despite his stature in the comics, Brainiac has never appeared in a Superman theatrical film… which is a glaring omission fans have been eager to see fixed.
Although, we almost got him. In the mid-’90s, Tim Burton’s unmade Superman Lives would have starred Nicolas Cage as the Man of Steel, and none other than Christopher Walken as Brainiac. The project, famously plagued by wild rewrites, budget issues, and studio meddling, would have reimagined Brainiac as a flamboyant, sinister force with Burton’s signature gothic flair. While the movie never happened, the idea of Walken’s distinctive delivery as Superman’s most intellectual foe remains one of Hollywood’s greatest “what ifs.”
How He Could Fit Into James Gunn’s DCU
The new “Gods and Monsters” DCU chapter is all about powerful beings and terrifying creatures… And Brainiac is both. His connection to Krypton makes him the perfect villain to challenge Gunn’s Superman thematically, forcing the hero to confront the loss of his heritage. He could debut as a Villain in the upcoming Sequel… not sequel in the Superman Saga film. As well as be the mastermind behind a eventual Justice League level event, or appear across multiple projects as a looming cosmic threat.
Could even tie him to Supergirl’s story via Kandor which would add some emotional weight.
In short, Brainiac isn’t just another bad guy… he’s a high level threat with the brains to outthink anyone and the power to crush entire worlds.
If James Gunn brings him into the DCU, it could set the stage for one of the most epic superhero confrontations ever put to film.
