DC Accidentally Just Spoiled James Gunn’s Superman Plans

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James Gunn speaking at the Facebook F8 Developer's Conference 2017

Credit: Anthony Quintano via Wikimedia Commons

James Gunn’s DC reboot is one of the most anticipated superhero movie events of all time, but it sounds like it has already been spoiled.

Henry Cavill as Superman
Credit: Warner Bros.

While there are only a few details of Superman: Legacy available, such as lead actors David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, the official Superman Twitter account posted several famous story arcs featuring the Man of Steel that people should brush up on (which seems to be part of DC Studios’ ongoing campaign to make it feel like seeing the movie takes homework).

Among the comics listed that are significant to the DC reboot are Mark Waid’s Superman: Birthright (2003-2004), Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All-Star Superman (2005-2008), and Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Action Comics #866-780, often referred to under the name… Brainiac.

superman brainiac
Credit: DC Comics

Related: James Gunn Bringing Back Dwayne Johnson Character For New ‘Superman’

The DC Reboot Need a Big Name Villain

It would make a great deal of sense for the DC reboot of Superman to go big with its villain and bring in a heavy hitter like Brainiac. After the chaos, confusion, and general sense of disappointment fans received from Zack Snyder’s DC Extended Universe, a fan-favorite bad guy is a great idea for a DC reboot.

What doesn’t make much sense is why it would be so blatantly alluded to that Brainiac would be part of Superman: Legacy, especially considering the sometimes bizarre attempts that DC Studios and Marvel Studios make to prevent plot and character leaks.

superman brainiac
Credit: DC Comics

There is always the chance that this is simply a form of disinformation and Brainiac will not appear in Superman: Legacy, but that also feels like it could be courting massive fan backlash if audiences feel like they were deliberately misled.

Brainiac Is One of Superman’s Most Prominent Villains

Brainiac was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino and first appeared in Action Comics in 1958, making him one of Superman’s longest-running recurring villains.

superman brainiac
Credit: DC Comics

Although, as with many characters from the Silver Age, his actual origins and powers have wildly varied, he has frequently been portrayed as an alien artificial intelligence bent on collecting entire worlds to amass knowledge.

Generally speaking, he is considered an archenemy of the Kryptonian hero, up there with Lex Luthor (who he frequently teams up with), Doomsday, and General Zod.

Related: Superman Fans Furious Over ‘The Flash’ Cameo Leak

However, unlike those villains, Brainiac has yet to appear in a theatrically released feature film (although he was reportedly under consideration for the now-aborted Man of Steel 2). While he is a perennial villain in comic books, animated series and movies, and video games, this could be Brainiac’s big break.

If this is how DC Studios accidentally told everyone that Brainiac is going to be the Big Bad of the DC reboot, it sure seems like an odd way to do it.

Should Brainiac fight Superman in the upcoming movie? Let us know in the comments below!

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