Lars Eidinger Says His Brainiac Casting in ‘Man of Tomorrow’ was a “Miracle”

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For months, fans guessed which actor would play the villain in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman movie. When Brainiac was finally confirmed as the villain, it turned out none of the previously rumored actors – including Matt Smith, Claes Bang, and Sam Rockwell – were chosen. Instead, the role went to a German actor who, like many, was surprised by the casting decision.

Though he’s been acting for over twenty years, Michael Eidinger isn’t a household name. He’s appeared in films like the 2019 live-action Dumbo, 2022’s White Noise, and last year’s Jay Kelly, and has had significant roles on TV shows including the Netflix series Sense8 and All the Light We Cannot See. However, landing the role of Brainiac feels like a major breakthrough into big-budget filmmaking, something Eidinger himself considers incredibly fortunate. He recently shared in an interview on Facebook:

It feels like a real dream come true. I think every German actor secretly hopes for a call from Hollywood someday, and I honestly thought my chance had passed – I’m fifty now, and I just didn’t expect it. But then it happened, and everything moved so quickly! I still can’t quite believe it, to be honest.

Although this opportunity appears to be a great step forward in the actor’s career, he’s realistic and doesn’t expect it to instantly change his lifestyle. He explained:

It’s not a quick process where everything instantly falls into place. First, we need to film the movie, and I’m really looking forward to it.

James Gunn Followed His Golden Rule When Casting Lars Eidinger in ‘Man of Tomorrow‘

Whenever a major movie role becomes available, there’s usually a lot of online buzz about who will get it, with fans and rumor-mongers making guesses. But James Gunn doesn’t seem to prioritize casting famous actors; he’s more focused on finding the best person for the job.

James Gunn demonstrated this approach when he chose David Corenswet to play Superman in the DCU, even though Corenswet wasn’t among the most talked-about actors considered. The casting of Edi Gathegi is another great illustration of Gunn’s careful selection process, which has often helped launch the careers of now-famous actors. As Gunn has said before:

I definitely wouldn’t forget Chris Pratt, David Corenswet, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Milly Alcock, Daniela Melchior, and others! They all came in and auditioned, and weren’t already established movie stars. I always prioritize finding the best actor for the part, and often that means holding auditions to find them.

James Gunn consistently works with a reliable group of actors, like Michael Rooker and Nathan Fillion, and his films are almost always perfectly cast. Because of this, the announcement of Bradley Eidinger as Brainiac is creating a lot of excitement for next year’s Man of Tomorrow. This film will be part of the expanding DCU, following Supergirl this summer and Clayface in October.

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2026-02-20 14:05