If Brainiac Is Man Of Tomorrow’s Big Bad, I Think I Know How The Movie Will Use One Of Superman’s Villains (Not Lex Luthor)

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James Gunn isn’t saying for sure, but a page from the script the writer/director shared online suggests that Brainiac will be the primary villain in the next DC film, Man of Tomorrow. He’s a powerful enough enemy to necessitate a team-up between David Corenswet’s Superman and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, and many fans – including me – have long hoped to see this character brought to life on the big screen. Therefore, if Brainiac is truly the central antagonist in this Superman sequel, I have a thought on how he might utilize one of Luthor’s followers from the 2025 movie.

Where We Left Off With The Engineer In Superman

In Superman, Lex Luthor relied heavily on two allies: Ultraman, who turned out to be a clone of the Kryptonian hero, and Angela Spicer, also known as The Engineer. Angela’s power came from advanced nanotechnology within her body. Actress María Gabriela de Faría (previously a candidate for a role in The Suicide Squad) portrayed Angela, and she proved to be a formidable opponent, even nearly defeating Superman and battling Krypto. Importantly, she was also the one who successfully recovered and revealed the complete message left for Kal-El by his Kryptonian parents.

Towards the end of Superman, the Engineer was knocked out by Superman. We saw Lex Luthor get arrested and Ultraman fall into the black hole that formed in Metropolis, but what happened to the Engineer wasn’t explained. Many viewers likely wondered if she would reappear in the DC Universe, but James Gunn announced in September that we will find out what happened to The Engineer in Man of Tomorrow.

How I Think Brainiac Will Use The Engineer In Man Of Tomorrow

Given that Lex Luthor was swiftly imprisoned at Belle Reve – the same place we saw him in last week’s Peacemaker episode – I doubt he’s involved in Angela’s disappearance. I suspect Brainiac is at least partially responsible. Although it’s conceivable that Angela simply left before the police arrived, I believe Brainiac will ultimately capture her to serve his own goals.

Brainiac has the ability to significantly improve Engineer’s nanotechnology and essentially control her mind, forcing her to work for him. It’s currently unknown whether the DCU’s Brainiac will be an alien originating from the planet Colu, or an artificial intelligence from Colu or even Krypton-much like the version we saw in My Adventures with Superman last year. Regardless of his origins, his intentions for Earth are undoubtedly malicious. Although Angela might not willingly assist him, I believe she’ll be left with no option and compelled to use her enhanced abilities to attack both Superman and Luthor.

As a huge Superman fan, I’m really excited about Man of Tomorrow, but sadly we won’t get to see it until July 9, 2027 – so my theory will have to wait for confirmation! I think Brainiac is going to need a powerful right-hand man beyond just his robots, and The Engineer seems like the perfect fit. Until then, I’ll be revisiting the classic Superman – thankfully I have my HBO Max subscription! It’s always great to see just how much of a badass that character is.

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2025-10-04 00:09