James Gunn wasted no time in announcing a sequel to Superman, and I couldn't be happier, given that the superhero film was one of my favorite movies of 2025. My expectations for Superman: Man of Tomorrow are sky-high, especially after seeing fan art imagining Doctor Who veteran Matt Smith as Brainiac. Now I'm really hoping we get him as the villain in this movie, because I can't get enough of this.
While we don't even know with certainty that Brainiac is the big bad of Superman: Man of Tomorrow, I'm already convinced we need Matt Smith to play the villain. That's after seeing this fan art from @horrific.heroics, which can be found below:
I'll admit, it's wild to visualize him as bald after seeing his characters in Caught Stealing and House of the Dragon, but I really like it. I'd also say that while Smith has an unmistakable face that not even green paint and prosthetics can hide, the fact that Brainiac has had so many different looks across his various shows and comic book appearances makes it so that almost any actor could play the role if we're talking about looks alone.
Of course, James Gunn likely isn't casting actors for his upcoming DC movies based on how they look. If we're talking about proof he could play the cerebral villain, look no further than two of Matt Smith's most notable characters in television. Watching Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon, which was recently renewed for Season 4, manipulate and toy with friends and enemies alike, is proof that Smith has the chops to handle a role like Brainiac.
As a Doctor Who fan, I would also like to add that Smith's Eleventh Doctor was one of the more intimidating iterations of the sci-fi hero. While the Doctor would sooner lead with diplomacy and kindness, his 1000 years of experience made him a force to be reckoned with, and unafraid to take down any species he felt posed a threat to the innocent. There's a reason Smith still has supporters who consider him the best Doctor of all time!
As mentioned, however, we have no idea whether Brainiac appears in Superman: Man of Tomorrow, despite much speculation that he will. Thus far, people have wondered if actor Chukwudi Iwuji was offered the role, as he's a frequent collaborator with James Gunn. That's another casting that I wouldn't mind seeing, though, for the time being, I'm firmly in the camp that we need Matt Smith to play Superman's next big foe.
Superman is available to stream right now with an HBO Max subscription, and dare I say, it's the perfect movie to put on while celebrating the holidays with family. Plus, it's the duty of all superhero fans to get their relatives up to date and educated on how great this movie is before the sequel arrives, so get to it!
