My Adventures with Superman proves how much every live-action Superman movie has wasted an iconic DC supervillain, and it shows how the DCU’s Superman sequels can use him. The animated series My Adventures with Superman presents a fresh take on Superman’s DC lore with a focus on Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen’s early stories together. My Adventures with Superman seasons 1 and 2 have introduced its take on various DC villains such as Deathstroke, Parasite, and Mr. Mxyzptlk, but there’s one overarching villain who’s pulling the strings in the show.

Throughout the years, most live-action Superman movies have focused on Superman’s timeless feud with Lex Luthor, who has been translated to the big screen four times. General Zod appeared twice — once in Richard Donner’s Superman II and once in the DCEU’s Man of Steel. The only other two Superman movie antagonists, Ross Webster and Nuclear Man, were original characters created exclusively for their respective films, Superman III and the widely disliked Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. By now, a new Superman movie villain with roots in the comics is long overdue.

DCU’s Superman Movie Has Majorly Teased A Brainiac Debut

Brainiac Might Be Superman’s Secret Villain In James Gunn’s 2025 Movie

The DCU’s first official Superman image not only revealed David Corenswet’s full costume, but also a mysterious light beam piercing the sky. Little is known about the light beam, but it seems to come from a huge, spherical contraption that floats above Metropolis. Some have theorized that Brainiac is a secret villain in James Gunn’s Superman given that the spherical shape in Superman‘s first image could be either Brainiac’s ship or a weapon designed by the villain.

One of the comics confirmed to have inspired James Gunn’s Superman is 2008’s Superman: Brainiac, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank. In Superman: Brainiac, Superman attempts to stop Brainiac from expanding his collection of miniaturized cities. At one point, Brainiac successfully captures Metropolis and gets ready to destroy the rest of the planet by inducing a massive solar flare that could esily swallow the Earth. James Gunn’s Superman movie could feature a similar threat, with Brainiac instead using a smaller, artificial sun to blow up the planet.

My Adventures With Superman Shows Just How Good A Brainiac Movie Debut Could Be

My Adventures With Superman’s Brainiac Is A Truly Unstoppable Threat

Brainiac is the main antagonist in My Adventures with Superman, where he intends to expand his cosmic empire by taking over the Earth. In My Adventures with Superman, Brainiac is an advanced AI system created by the Kryptonians to protect and manage the Kryptonian Empire. After the Kryptonian Empire fell due to its rulers’ hubris, Brainiac used Krypton’s leftover resources and recruited Supergirl to start his conquest. Brainiac being both Krypton’s protector and replacement makes him Superman’s definitive villain in My Adventures with Superman, and his AI nature makes him more dangerous and cruel than other versions of the character.

My Adventures with Superman‘s Brainiac shares certain elements with the DCEU’s Zod: they’re both hardwired to serve Krypton, and they can’t leave their mission behind after Krypton is destroyed. As a result, both Brainiac and Zod become ruthless conquerors who see Earth as the perfect addition to their blossoming empire. However, what makes Brainiac more dangerous than any other Superman villain is that he’s incapable of showing any emotion. Brainiac is eerily composed, yet implacable in his efforts to conquer and eliminate anybody who gets in his way. He doesn’t feel pity, remorse, or fear.

The DCU Needs Brainiac To Make Up For The Villain’s Tragic Movie History

The DCU Could Break Brainiac’s 42-Year Live-Action Movie Curse

Despite being one of Superman’s most famous and powerful villains for more than 66 years, Brainiac has never appeared in a live-action DC movie. Richard Donner originally planned Superman 3 to feature Brainiac in the main villain role. Before Richard Lester’s final script scrapped Brainiac altogether, a draft of the Superman 3 script included both Brainiac and Mr. Mxyzptlk, and curiously enough, Brainiac adopted Supergirl in that treatment — not unlike their dynamics in My Adventures with Superman.

Thirty years later, Man of Steel featured subtle references to Brainiac in the Kryptonian mothership. Unfortunately, Zack Snyder’s prospective plans for Brainiac couldn’t materialize due to Man of Steel 2‘s cancelation and the DCEU’s early conclusion. Now, James Gunn’s Superman can set up Brainiac’s impending arrival with Lex Luthor and the Engineer’s potential connections to the villain. Borrowing a page from My Adventures with Superman‘s book, a DCU Superman sequel could then see Brainiac make his grand entrance and attempt to annex Earth to his empire.