While James Gunn announced Man of Tomorrow as the sequel hitting theaters July 9, 2027, Nerdrotic reports that Brainiac was originally planned to appear in a post-credit scene in the first Superman movie.
The YouTube channel suggests that Gunn may have decided to hold back Brainiac’s debut, with the scene instead being shifted to the upcoming Supergirl movie, which is already scheduled for June 26, 2026.
We can add Supergirl then will likely lead into Man of Tomorrow with Brainiac, as we just went over here.
What did Nerdrotic say about Brainiac?
We assume the Brainiac post-credit scene was originally a part of a Superman test screening, but Gunn decided against using it. Nerdrotic‘s Gary Buechler’s states the following, which is backed up by Chris Gore of Film Threat:
Remember we talked to a person… And that person said there was two post-credit scenes, that they saw… That didn’t end up in the movie… And one was Brainiac. So maybe… they moved that to Supergirl.
Watch the video:
Brainiac Post-Credit Rumor
According to the Nerdrotic discussion, the plan sounds like it was supposed tease Brainiac as the larger cosmic threat of the DCU following Lex Luthor’s introduction in Superman.
We can guess that the scene would have set up Superman and his cousin Kara Zor-El for a future team-up against Brainiac, which fits with that storyboard art from the Superman featurette (pictured above).
If true, this would make sense with Gunn’s long-term plans for interconnected stories across movies and shows. Supergirl being set in space makes it a natural place to introduce a big villain like Brainiac.
Ties To Man of Tomorrow
Speculation is already running high that Man of Tomorrow will see Superman and Lex Luthor forced into an uneasy alliance against a greater threat.
As we went over, the official art teased Superman battling Lex in his Warsuit, with fans theorizing Brainiac or Mongul could be the reason the two unite.
With the reported Brainiac scene possibly shifting to Supergirl, it could serve as the connective tissue leading directly into Man of Tomorrow the following year.
What’s Next For The DCU?
For now, Gunn has confirmed that Man of Tomorrow is not a direct sequel to Superman, but part of his larger “Superman Saga.”
He has finished treatments for the next story and hinted at a big DCU villain tying everything together, which could indeed be Brainiac.
