Superman has had a long and rich history on film, dating all the way back to the 1940s. From Christopher Reeve to Henry Cavill, the Man of Tomorrow has been defending truth, justice, and hope on the big screen for the better part of a century.
However, unlike fellow comic book legends Batman and Spider-Man, Superman’s rogues’ gallery has largely gone unexplored — Lex Luthor and General Zod are his only antagonists who have received any real time in the spotlight, while Doomsday and Darkseid have only managed minor roles in Batman v Superman and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, respectively. There are plenty of longstanding Superman villains who have never appeared on film before, but would be perfect opponents for the Man of Steel’s next live action incarnation, whatever that may end up looking like. And there’s no better candidate for that role than Vril Dox, aka the cybernetic space invader Brainiac.
An Enduring Antagonist
There are a few major reasons why Brainiac should be the next supervillain adapted to film as opposed to, say, Bizarro, Mongul, Metallo, Parasite, or Mr. Mxyzptlk. First and foremost, he’s arguably the most iconic Superman villain who has yet to appear in a live action movie. Originally created in 1958 by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, Brainiac has been one of Superman’s most persistent enemies both in and out of the comics. After all, though he may not have made his big screen debut yet, Brainiac is no stranger to adaptations.
As far back as 1978, Brainiac has menaced the world of television, famously appearing as a member of Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom in the Super Friends cartoons. Prolific voice actor Corey Burton portrayed the character in 1996’s Superman: The Animated Series, which reimagined him as a rogue Kryptonian AI. This new origin was revisited in the live action series Smallville, in which Brainiac was played by James Marsters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. Most recently, he appeared as the main antagonist of the Syfy series Krypton, played by Blake Ritson.
Brainiac also served as the final boss of the 2017 fighting game Injustice 2, in which he was voiced by renowned character actor Jeffrey Combs. And finally, he’s also poised to serve as the main antagonist of the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League video game. Looking at all the many adaptations Brainiac has appeared in over the years, it’s safe to say that he has enough name recognition to carry a whole as its main villain. In fact, the very name “Brainiac” has entered popular culture as a synonym for genius, used even by people who don’t know the term’s comic book origins.
Supervillain From Beyond the Stars
In any superhero’s rogues’ gallery, the most lasting villains are the ones who serve as an effective foil to the hero. Lex Luthor challenges Superman’s humble, honest selflessness with narcissistic manipulation and greed. General Zod’s status as a warmongering nationalist contrasts Clark’s immigrant story. Darkseid, the embodiment of tyranny and fear, serves as an ideological opposite to Superman, the symbol of hope and champion of the common man. And Brainiac, of course, is no exception to this pattern. If Superman is the ultimate alien hero, a survivor of a dead world who uses his power to protect his adoptive homeworld, then Brainiac represents the ultimate alien villain.
He’s a character ripped straight from a classic sci-fi short story or a campy B-movie — hailing from the planet Colu, Brainiac is a cruel, calculating cyborg who travels the universe in search of knowledge. Using a skull-shaped starship and other advanced technology, he invades every inhabited world he encounters, shrinking a single city from each planet and preserving it aboard his ship for further study. Like Superman, Brainiac is a strange visitor from another planet, gifted with incredible abilities beyond anything normal humans can accomplish. But while Superman has dedicated his powers to helping and defending all life, Brainiac uses his intellect and technology to pursue his own twisted goals. He sees other people not as individuals to be protected, but as lesser beings to be researched and collected, or destroyed if he sees fit.
Brainiac would be a perfect villain for a film that focuses on Clark Kent’s struggle to feel at home on Earth. Many Superman stories portray Clark as feeling quite literally alienated from humanity because of his powers, fearing that he’ll never truly fit in. Brainiac could serve as an effective narrative foil in such a film, embodying everything that Superman doesn’t want to be, yet fears he may become. Plus, by proving the kind of threat that aliens can pose, Brainiac could lend credence to Luthor’s claims that Superman’s presence is a danger to humanity — in the eyes of the public, anyway. And if the film follows the example of past adaptations and connects Brainiac to Krypton, it’d make things even more personal between him and Superman.
A Worthy Opponent
Finally, using Brainiac as a main antagonist would also address another common complaint about Superman: that he’s too powerful, never facing any foes who can truly challenge him. While that may be true for most criminals, Brainiac is one of the few villains powerful enough to pose a true threat to Superman. His exact abilities vary depending on the story, but he’s often portrayed with immense psychic power, as well as strength and speed to rival Superman’s own thanks to his cyborg enhancements. Brainiac’s greatest weapons, however, are his advanced alien technology and his brilliant intellect. He’s the rare rival who can not only put Superman's strength to the test, but his wits as well.
In summary, Brainiac is a notable and powerful villain who has plenty of potential to serve as a thematically rich character. Out of all of Superman’s many comic book rogues, Brainiac is quite possibly the greatest one who has yet to appear on film. As such, he’s the ideal nemesis for the Last Son of Krypton whenever he receives his next standalone film.