Looking at the MCU’s history, I’m concerned its past may have made the DC Universe‘s best possible Superman villain casting effectively impossible for the latter franchise to actually use. The DC Universe timeline, while still in its early stages, is now coming up to its technical first year of existence, going from Creature Commandos‘ release in December 2024.
Though there hasn’t been a huge number of DCU releases, we’ve already gotten introduced to a wide array of heroes and villains, particularly thanks to the cast of Superman. That said, the ideal villain casting for Superman’s future may not be as straightforward as it could have been for upcoming DC releases, as a result of one MCU project.
The DCU’s Best Superman Movie Villain Casting Has Already Been Demonstrated By The MCU
Hype about the prospect of Brainiac appearing for the first time as a live-action movie villain has been considerable since the DCU was first announced, as the expanded nature of the universe being built here boosts the chances of this happening. Naturally, this has also meant fancasts regarding the villain have been common, with one in particular standing out.
When discussing the prospect of him playing the DCU’s Brainiac – following a major rumor about the actor being signed on to play the role – Chukwudi Iwuji stated that while he had not been offered the casting, he was very open to the possibility of doing so, explaining:
Could I see myself doing it? If James picked up the phone and called me, absolutely. Is it a cool role? You’re like the 12th person that’s mentioned it. So, I obviously went online and looked and went, “Oh, wow. This guy is cool.” So, could I see myself if I had the opportunity? I’d jump at it.
While Iwuji’s general acting talents suggest he’d very much be a solid candidate for the DCU’s Brainiac, the best demonstration of this, semi-ironically, comes within the superhero genre’s other flagship franchise, in the form of his performance as the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Iwuji’s take on the MCU villain imbues the role with great gravitas, exploring how the High Evolutionary’s intellectual curiosity and advanced scientific pursuits have effectively turned him into a monster, with the character’s complete disregard for “less evolved” lives like Rocket’s and desire to create a “perfect” form of life feeling deeply analogous to Brainiac.
The High Evolutionary’s Similarities To Brainiac May Make The Best DCU Brainiac Impossible
Somewhat ironically, the fact there are so many perfect parallels between the MCU’s High Evolutionary and Brainiac may actually complicate the prospect of Chukwudi Iwuji being actively cast in the DCU role. While James Gunn is no stranger to casting actors in the DCU who were previously in his MCU films, they tend to be in fairly different roles overall.
As such, it seems very possible the crossover between the two fascinating antagonists could make the actor having both roles a trickier matter than it would have been otherwise – especially because this increases the risk of audiences comparing the MCU and DCU characters even further than the story similarities alone might.
Altogether, this may mean that, despite how clear it is that Chukwudi Iwuji would be the ideal actor for the DC Universe‘s Brainiac, a different route may be taken if and when the antagonist debuts. That said, there’s plenty of reason to hope this won’t be the case, and that Brainiac can get what is arguably his dream movie casting.
