James Gunn Reveals The Real Reason Superman and Brainiac Have Beef

May 29 marked the comic debut of the formidable DC supervillain Brainiac, and, as always, DC Studios co-head and Superman director James Gunn took the opportunity to geek out a bit on X and share some comic history. 

In his tweet highlighting Brainiac’s first appearance in the 1958 Action Comics #242 issue, Gunn describes the Collector of Worlds as the physical manifestation of when “intelligence loses ALL connection to humanity,” highlighting the core idea that has made Brainiac such a compelling antagonist for so many years. 

This is especially true when the villain is pitted against Superman, who Gunn asserts is “as human as anyone,” making it no surprise to the filmmaker that the two are constantly at odds. But what is it about Supes’ deeply human nature that makes him such a natural foil for Brainiac?

The key is in values. 

Brainiac represents intelligence taken to its extreme, a being who sees knowledge and logic as ends unto themselves. This core take on the character is seemingly one the Man of Tomorrow director is aiming to shoot for in the upcoming sequel film, with Gunn saying on Threads that his Brainiac is the product of having read “almost every Brainiac story” to prepare for the villain’s upcoming debut in Gunn’s DCU. 

Now compare this to Gunn’s Superman who, as we all saw in the Kryptonian’s speech at the end of the 2025 film, views intelligence through the lens of compassion and moral responsibility. Of course, Supes is every bit as capable and intelligent as the foes he faces, but his intrinsic humanity shapes how he uses those gifts. 

This is what makes Brainiac such a compelling foil. Where Brainiac sees empathy as a limitation on pure logic, Superman sees it as the very thing that gives intelligence purpose. Viewed through that lens, it’s easy to see why Gunn says the two “have beef.”

More importantly, Gunn’s comments may offer an early glimpse of what to expect in Man of Tomorrow. Since Brainiac will serve as the big bad, Superman will inevitably have to force Superman to join forces with his arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor to stop him. 

On the surface, introducing Brainiac can easily deliver the spectacle audiences are expecting from the Superman sequel. He commands unimaginable technology, threatens to destroy and conquer entire worlds, and has both the brain and brawn to push even the Man of Steel to his limits. 

But it’s clear that Gunn isn’t appealing solely to action-packed thrills, instead emphasizing core Superman philosophy he’s already established brilliantly. A confrontation between Brainiac and Superman will force Gunn’s version of the hero to defend the very values that defined him in the first film: compassion, empathy, moral responsibility… but from an intellectual perspective, not necessarily a moral or emotional one. 

The natural next step for Gunn is to push these ideas even further by putting Superman’s principles to an even greater test. While Brainiac will certainly challenge the worldview the Son of Krypton embraced in the first film, the hero will also find himself forced into the aforementioned uncomfortable alliance with Luthor, something David Corenswet teased previously when he described it as “saving the world with your sworn enemy” at CinemaCon. 

How the Big Blue Boy Scout will brave his way through these trials is yet to be seen, and while we are all certain that Superman will hold what makes him human close to his heart, one can’t help but worry about what is in store for the hero. 

Man of Steel releases in theaters on July 9, 2027.