Lars Eidinger’s Wild Brainiac Audition For MAN OF TOMORROW Included a Secretive Two-Hour Makeup Transformation

The DC Universe is gearing up for something seriously cool with Man of Tomorrow, and now we’re some insight behind one of its biggest casting surprises.

Lars Eidingerstepping into the role of Brainiac wasn’t something fans saw coming, but after hearing what he went through just to audition, it makes a lot more sense why James Gunn locked him in.

Eidinger, best known for All the Light We Cannot See, recently opened up about the intense and slightly surreal process that led to him joining the DCU. And yeah, it involved way more than just reading lines.

He explained in an interview: "I actually thought that at 50, Hollywood wasn’t going to happen for me anymore. And then, suddenly, this Zoom call with James Gunn came along.

“I was sitting in my living room, totally nervous, trying to be present somehow. I had no idea how I was coming across or whether anything would come of it.

'“Afterwards, they told me to do a self-tape. I recorded it 15 times in my living room – over and over again until it somehow felt right. And suddenly they were completely obsessed with it."

That alone is a grind, but things escalated quickly after that tape caught attention.

"Then it continued: I flew to Atlanta. On the plane, I watched the new Superman movie to get in the mood. There, they did a body scan first, 3D modelling, and so on. And then I got this Brainiac – that’s the name of the character – a Brainiac mask.

'“The whole time, I didn’t really know whether there were others there or if I was the only one. I thought maybe after the makeup, I’d still have a moment to concentrate or be by myself.

“But on the way out of the makeup room, I was escorted with an umbrella so that no one from outside could take photos of what Brainiac looks like. It was a ghost town, just a studio lot with no other people around. But I was properly shielded."

"Then I entered the room – an enormous studio, really the size of five halls. There was a team in the middle, and director James Gunn sat a bit off to the side with the other producers on a typical director’s chair behind a molton wall.

“For me, they had taped off about one square meter with gaffer tape. That was my range of movement. They said: 'Stand in there.' Then James Gunn came over and said: ‘Hey Lars, great that you’re here. Any questions?’ And I was like: 'No, no.'

"'Okay, then let’s do a take. One, two, three – action.' I was shaking like crazy, the adrenaline was insane. But it was also really collaborative. James Gunn said he’s looking forward to designing the role together with me. And now I’m training four times a week because I need to be fit for the shoot, which is supposed to start in April 2026."

What makes this even more interesting is how unexpected his casting was. Names like Matt Smith, Claes Bang, Sam Rockwell, and Dave Bautista were floating around before Gunn shut those rumors down. Then Eidinger came out of nowhere and landed one of Superman’s most iconic villains.

Fans have been waiting a long time for this. After multiple takes on Lex Luthor and General Zod, Brainiac has remained at the top of the wishlist. Gunn has hinted that his version may lean into the character’s darker, more unsettling roots, which lines up with the tone seen in Absolute Superman.

In Man of Tomorrow, the stakes are going big. Superman, played by David Corenswet, will reportedly have to team up with Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor to stop Brainiac, who threatens not just Metropolis but the entire world.

The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart.

Man of Tomorrow hits theaters on July 9, 2027, and it’s going to be interesting to see how Eidinger’s version of Brainiac comes together.