James Gunn has a pretty important job as the head of creative development for DC Films. However, he also has a second job debunking all the rumors that get started surrounding his films. Gunn clearly doesn’t like it when wild rumors that are untrue start to gain traction, and the latest making the rounds for his Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow has him particularly annoyed.
The major casting rumor surrounding upcoming DC movies right now is who will play the follow-up's villain, with the prevailing theory being that classic Superman baddie Brainiac will fill that role. In fact, a new rumor claimed Gunn is looking at his former Guardians of the Galaxy buddy Dave Bautista for the part, calling him the “top choice.” Not so fast, though. Gunn took on the rumor from all sides on Threads, saying:
Oh boy. Let's forget a moment I've never said Brainiac was in the movie. I freaking love @davebautista & I have many ideas for who he could play in the DCU. But he & I have never discussed a role in Man of Tomorrow, nor have we discussed it amongst ourselves at DC. In addition, truly, NONE of the names, from the six or seven I've seen rumored for a role, have auditioned or been discussed at all.
James Gunn doesn’t state outright that Brainiac isn’t the character in question, leaving that door open. However, he shuts down the idea of Dave Bautista playing that part. He clearly states there have been no discussions about the former Drax playing any role in Man of Tomorrow and indicates that most, if not all, of the other rumors are also untrue.
Bsautista isn’t the first name rumored for the role of Brainiac. It’s also been claimed that there was a short list for the part that included the likes of Matt Smith and Sam Rockwell. Gunn has not addressed that rumor directly, so it’s possible that it’s true, and he simply hasn’t seen it, but what’s more likely is that Gunn is including that list among those that he says have not auditioned or been discussed "at all.”
To be fair, Dave Bautista wouldn’t be a terrible choice to play Brainiac, or, honestly, any other Superman antagonist. Even Gunn seems to acknowledge that, as rumors go, this one makes more sense than some, but says he’s more irritated by it because of his existing relationship with Dave Bautista. Gunn continued…
In general I'm just letting the silly rumors go - and this is certainly not the silliest I've heard recently - but Dave is a friend and that makes it more irritating. Btw I'm not blaming the poster here - I imagine this is coming from other places.🧜♂️
The odds of seeing Dave Bautista in the DCU at some point are pretty good. The two clearly like working together. And Bautista as Brainiac wouldn’t be a terrible piece of casting. However, anybody excited by it should probably temper their expectations. While seeing somebody in that role still seems likely, the actor who eventually gets it may be somebody who has not been mentioned yet.
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