Warner Bros has already confirmed the development of “Man of Steel 2,” but the earliest it could happen is in 2018 or 2019 after the two-part “Justice League” movie.
As it is, most of the rumors going around online regarding the movie are its possible plotline and the likely big bad to face Superman.
Lex Luthor is already out of the question since the character was highly featured in “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” shown in March this year. Although it is possible that Luthor’s invention may pave the way for the new nemesis of the Man of Steel.
Reports have it that the DC Expanded Universe (DCEU) has already teased the likely appearance of Brainiac as the next antagonist for Superman in “Man of Steel 2” during the heavy promotions for “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
The viral marketing for the DC superhero ensemble movie included a mock website for Lex Corp, the company owned by Lex Luthor. The site detailed the launch of Lex/OS, which is a type of computer operating system that has gained a sentient conscience, notes the Christian Today.
It is rumored that Brainiac may evolve to be the physical form of that sentient conscience the same way that Vision from the Marvel Cinematic Universe evolved from Jarvis, the computer system being used by Tony Stark.
A different take on Brainiac
But Brainiac in the DC comic books is quite different. He is a super-android who claims to be the most intelligent being in the universe.
The character is often tied with the Kryptonians and their history. In fact, in the original Superman comic books, Brainiac shrunk the Kryptonian city of Kandor and kept it in his spaceship as part of his collection.
In other words, Brainiac in the comic books is an alien being just like Superman is. But in the rumored plotline for the DCEU, Warner Bros appears intent on humanizing him to make the villain more palatable and grounded.
Other than Brainiac, there are also reports saying that Superman could go up against Metallo in “Man of Steel 2.” Metallo is the alter ego of John Corben, who was once a normal man but transformed into a cyborg with a Kryptonian heart after a tragic accident.
Metallo claims to have a significant advantage over Superman and is regarded as the Man of Steel’s most iconic villains.
However, all these remain as speculations pending the confirmation from Warner Bros or Director Zack Snyder once filming for the movie begins in a few years.
No more conflicted Superman
When “Man of Steel” was released to worldwide theaters in June 2013, most fans of Superman thought it to be a darker reboot of the Superman film franchise.
The movie was actually the second reboot of the franchise, third if the lone stint of Brandon Routh is counted in the 2006 film, “Superman Returns.”
In the reboot that featured British actor Henry Cavill, Clark Kent was in the middle of personal quagmire, looking all over the world and inside his soul to determine his self-worth. “Man of Steel” was more like a journey of self-discovery, when Clark Kent finally come to the conclusion that he is Superman and he means a lot to the world.
“Man of Steel” happens to be the first movie of the DCEU which Warner Bros, pitted against the MCU.
The second film of DCEU came in March this year, or almost three years later, with the release of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which has certainly given Warner Bros and DC Comics sufficient steam to finally rev up its head-to-head match with Disney’s MCU.
Unfortunately, the second film in the DCEU, “Suicide Squad,” got a drubbing at the box office when it came out early last month, contrary to the hype and expectations of Warner Bros.
Thus, the production company dejectedly went back into the development of “Man of Steel 2,” after realizing that Superman is still the bread-and-butter of the franchise.