Zack Snyder outlines scrapped Man of Steel sequel villain plans

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Brainiac tops the list for the Man of Steel director

Henry Cavill in Man of Steel
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Zack Snyder has revealed which villains he wanted Superman to face down in future Man of Steel instalments.

Speaking to the PostCred Pod, Snyder said that there were talks about a "Brainiac movie", presumably involving an appearance as part of a Man of Steel sequel.

Snyder added, "The Kryptonians that are in the Phantom Zone are probably still around, and there was a possibility for their return – Faora and whoever’s left. So, that was always a thing that was out there that we talked about as a possible sequel."

On the reasoning behind featuring the heightened power levels of both the Kyrptonians (who were in the original Man of Steel) and Brainiac, the supervillain best known in the comics for shrinking Krypton’s capital of Kandor, Snyder said, "I think you’ve got to be careful… you really have to look outside of the Earth for challenges for [Superman] because of how powerful he is."

Whatever Snyder’s grand plans were, it’s unlikely they’ll ever come to pass. A recent report suggested that the SnyderVerse had gone the way of the dodo, while plans are now in place to introduce a Black Superman onto our screens.

Superman actor Henry Cavill may have wrapped filming on The Witcher season 2, but still holds out hope for a return as the Man of Steel one day. He told Variety back in 2020 that he would "love" to play Kal-El again but, as of writing, there’s been no official announcement on whether Cavill will reprise the role.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.