Ever since James Gunn took on the task of rebooting the DCU, there has been plenty of buzz (and the opposite) about what the Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy director will do with the franchise. And, as more news leaks about the first film in the reboot, Superman: Legacy, fans have been getting excited about who might be taking on the role of the Man of Steel, as well as his love interest Lois Lane.
Questions about who might play the villain have also been splashed across the internet, with Lex Luthor a certainty to appear. But with the news there will be plenty of familiar faces in the first movie under Gunn’s reign, some fans are wondering what other evil characters might pop up on screen, and one famous villain has been touted as a rogue but potentially brilliant option.
The reason why Lobo has been touted as a potential villain for the film comes from persistent rumors that Jason Momoa has been recast in Gunn’s DCU as the villain, after a brief stint as Aquaman during the Snyder era. Given that the actor has said he wants to remain around the DCU as Gunn reshapes it, it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise in the world to see him having a role in the upcoming superhero flick.
With that said, there are plenty of people who think it would be a mistake to open the reboot of the DCU with Lobo as a villain. And, given the few things we do know about the film, it wouldn’t really make sense. As per Empire, Gunn’s co-CEO Peter Safran stated:
“It’s not an origin story. It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.”
From this, it seems safe to infer that the first villain will be related to either Krypton, earth, or both if there are multiple villains. Aside from Luther, this has led many to conclude that Brainiac and Metallo would be the most likely other villains.
Brainiac is an alien android/cyborg who’s been a long-time enemy of Superman as he shrunk and stole Kandor, the capital city of Krypton. In some DC universes, he’s even responsible for the planet’s destruction, which really fits in well with the notion of legacy.
Metallo (originally spelt with one “l”) was a scientist named George Grant who invented a powered suit made from incredibly strong metal and took in a strength serum that made him almost as powerful as Superman. After losing his battle against the Kryptonian, the character was abandoned for decades, before making a comeback in the ‘nineties. ’90s.
So, both of those villains seem to make much more sense when Safran’s comments about the film are taken into account. However, only time will tell, and we may see the genocidal Czarnian yet.