5 Villains Superman Could Face In ‘Man Of Steel 2’

A Man of Steel sequel is officially in development, and with a new adventure for DC’s oldest hero comes new villains for him to face off against. The question is, who will Henry Cavill’s Superman have to fight in his superhero sequel? While Superman may not have the most famous rogues gallery, it is certainly full of many interesting potential adversaries who could take on the man of steel in a cinematic adventure.

Let’s start counting down our top 5 picks for a villain Superman could face off against in Man of Steel 2.

5. Mongul

mongul

Mongul is a foe who has persistently gone up against Superman in the comics. Re-introduced as the ruler of Warworld post-Crisis, Mongul is and always has been a warrior. Possessing superior strength, near invulnerability and a chest cannon that could even kill Superman, there is no doubt that Mongul would be a serious physical threat to our Man of Steel. A lot of non-comic book readers may recognise Mongul from appearing in multiple episodes of the animated Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, where he proved to be a constant threat to not just Superman, but the entire Justice League. He was also the villain in Alan Moore’s Superman story ‘For the Man Who Has Everything’, where he trapped Superman in his own perfect dream world. This in particular could make for an interesting adaptation, as Superman’s links to his home planet haven’t been fully explored yet in the DCEU.

The biggest problem with having Mongul as the villain in a Man of Steel sequel is that he could come across as too similar to Michael Shannon’s General Zod, hence his place at number 5 in this list.

4. Metallo

metallo

Remember when people thought Scoot McNairy might be playing Metallo in Batman v Superman? Well, it was an idea that certainly stuck with me, and I would be very interested in seeing the villain go up against Cavill’s Superman. Not only a notable physical threat due to his Kryptonite heart, Metallo also has the potential to be a complex, 3-dimensional villain. Snyder even considered Metallo for the villain in a Man of Steel sequel before he went ahead with Batman v Superman. While we’ve seen him before on TV (Lois and Clark, Smallville and seemingly Supergirl), this would be Metallo’s first appearance on the big screen, providing plenty of potential for the character.

Once again, a potential problem with Metallo is that he might end up being too similar to Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (metal suit, kryptonite weapons, fighting Superman…). However, he could possibly work as a secondary villain, perhaps working for Lex Luthor?

3. Bizarro

bizarro

While on the surface seeming a simplistic foe for Superman, Bizarro has proven to be a 3 dimensional character in the past (see the Supergirl version for a great example of this). Effectively being the opposite of Superman, (freeze vision instead of heat vision for example), Bizarro would be another strong physical threat to the Man of Steel. Like Metallo, Bizarro could also work as a secondary villain, once again possibly with Lex, but it would also be interesting to see him as the primary antagonist. How would the DCEU’s Superman respond to an evil version of himself? It is certainly a theme Snyder and the DCEU seem to be exploring, and Bizarro is a perfect opportunity to explore the idea of an evil Superman without going down the Injustice route. Also, there is heavy comedic potential with him as a villain, something a Man of Steel sequel could really do with.

2. Cyborg Superman (Hank Henshaw)

cyborg superman

Another villain that is almost the ‘anti-Superman’. The reason Cyborg Superman is placed higher than Bizarro is that he seems to offer more emotional depth. After nearly dying when a solar flare hit his space shuttle, Hank Henshaw managed to save his consciousness and create a new, part cybernetic, body. Blaming Superman for the solar flare, which caused his fellow crew mates on the space shuttle (including his wife) to commit suicide, Hank returned to Earth ready to kill Superman. Not only would Cyborg Superman make an interesting villain, the fact that he first appears (in his Cyborg form) in The Death of Superman arc in the comics would also make him a very suitable villain after the events of Batman v Superman.

The only problem with Cyborg Superman as the Man of Steel sequel’s villain is that it would once again explore the idea of Superman’s actions having unforeseen negative consequences, and quite frankly I feel like I’ve seen enough of that after Batman v Superman. However, Hank Henshaw is a character I definitely want to see done justice after the twist given to his character on Supergirl (a twist which I loved by the way).

1. Brainiac

braniac

No real surprises here then. Perhaps Superman’s biggest enemy, Brainiac would make a perfect villain for Man of Steel‘s sequel, especially since the Justice League movies seem to be heading down the Darkseid route. Effectively a walking, talking super computer, Brainiac would be a serious mental, as well as physical, threat for Superman. Also, a character who is driven by a thirst for knowledge is something that would be incredibly interesting to explore on the big screen, particularly considering the usual positive spin put on that idea in popular culture (see Star Trek for the most famous example of this). While he has appeared in live action before, portrayed by Buffy‘s James Marsters in Smallville, Brainiac has never really been explored fully in live action, something interesting considering his notoriety amongst fans. Snyder himself has said that Brainiac is definitely a villain we would see down the road in the DCEU, and I for one hope that time is fast approaching, at about the same pace as a Man of Steel Sequel.

Sam Easton

Sam Easton

Young, aspiring screenwriter. Part time student, full time geek. Based in the UK.