AI Imagines What Zack Snyder's Man Of Steel 2 Could Have Looked Like

James Gunn might've revealed Superman's new movie costume (and potentially a new villain), but that doesn't stop Snyderverse fans from wondering what could've been had Henry Cavill continued to portray his version of Superman. Thanks to YouTube user Synthetic Sanctuary, an AI-generated trailer for "Man of Steel 2" has been conjured up, delivering striking images that align with the world Snyder created and imagining the potential super-smart enemy Supes could've faced. Cavill looks the part just as he always did, albeit with a few extra fingers (as is always the case with AI concepts). The major draw is the big bad Superman goes up against — Kryptonian super intelligence, Brainiac.

Appearing as a giant head in the sky, there's no mistaking the mechanical menace that has become just as iconic a threat to Superman as Lex Luthor. Rather than sporting the metallic sheen often shown in the Superman comics, this Brainiac appears to be born from the Krypton we first see in Snyder's 2013 film. The layered, almost organic-like aesthetic perfectly matches the Kryptonian tech and attire the locals of the doomed planet use and wear. It's a shame, then, that this was the same threat Snyder was hoping to unleash on the DC Extended Universe for the "Man of Steel" sequel.

Before Snyder departed the DCEU, we apparently could have gotten the live-action feature debut of Brainiac in "Man of Steel 2". The villain first appeared in Action Comics #242 and has remained a consistent threat to the Big Blue Boy Scout, obsessed with snatching up species to mold the universe more to his liking. According to Snyder on the Post-Credits Podcast, plans were in place before he left the franchise. "We talked about a Brainiac movie," the director admitted. But while the steward of slow-motion won't depict Henry Cavill's Supes battling Brainiac, there's a possibility David Corenswet's version could cross paths with the villain in James Gunn's reboot.

Rumors have been flying around faster than speeding bullets that the threat Corenswet's Superman will be going up against, besides Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor, will be Brainiac. The close encounter would mark the first time Kal-El would go up against the antagonist on the big screen, and judging by the otherworldly threat present in our first look at the hero, it will be a super-sized one.

For more on the "Man of Steel 2" that could've been, head here to learn how Henry Cavill's Superman story would have ended, according to Zack Snyder.