Man of Steel Sequel: 6 Villains That Should Be Considered

One week from this very moment, the first audiences will begin getting a glimpse of the new Superman movie, Man of Steel. With plenty of critics and press having already seen it, so far the word of mouth is that it's great and Warner Bros./DC are already planning their next move with the character. That being said, we wanted to put forth our opinion about which villains should be considered for the next installment in this new franchise. So here are the six villains we would love to see, in order of least likely to most likely:



Darkseid

Although a fan favorite, Darkseid is a long shot. He is an attractive option as he is one of only a few baddies that can go toe to toe with Superman. However, rumors have swirled that the dreaded god-like monarch of Apokolips will be taking on not just Supes but the rest of the Justice League in DC’s answer to the Avengers. Still, it is hard to imagine a post-Justice League Superman film where the effects of Darkseid’s havoc are not still lingering.

Mongul

Another physical threat for the Man of Tomorrow is Mongul; a lesser known but extremely formidable alien dictator who, over the years, has used Superman as a gladiator to fight in his arena on Warworld. Conceivably, a Man of Steel sequel could begin with Superman’s abduction and imprisonment on Warworld. While I would love to see that, I think this one is less likely due to the similarities between Mongul and Darkseid. Of course changes could always be made.

Brainiac

Another fan favorite, the alien android Brainiac has never appeared in a movie. His history has been rewritten so many times, it’s hard to nail down exactly what makes him tick. Usually, his plans have something to do with collecting Earth’s cities by shrinking and bottling them. I, for one, think that Brainiac is a fascinating character with a terrible motivation. His status in the eyes of fans will probably be enough to get him a shot at Superman, but one has to wonder if this wouldn’t be a threat best saved for Justice League 2.


Lex Luthor

This is a touchy subject for many Superman fans. While there is no denying that Lex Luthor has long been Supes’ greatest nemesis, fans hoping to see a successful franchise see  him as the kiss of death. Images of Gene Hackman and thoughts of absurd real estate schemes haunt our nightmares. But for a character that has been done and done again, he’s never been done right in the film universe. I could imagine Warner Brothers taking a character we think we know and making him something we genuinely fear (kind of like what they did with the Joker). While fan backlash would make this presumably unlikely, I think there are a multitude of good stories here that may just be too good to pass up and may also pleasantly surprise us.


Parasite

By most accounts, Parasite is a C-list villain. With the power to temporarily absorb energy (and superpowers) of anyone he touches and use them for himself, Parasite has been used sparingly, relegated to the animated series and one-page mentions in the comics. However, after the earth shattering events sure to take place in the Justice League film, Warner Brothers would do good to give Superman a smaller villain who could still stand toe to toe.  And with Parasite as the main villain in Superman: Earth One Vol. 2 (a series that Man of Steel seems to be drawing inspiration from) we may see this particular baddy get his time in the spotlight.


Metallo

From my point of view, Metallo is the most likely choice for a Man of Steel sequel. It is not hard to imagine that the military, still not completely okay with a super-powered alien running amok on Earth, would be experimenting with ways to combat Superman if the need arose. In DC Comics’ new 52 (also an inspiration for Man of Steel), John Corben is a military man. All it would take is a little Kryptonite (try not to cringe) and an experimental exoskeleton and BAM!


This is my list but who is on yours? Comment below and we can talk about it!