[WARNING: This article contains potential SPOILERS for Batman V Superman and Justice League]

Comic book fans everywhere are hoping to see details of Batman V Superman leak their way into the public eye, but it seems that a major rumor concerning DC and WB’s upcoming team-up film – Justice League – has just been dropped. The rumors of what villain will require Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and more to join forces have ranged from Doomsday to Darkseid, but it sounds like classic comic book villain Brainiac may actually be the frontrunner.

The rumor was dropped during the most recent edition of SchmoesKnow‘s Meet The Press Podcast, where LatinoReview‘s El Mayimbe claimed that his sources inform him that while secrets swirl over just who will be doing the fighting in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, the studio seems to have their minds made up over their next ‘big bad’:

“I’m told the set up is in Batman V Superman. The rumor is that Brainiac is going to be the bad guy in Justice League. And the set up of it is cool: remember how the Kryptonian beacon that Clark set off brought Zod to Earth? Brainiac heard it as well. That’s what I’m hearing… Basically Brainiac is going to be set up somehow at the end of Batman V Superman, from what I’m hearing, and then it goes into Justice League.”

It’s not the first time we’ve heard of Man of Steel being used to plant seeds for a future DC shared universe: many fans spotted the Wayne Enterprises logo confirming Bruce Wayne’s role in the film’s universe, and just recently a rumor was dropped that the film also included a reference to Aquaman as well. And all things considered, the decision to include Brainiac as a central villain isn’t entirely shocking.

Justice League Movie Brainiac Rumors Rumor: Justice League Movie Villain Revealed

We’ve already outlined the reasons why Brainiac would be on the shortlist of Justice League villains, citing not just his strengths and relationship to modern themes of pursuing knowledge and mastery of technology, but the fact that he, too, owes his origins to the Kryptonian society already detailed in Man of Steel.

Hailing from Krypton, the being known as Brainiac is, as his name implies, a genius-level intelligence (it was the comic’s writers that actually coined the term). The character has been changed plenty of times since first published, with the most recent New 52 version changing his origin to that of a brilliant alien, eventually shown as a sentient AI. And with his ties to both Lex Luthor and his Kryptonite-powered henchman Metallo, it’s not a stretch to think that those same plot beats could be adapted at least in part for Batman V Superman, thus revealing his existence for the following team-up movie.

Brainiac Justice League Movie 620x350 Rumor: Justice League Movie Villain Revealed

Even with all that evidence and reasoning, it’s still wise to exercise some patience. After all, the same outlet (although not necessarily the same sources) previously reported that Darkseid would play the villain in Justice League. At that time, fans voiced their belief that the character was too powerful or far-reaching to be used so soon, and in the end, that appears to be the case. The general sentiment to Brainiac’s involvement is far more believable, so the odds here seem better.

What do you think of Brainiac potentially going toe to toe with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and whoever else ends up introduced by the time the film reaches theaters? Is there another DC Comics villain you would rather see take on the film universe’s best and brightest?

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice arrives on March 25th, 2016.