Blake Ritson Confirmed As Brainiac, The Main Villain Of Syfy's 'Krypton'

Syfy's Krypton has always promised to be an unusual project. It tells the never-before-told story of Superman's ancestors in the House of El, setting the scene for the legendary superhero we know and love. Even more intriguingly, at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 we learned that it's actually a time-travel show. A group of Superman's deadliest enemies have decided to erase him from history by changing his homeworld's past.

Naturally, there's only one villain who could possibly come up with a plan like that. Standing front and center is Brainiac himself, the insane genius whose ruthless intelligence has almost defeated the Man of Steel time and again. Now, Syfy has finally revealed who'll be playing this role. The deadly villain will be played by none other than Blake Ritson (Da Vinci's Demons, World Without End).

Back in March, Ritson excitedly teased the part. As he noted, "I've worked my way up the echelons of villainy, so I've played a few villains. I feel like I've made it with a super-villain."

Who is Brainiac?

Ritson has good reason to be proud of the role. Brainiac is one of the most important villains in the Superman mythos, created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino back in 1958. The name was actually a blend of the words "brain" and "maniac," giving a sense of just what kind of villain he truly is. Brainiac is a ruthless, malevolent schemer and a scientific genius on an unparalleled scale. In some #DC comic-book timelines, he's actually responsible for the destruction of Superman's homeworld.

A super-intelligent being from the planet Colu, Brainiac has dedicated his life to his own insane vision of science. He's most famous for taking possession of the entire Kryptonian city of Kandor, shrinking it down to size and trapping it in a bottle.

Syfy's Krypton is actually set in Kandor, raising some intriguing possibilities for the show's future direction. Speaking at #SDCC2017, Geoff Johns told comic book fans:

"It's a show that, although it takes place centuries ago on Krypton about the House of El, it's about a conspiracy from the present that has traveled back in time to Krypton to prevent Superman's legacy from ever happening. ... Adam Strange and Hawkwoman come to Krypton trying to stop the conspiracy and save Superman's legacy. Doomsday will be in the show. Brainiac is long overdue to be on screen like that."

Set to release next year, Krypton is one of the most fascinating superhero concepts to date. It's essentially a science-fiction adventure, giving showrunner Damian Kindler a chance to flesh out Superman's backstory in a way we've never seen before. Brainiac is an inspired choice as the villain of the piece, a terrifying threat to this doomed world.

[Source: Deadline]