Brandon Breyer is the antagonist in the 2019 film, Brightburn.
After a difficult struggle with fertility, Tori Breyer's dreams of motherhood come true with the arrival of a mysterious baby boy. Brandon appears to be everything Tori and her husband, Kyle, ever wanted - bright, talented and curious about the world. But as Brandon nears puberty, a powerful darkness manifests within him and Tori becomes consumed by terrible doubts about her son. Once Brandon begins to act on his twisted urges, those closest to him find themselves in grave danger.
Appearance
Brandon Breyer looks like any normal little boy.
Powers and Abilities
Brandon Breyers possess the following powers and abilities:
- Superhuman Strength
- Superhuman speed
- Invulnerability
- Flight
- Laser vision
Fate
Brandon Breyer survives the events of this movie. Can't say the same about his mom & dad.
Trivia
- The mask Brandon wears seems partially inspired by wasps. An early classroom scene he talks about how certain wasps place their young in a separate hive, getting others to feed them. This is a clear parallel to his situation.
- Brightburn is mentioned as being in Kansas, which is where Kal-El landed and later grew up to become Superman.
- Elizabeth Banks and Michael Rooker also starred in Slither (2006) together.
- Many familiar demon child movie tropes and cliches here. One parent believes the child; the other thinks he's a psychopath; Orphan (2009), Damien: Omen II (1978). A series of accidents that happen but no one is sure who did it; Orphan, The Omen (1976), The Exorcist (1973). The parent take it upon themselves to kill the child and end up getting killed themselves; The Bad Seed (1956), The Omen, Carrie (1976). There's a big confrontation at the ending where the parents' get killed; the child survives and ends up looking like the hero; The Omen, The Bad Seed. Also, the child is getting direction from some supernatural force; or some otherworldly father figure; The Exorcist, The Omen, Children of the Corn (1984). The child is seen as some anti-Christ figure; the source of Armageddon; Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Omen, The Exorcist franchise.
- There are a few short scenes during the first part of the end credits where news reports and a conspiracy theorist reveal there are other super beings, including a half-man/half-sea creature and a witch who chokes her victims with a rope.
- In June 2019, producer James Gunn stated that discussion of the sequel was happening
- The Superman story Brightburn tells is a simple one because the entire point of the film is that the removal of Kal-El's connection to humanity would leave him to see mankind as less than nothing. While Brightburn tells a much simpler story of an evil, Elseworlds version of Superman, that's clearly by design.
- Brightburn is not in the Marvel Universe. He's a dark take on Superman but he isn't in the DC Universe. It is its own thing, no affiliations.
- The Crimson Bolt makes a brief appearance as a cameo
- Brandon Breyer is a kryptonian. For one the symbol he kept drawing has been shown in kryptonian writing. Then he got his powers. His powers only began manifesting themselves after the ship called out to him.
- Brightburn has several explicit connections to one of the best superhero comics ever made: Alan Moore's Miracleman.
Photo Gallery