A salophene ligand was successfully synthesized from 4-bromobenzene-1,2-diamine and 5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, followed by the preparation of its manganese(II), iron(II), and zinc(II) metal complexes. These compounds were thoroughly characterized using a range of physical, spectroscopic, and analytical techniques, including Infrared (IR) and UV–Visible spectroscopy, molar conductance, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. These methods confirmed the successful formation and coordination behavior of the metal complexes. To evaluate their biological relevance, the interaction of the ligand and its metal complexes with calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) was investigated through UV–Visible titration. The binding studies revealed that the free ligand exhibited a binding constant (Kb) of 1.65 × 10⁴ M⁻¹, while the metal complexes demonstrated significantly stronger binding, with Kb values ranging from 3.32 × 10⁵ to 9.29 × 10⁵ M⁻¹, indicating strong DNA affinity and suggesting potential anticancer activity. Furthermore, in silico pharmacokinetic assessments were performed using the SwissADME and pkCSM software tools. These studies revealed that the ligand and complexes exhibited favorable lipophilicity, low fraction unbound values (0.17 F and 0.55 F, respectively), good distribution profiles, and acceptable levels of oral bioavailability. The toxicity profiles were within safe limits. Importantly, the compounds adhered to drug-likeness criteria based on the Lipinski, Veber, and Egan rules, indicating their potential as therapeutic agents against diseases such as cancer, bacterial, and fungal infections.