Summary
James Gunn is asking fans to ‘look up’, asSupermanprepares to fly into theaters in 2025. While the DCU officially started with Gunn’sCreature Commandos,Supermanis an even bigger deal as the rebranded franchise’s first live-action outing and first cinematic release. David Corenswet is stepping into the red pants and boots, giving fans their firstSupermansolo movie since 2013’sMan of Steel.
Gunn looks to be delivering something very different to the dark and gritty tone of the DCEU, giving fans a movie that clearly homages Richard Donner’s 1978 classic.Supermaneven puts its own twist on theiconic John Williams score. Classic Superman characters including Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) are here, with the latter tipped to be the movie’s big bad. But, was the firstSupermantrailer hiding an unexpected villain in plain sight?
Superman Trailer Could be Hiding Ultraman
Corenswet’s take on the Metropolis Marvel has been inspired by a number ofmajorSupermancomics, while Gunn has been candid about the movie being influenced by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’sAll-Star Supermanrun from 2005 to 2008. The first trailer arrived to plenty of fanfare, showing off Hoult’s take on Lex Luthor after Jesse Eisenberg famously played him in the DCU. Lex isn’t the only villain, with a massive aquatic kaiju storming through Metropolis, already sparking fan theories it could be a tease of a future Aquaman project.
Others have spotted a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment when Superman takes on a mysterious figure dressed in black. This comes after set photos showed off someone dressed in black with a U-insignia and scooper Daniel Richtman claiming in April 2024 that Ultraman will feature inSuperman. Although Gunn has denied anyone other than Hoult’s Lex Luthor being a villain, it’s looking increasingly likely that Ultraman is hiding in plain sight. Previous set photos have shown the unnamed figure standing alongsideFrank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr.as it looks like Superman is being arrested. Could it be thanks to a case of mistaken identity and some dodgy deeds from the villainous Ultraman?
Introduced in 1964’sJustice League of America#29, Ultraman is an evil version of Superman who arrives from a parallel universe. Arriving from the original Earth-Three alongside the Crime Syndicate of America, Ultraman leads the team alongsideOwlman, Superman (Earth-Three’s villainous Wonder Woman), Johnny Quick, and Power Ring. Instead of being harmed by Kryptonite, Ultraman gains new abilities when he’s exposed to it. After gaining the power to see through dimensional barriers, Ultraman learns of the multiverse and comes into conflict with the JLA and JSA.
The original Ultraman was killed when the Anti-Monitor destroyed Earth-Three during theCrisis on Infinite Earthsarc, but different versions of the character have been sporadically reintroduced over the years. Grant Morrison’sJLA: Earth 2graphic novel created Anti-MatterUltraman, who was rewrittenas Lieutenant Clark Kent – a human astronaut who was altered by an alien race when his ship exploded into hyperspace. The New 52’s Earth-3 introduced an Ultraman closer to his Silver Age depiction, but as Morrison says this Earth-3 universe is not the same as the pre-Crisis Earth-Three, that Ultraman is a completely different version.
Ultraman’s Rumored Role in the DCU
If Ultraman is hiding in theSupermantrailer, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d been seen in live-action. Looking back at his role inSmallville, it could also point to how Ultramanmightfit intoSuperman.Smallvilledelivered its own take on him in its final season, with Tom Welling pulling double duty as the heroic Clark Kent and villainous Clark Luthor from Earth-2. Could Gunn be going down the same route by casting Corenswet as both Kal-El and Ultraman? Gunn confirmed all casting for speaking roles had been done back in March 2024, which left some confused because they’d expected more high-profile announcements. This only threw fuel on the fire that Corenswet was playing Ultraman as the de facto big bad.
Even though some think that Bizarro will be the main villain, which again would have Corenswet playing both roles, the mystery figure in black wearing the U insignia is a pretty big clue. As Gunn has made it known he likes some of the more obscure Superman villain, Ultraman also fits the bill compared to the tried and tested Lex Luthor being Clark’s main adversary. Although there are hopes thatBrainiac will eventually appear in aSupermanmovie, Gunn could be saving him for further down the line as something of the DCU’s ‘Thanos’. Ultraman actually makes plenty of sense forSuperman, especially considering he’s been allied with Lex Luthor in the past.
As for what role Ultraman could play, it seems unlikely that Gunn would be heading into multiverse territory so early into the DCU’s lifespan, especially considering Warner Bros. is still reeling from thefailure ofThe Flash. The trailer has plenty of throwaway teases like the giant eye machine shooting lasers toward the ground and confirmation of Stagg Enterprises, and putting the pieces together, it’s possible Luthor or Simon Stagg could’ve done some genetic tinkering to create their own villainous Superman clone. After all, it’s thanks to Stagg that Metamorpho (played by Anthony Carrigan inSuperman) typically gets his comic book powers.
There’s also a chance that Ultraman will only appear in a cameo capacity to set up future installments. The trailer already showed how Gunn is building out the DCU with the likes of Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl), and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), while he’s already told fans that the Justice League currently doesn’t exist in the DCU. Still, Gunn has been praised for understandinghow superhero franchises work, reiterating, “Everything needs to stand by itself.”Supermanis clearly doing a lot of world-building, and while Gunn has to be careful not to throw too many characters into the mix, at least audiences aren’t being subjected to another superhero origin story. Fans will have to wait until July 2025 to see whether Ultraman gets his cinematic debut.
Superman
Cast
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.' rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
