James Gunn Superman Film Apparently Stars Krypto the Superdog

The DCU Superman film from DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn will feature Krypto the Superdog according to comic book writer Mark Waid.

Best known for writing Superman comic Kingdom Come alongside Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Waid said on the Capes and Lunatics podcast that Superman will feature “a super powered dog with heat vision.”

Though he didn’t say Krypto directly, there aren’t many other canine’s of that description. “I have a good feeling about this movie,” Waid said. “I like James Gunn. I like his reverential approach by and large to this kind of stuff. And reverential without taking it too seriously. The movie has a dog in it, a super powered dog with heat vision, so there’s only so much… It ain’t Zack Snyder.”

Snyder previously directed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and other DC Extended Universe films, and Gunn’s will seemingly be lighter in tone with myriad wild and wacky characters from DC lore already confirmed. He previously directed the comedic Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel too, though Gunn has already said Superman will have a different vibe.

Regardless, Krypto the Superdog showing up would fit into a more whimsical universe, and fans have already been theorizing his appearance due to set leaks earlier this year.

As reported by Screen Rant, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific could be seen outside the Pet It Be pet store, seemingly tracking something and gesturing towards something that wasn’t there. Dogs can’t fly or shoot heat vision from their eyes or look up in real life, of course, so Krypto would likely be computer generated in Superman, fitting in exactly where Mister Terrific is looking.

Superman, previously Superman: Legacy, will be the first film in the rebooted DCU’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, but it’s definitely not an origin story and also features a ton of other DC heroes and villains.

Alongside David Corenswet as Superman stands Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, alongside Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, María Gabriela as The Engineer, and more. Gunn confirmed these actors will play the roles in other DCU projects too.

Chapter 1 of the DCU also features TV shows, and while the exact contents have shuffled a tad since Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran announced it in 2023, an animated series called Creature Commandos will officially kick off the new universe in December.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.