It’s been a million and one Kryptonian years, but we’ve finally gotten the teaser for the Superman movie, intended to revive the DCU in grand style.
The electric teaser gave a glimpse into what to expect from David Corenswet as Clark Kent, and Gunn dropped a pretty cool surprise as well: Krypto the dog. While we still don’t know what to expect next year, the beloved super-powered sidekick was a welcome treat. But what exactly was Superman thinking naming his dog Krypto, especially when he literally can’t stand Kryptonite?
Meet Krypto, the Superdog
Krypto was first introduced in the comics as the pet of a young Kal-El on Krypton. The canine was used by Kal-El’s father, Jor-El, as a test subject for the prototype rocket that would later send Kal-El to Earth. Krypto’s rocket was knocked off course, similar to Kal-El’s cousin, Kara, which led to Krypto landing on Earth years later when Clark was already a teenager.
His name, Krypto, isn’t derived from the power-leeching element Kryptonite, but from his and Kal-El’s home planet, Krypton. As Krypto was Kal-El’s dog as a toddler, it’s not hard to believe that the young boy chose the most basic name for his pet. Other iterations of the comic character have him as a regular dog who was rescued by Superman’s friend and fan Bibbo Bibbowski. Bibbo tried to name the dog Krypton after the planet but the engraver who made his collar didn’t put the “N,” and Bibbo chose to name the dog Krypto.
James Gunn’s Superman is embracing the character’s comic book roots in a way that’s been missing from live adaptations. The teaser trailer showed that the movie will focus on Kal-El reconciling his dual Kryptonian and human identity, and showed some of the cast that will be ing him in this journey. However, the star of the teaser was undoubtedly Krypto the Superdog, Superman’s pet and super-powered dog.
Krypto appeared in a scene where an injured Superman lay in an icy landscape. He called for his canine best friend, who ran to him at super speed, and grabbed onto Superman’s cape to pull him home after Clark asked for help.
Krypto is not a dog like dogs on Earth are, but a member of a canine species from Krypton. He shares the same superficial similarities to dogs that Kryptonians share with humans and possesses the same abilities all Kryptonians do when under a yellow sun. In the comics, he often accompanies Superman or Superboy in their hero duties and wears a cape and a collar engraved with the Superman symbol.
Superman re-introduces a host of comic favorites
The teaser trailer didn’t only introduce movie audiences to Krypto, but to a few more Superman comic characters that non-comic fans may or may not be familiar with. Superman will be ed by a few more heroes in this movie, as shown in the teaser. Despite the announcement that Aaron Pierre will be playing Green Lantern John Stewart in the Lanterns series on HBO, Superman will feature another Green Lantern- Guy Gardner, played by Nathan Fillion.
Clark Kent’s long-time lover Lois Lane will also be a part of this movie, played by The Marvelous Mrs.Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan. Edi Gathegi is also among the cast, taking on the mantle of Mister Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan plays the shape-shifting hero Metamorpho. Rounding out the heroes introduced in this movie is Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl.
Published: Dec 20, 2024 12:27 pm