The trailer for James Gunn’s “Superman” is finally here, and people who were looking for a breath of fresh air after the DC Extended Universe version of the character are no doubt happy to see that David Corenswet’s Superman leans on the warm-hearted, “big blue boy scout” aspect of the Man of Steel. However, he’s not the only superpowered figure we see. In fact, the trailer’s centerpiece is none other than Krypto the Superdog, as inspired by Gunn’s actual pooch.
Gunn had already revealed Krypto’s presence in the movie, but the trailer makes clear just how impressive the character is. We see an injured Superman whistling for help, and Krypto arrives to the scene with what just might be the most dynamic canine entrance in the history of cinema. First, all we see is a huge, rapidly approaching snow cloud. Then, it reveals the shaggy white dog flying to the rescue — complete with a cape of his own, no less. Krypto is officially here, and he’s amazing. Even before the trailer, Superman” was already one of the most anticipated movies of 2025. Now, it’s virtually guaranteed that Krypto-mania is about to sweep the world.
Krypto isn’t exactly the least-known character in the DC universe. He’s appeared in the animated 2022 movie “DC League of Super-Pets” (where Dwayne Johnson voices the character), and also plays a role in the DC superhero show “Titans.” However, even the silliest “Superman” live-action movies have categorically steered away from using him until now, so it’s high time to have a quick crash course on the character before he bursts into the big screen. Who, exactly, is Krypto the Superdog?
Krypto started out as an oddball
Created by Otto Binder and Curt Swan, Krypto entered the Superman mythos in 1955. His first appearance was in Adventure Comics #210, and he soon established himself as Kal-El’s loyal buddy … kind of. Krypto starts out as a family pet that Superman’s father Jor-El send to space, Laika-style, to test the baby-saving rocket tech that would soon send young Kal-El to Earth. Years later, the poor pup’s rocket finds its way to Earth and he’s able to reunite with the now teenage Kal-El, who at this point goes by the moniker Superboy. It’s a pretty sad origin story, but at least Krypto gets Superman-style powers out of the ordeal.
This Krypto is a bit of an oddball, to say the least. Usually, he’s a clever dog who can “speak” with thought bubbles and has various entertaining but inherently ridiculous adventures both on Earth and in space. Like Superman, he also maintains a civilian “identity” of a normal, powerless Earth creature. However, he’s effectively sidelined from the grander scheme of things and kept at a curiosity-slash-sidekick level, despite his powers making him mightier than the majority of Earth’s heroes.
If I had to hazard a guess, this era is why filmmakers have largely avoided using Krypto. After all, Superman’s live-action film history shows that a man of steel can already be a tough nut to crack. Add a notoriously silly dog of steel in the mix, and a filmmaker might suddenly start worrying that “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” (1987) might no longer be the most ridiculous Superman movie after they’re done.
Many Kryptos have emerged after the Crisis on Infinite Earths
In the mid-1980s, the franchise-wide “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event rebooted the whole DC comic book universe, which in Krypto’s case meant an extended hiatus. Instead of continuing his decades-long presence as an absurd but clearly characterized figure, he was effectively erased from the universe. As such, Krypton’s best boy was absent for years until new versions of him started turning up in 2001.
One new Krypto was a regular dog. Another was an escaped creation of a supervillain’s trap universe. However, the most serious and arguably impressive Krypto to date didn’t emerge until 2011, when writer Grant Morrison and artists Andy Kubert and Jesse Delperdang unveiled a new version of the heroic dog. This Krypto is the fairly ordinary El family dog from Krypton, and performs a heroic sacrifice when villains from the Phantom Zone attempt to attack them as Krypton destructs. Krypto fights the antagonists and ends up on the Phantom Zone with them. There, he lingers for what to him seems like countless years.
Fortunately, an adult Superman eventually becomes temporarily trapped in the Phantom Zone and learns that Krypto is still around. After a heart-warming rescue mission, the two are finally reunited in the real world. This version of Krypto goes on to hang out with various Kryptonian survivors on their adventures, and is effectively an ordinary, loyal dog who just happens to have extreme superpowers.
Krypto fits Gunn’s penchant for using unsung characters
Throughout his tenure as a superhero movie helmsman, James Gunn has embraced heroes few other filmmakers would touch with a 10-foot pole. From the lovable scoundrels in his “Guardians of the Galaxy” film trilogy to the slightly less lovable DC ones in “The Suicide Squad” and “Creature Commandos,” Gunn loves to embrace and elevate unsung characters. The crown jewel of his approach might be John Cena’s eternally clueless Peacemaker, whose self-titled show provided the DC Extended Universe with one of its few late-game wins and proved so popular that Cena got to bring his helmet collection and bad attitude into the rebooted DC Universe. Or perhaps it’s Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), the cynical and deeply tragic heart of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films.
Regardless of which James Gunn superhero underdog is your favorite — and there are many to choose from — Krypto is certainly strange enough to fit his modus operandi. Indeed, it seems that the DCU overseer’s vision for the superdog is far from a cookie-cutter Lassie archetype, no matter what the trailer’s rescue sequence might indicate. /Film’s Bill Bria attended the press event for the “Superman” trailer, where Gunn had this to say about including Superman’s furriest friend in the trailer:
[Superman’s] relationship with Krypto is complicated. He’s not nearly the best dog as he seems. There’s a lot more to Krypto than you see in this trailer. But I also thought that it was a way to say that yes, we’re embracing all of the Superman mythology.
Will Krypto be able to stand proudly among the ranks of Gunn’s greatest obscure character adaptations, or will he ultimately be lost in the film’s fray? We’ll find out when “Superman” hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
