This text comprises SPOILERS for Superman.
Superman has arrived in theaters and is the start of a brand new period for DC. Whereas the DCU acquired a delicate launch with the discharge of Creature Commandos in December 2024, which additionally included earlier DCEU titles comparable to The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, Superman has all the time been positioned because the true start line of this new shared universe. Dropping the viewers right into a world stuffed with “Gods and Monsters,” Superman acts each as an efficient Superman film, however, within the broader sense, a DC Universe film with roles for characters like Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, and a Inexperienced Lantern.
Superman works as a standalone film, but it surely additionally does an amazing job establishing the way forward for the franchise. As a substitute of choosing the MCU technique of teasing future movies within the post-credit scenes, Superman takes a unique method. The post-credit scenes of Superman are extra codas, enjoyable little bits of comedic or emotional payoff which can be little bonus scenes. But inside the movie, they drop some key particulars that each work inside the context of Superman but additionally indicate bigger tales on the horizon. Right here is how Superman units the stage for the way forward for the DCU.
Supergirl
The obvious venture that Superman lays the groundwork for is Supergirl, which is ready to be launched in theaters rather less than a 12 months from Superman‘s launch on June 26, 2026. On the finish of the film, Superman is therapeutic within the Fortress of Solitude when his cousin, Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock), crashes in drunk to select up Krypto, revealing that Clark has been canine sitting for her whereas she was away partying on different planets. Supergirl leaves with Krypto, seeming off into her solo movie.
Supergirl would be the second movie within the DCU and can be directed by Craig Gillespie, identified for Fright Evening and Cruella. The movie will draw closely from Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s collection Supergirl: Girl of Tomorrow, which was the unique title for the movie. The movie, just like the comedian, may be very a lot True Grit in house, the place a younger alien woman hires a drunken and damaged Supergirl to search out the person who killed her father. Supergirl will characteristic Lobo (Jason Momoa) and sure different alien figures from the DC Universe.
Krypto is a key a part of Supergirl: Girl of Tomorrow, so will probably be fascinating to see how the movie adapts his position within the comedian. Moreover, will probably be curious to see if the movie expands on Superman’s stunning revelation concerning the Kryptonians sending him to beat the planet. It’s a massive recreation changer to the Kryptonian mythology, and given Kara Zor-El grew up on Krypton earlier than its destruction, seemingly has a unique relationship along with her tradition than Clark Kent.
Bizarro and Superboy
Within the movie’s climax, Lex Luthor reveals that Ultraman is a clone of Superman, albeit an imperfect clone. Lex describes him as “dumb,” and the character seems to be unable to talk; as a substitute, he follows each order Lex offers him. With the clone having a messy little bit of lengthy hair and his face usually framed by a gray mild and shadow, it seems that James Gunn has launched the DCU’s tackle Bizarro.
The Bizarro connection will get extra fascinating through the movie’s climax, as Superman throws Ultraman in entrance of a bus that sends him right into a black gap in one other dimension. Earlier within the movie, that very same black gap was the one the place the anti-proton river in Lex Luthor’s pocket dimension flowed into, and so they took the shapes of cubes. Within the comics, Bizarro’s dwelling, often called Bizarro World, is within the form of cubes. With Ultraman being thrown into the identical interdimensional black gap that the cube-shaped anti-protons went, it’s doable that is all establishing the DCU’s model of Bizzaro World, these anti-proton blocks being the muse for this new world, and Ultraman to return sooner or later as Bizzaro with a restricted and reversed vocabulary.
The opposite well-known clone of Superman is, after all, Superboy, aka Connor Kent, who was launched in The Adventures of Superman #500 following the “Demise of Superman” storyline. Superboy is a clone of Superman, however one not as highly effective since he has half-human DNA. The half-human DNA a part of him comes from none apart from Lex Luthor. With Lex proving he can clone Superman already, he would possibly attempt once more, however use his personal DNA to patch up some incomplete parts, resulting in the creation of Superboy. Teen Titans is presently in growth, and Superboy might be a significant member of the crew.
‘Peacemaker’ Season 2
In probably the greatest surprises of Superman, John Cena reprises his position as Christopher Smith / Peacemaker for a enjoyable cameo. Peacemaker Season 2 is ready to air on HBO Max on Aug. 21, 2025, and Gunn has mentioned the collection builds instantly off the occasions of Superman. The trailer for Peacemaker has already established that the title character will interview for recruitment into The Justice Gang by Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), Hawkgirl (Isabella Merced), and Man Gardner (Nathan Fillion).
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Superman includes a small supporting position for Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., making his live-action debut after voicing the character in Creature Commandos, and who is ready to return in Peacemaker Season 2. Superman ends with the ominous look of Flag Sr. grappling with a world the place metahumans now appear to run the present, seemingly a storyline that may bleed into Peacemaker Season 2. Not solely does Flag Sr. have a vendetta towards Peacemaker for killing his son in The Suicide Squad, however now he could be trying to flex his management over numerous different metahumans.
Billionaire Wars
A delicate recurring theme within the background of Superman is the rising affect of billionaires and tech moguls on this planet of the DCU. Lex Luthor is the movie’s foremost antagonist, manipulating a battle between two nations solely to kill Superman. He has additionally created a privatized navy power and developed two metahumans, Ultraman and The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), whom he’s trying to lease to the US authorities.
In the meantime, the Justice Gang is backed by billionaire Maxwell Lord, whose Lord Know-how emblem could be seen on Lois Lane’s tape recorder. Lord’s cameo on the finish of Superman suggests he himself doesn’t have a excessive opinion of Lex Luthor, and the 2 are seemingly rivals in each enterprise and private settings.
Following Superman receiving the horrible information about his mother and father’ message, he and the Justice Gang take up residence within the workplace constructing of Stagg Industries. Stagg Industries is run by billionaire Simon Stagg, who within the comics is chargeable for the creation of Metamorpho. Whereas Metamorpho’s backstory isn’t delved into through the movie, the truth that Stagg Industries, Metamorpho, and Stagg’s daughter/Metamorpho’s spouse, Saphhire Stagg, are current appears to counsel the hero’s origins are tied to this firm.
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The three main firms established in Superman appear to be priming for some superhuman arms race. The Engineer, who’s final seen alive however unconscious, later joins the superhero crew The Authority, which continues to be slated to obtain a characteristic movie within the DCU. Nevertheless, the film has confronted some growth points. The Engineer might take the remnants of Lex’s Planet Watch and switch them into The Authority. In the meantime, the Justice Gang, a superhero crew backed by a billionaire, has some darkish implications for the DCU’s future, and one that may clarify how the Justice League types as an impartial entity, free from exterior management or interference.
One billionaire who isn’t talked about or referenced is Bruce Wayne / Batman and his firm, Wayne Enterprise. The DCU has already established that Batman exists inside the DCU, as seen in Creature Commandos. Batman is ready to get his personal characteristic movie with Courageous and the Daring, which is able to seemingly do extra of the world-building round how this firm compares to his rival billionaires. Maybe some particulars about Wayne Enterprises can be featured in Clayface, the solo film based mostly on the Batman villain, which is ready to hit theaters on September 11, 2026.
The Justice League
Superman introduces a brand new superhero crew to the DCU, The Justice Gang (although they haven’t formally settled on that identify but). Backed by Maxwell Lord, the crew consists of Man Gardner / Inexperienced Lantern, Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Hawkgirl, and, by the top of the film, Metamorpho. The crew is a prototype model of what is going to grow to be The Justice League, together with the crew establishing store within the still-under-construction Corridor of Justice, the bottom of the Justice League that originated from the Superfriends animated collection.
James Gunn has hinted that they’re constructing as much as the Justice League, as each a DCU Batman and Marvel Girl movie are in growth, which, alongside Superman, are the three leaders wanted for the crew. The upcoming HBO Max collection Lanterns will introduce two extra Inexperienced Lanterns, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler). Hal Jordan is a founding member of the Justice League within the comics, whereas John Stewart is probably going probably the most well-known to basic audiences, given his position within the in style animated collection Justice League and Justice League Limitless. That animated collection notably featured a romance between John Stewart and Hawkgirl, one thing James Gunn could be constructing to together with his new DCU.
The Corridor of Justice includes a big mural, one which James Gunn mentioned honors the historical past of metahumans and superheroes within the DCU. Whereas no official shot of the mural exists but, some notable characters that seem on the wall embrace the Silent Knight, the Black Pirate, the Wildcat, and the unique Flash, Jay Garrick. Silent Knight and Black Pirate are teases on the long-storied historical past of the DCU, however Wildcat and Jay Garrick are fascinating as each characters have had different heroes tackle their mantles.
The unique Wildcat Ted Grant was adopted by Yolanda Mortez, after which Ted’s long-lost son, Thomas “Tom” Bronson, a werecat metahuman. Many have adopted Jay Garrick’s legacy because the Flash, together with Barry Allen, Wally West, and Bart Allen, that means James Gunn has his choose to select from when he decides to deliver the Scarlet Speedster again into the DCU. With so many metahumans already present within the DCU, and extra on the best way, the Justice League roster could have loads to select from.
Superman
- Launch Date
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July 11, 2025
- Runtime
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130 Minutes
- Director
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James Gunn
- Producers
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Lars P. Winther, Peter Safran