New Superman teaser trailer just dropped and it was as james gunn was trying to reintroduce us to the legendary character – it also gave us a glimpse into the larger world of the new DC Universe. Gunn had already shared that his story would focus on the characters of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet), Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). It’s a story set in a world with many other superpowered characters and a whole history of past events.
The first Superman trailer definitely shows this, hinting at connections to various parts of the DC Universe. Here are some of the things we noticed!
THE GENIUS
Mister Terrific appears to be part of Maxwell Lord’s team of heroes. Michael Holt was a brilliant genius, inventor, and athlete who tragically lost his family in a sad accident. He took on the role of the original “Mister Terrific,” using his advanced technology and inventions to fight bad guys and also act as a smart strategist for other DC heroes and teams. In the trailer, we see Terrific as a one-man army, using his special “T-spheres” to take on powerful enemies.
The Green Lantern
Nathan Fillion (channeling his best Uncle Fester) makes a quick appearance as Guy Gardner, one of the more rude and full-of-himself members of the Green Lantern Corps. We already know from set photos that Guy is part of an international team of heroes backed by the shady businessman/villain Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn). This raises big questions about Guy’s place among the other Green Lanterns since his Earth teammates, Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), are getting their own Lanterns show on HBO.
Hawkworld
Isabela Merced’s appears as Hawkgirl , flying through the sky. She also shows up briefly in a scene with Guy Gardner, who’s using his power ring. This version of Hawkgirl is working for Maxwell Lord’s team of heroes, but her wings and weapons hint at a much bigger story involving Hawk mythology, one that could cover both time and space across the universe. Her role is part of a larger, more mysterious storyline that could connect to ancient legends and cosmic adventures.
Krypto the Super Dog
Krypto the Super Dog has been with Superman since the 1950s, but James Gunn is the first to make this super-pet an important part of a live-action Superman movie. In the trailer, we see Krypto watching over Superman’s “home away from home,” making sure everything is safe. But Krypto isn’t the only one keeping an eye on things! There are other surprising characters and creatures that help protect Superman, showing how much he relies on his friends, both human and not.
The Fortress of Solitude
In trailer in one scene we can see Superman holding a robot in Fortress of Solitude. This robot is probably “Kelex,” a robot that used to help Superman’s father, Jor-El. In the comics, Kelex was brought back by a dangerous Kryptonian AI weapon called The Eradicator, as part of the Fortress of Solitude’s tribute to Krypton. If Kelex is badly hurt or dying, and the fortress is falling apart, it would be a big loss for Superman. He would be losing one of the last things that connects him to his home and his Kryptonian roots.
The Man With the God-Killing Gun
James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad introduced important DCU details, like how Idris Elba’s character, Bloodsport, shot Superman with a Kryptonite bullet. In this new scene, Lex Luthor is holding a gun, which could mean he’s studying what Bloodsport did. It might show that Lex is creating a new weapon to use against Superman, or it could be a flashback showing that Lex gave Bloodsport the weapons needed to hurt Superman, maybe even with a cameo by Idris Elba. Either way, the scene feels very tense and dangerous.
Superman vs Monsters
We’re not sure exactly what this big, fire-breathing monster is, but it definitely looks like something Superman will have to handle. One idea is that, based on its look and colors, the creature might have come from deep under the ocean, which could mean it’s somehow linked to Aquaman’s part of the DCU. But that’s for now we dont know its exact origins. The monster seems powerful and dangerous, which makes it a big challenge for Superman. It’s also possible that this could be a way to bring different heroes from the DCU together to face a common threat.
War in Boravia
The scenes of civil conflict in the Superman trailer are a reference to one of the earliest Superman comics, Superman #2 (1939). In that story, Superman steps in to stop a civil war in a made-up European country called Boravia. He discovers an arms dealer’s plan to use chemical weapons in the war. Superman stops the plot and then uses his powers to force peace talks, eventually ending the civil war for good. It will be interesting to see if James Gunn’s version of Superman’s world will accept the hero’s actions of getting involved in other countries’ problems on his own.