At the Superman teaser trailer event, James Gunn reveals that Superman’s relationship with Krypto is “complicated.”
The opening sequence of the Superman teaser trailer shows Superman falling from the sky, clearly having been beaten up during a fight. He is battered, bruised, and beaten, mustering all the energy he can to whistle for man’s best friend, his dog Krypto. He then asks Krypto to take him home and hands him a piece of his cape to pull him by.
I was invited to a special event for the Superman teaser trailer, which included a Q&A session with James Gunn (writer/director), David Corenswet (Clark Kent / Superman), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), and Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luther).
Superman’s Relationship With Krypto Is “Complicated”
When asked about the decision to open the teaser trailer with this shot, Gunn explains “We’re seeing a little bit of a different side of Superman than what we’ve seen normally on screen and this movie, at the end of the day, is not about power.”
He goes on to detail that Clark Kent is a person who is struggling with his day-to-day life, something that Gunn thought would be a cool place to start. In terms of his superdog, however, Gunn says “his relationship with Krypto is complicated. He’s not nearly the best dog you’ve seen. There’s a lot more to Krypto.”
As a dog lover, this is a tough sentence to swallow. Krypto is a dog with superpowers. He can fly. Surely, that would make his relationship with Clark different from any other pet-owner relationship, but I would be devastated to see him turn his back on Superman. We all go to our animals for comfort. They are a part of the family and are always there when we need them most.
Gunn continues, “I also thought that it was a way to say that yes, we’re embracing all of the Superman mythology. There’s a way that superhero movies have taken these characters and said okay, yeah, it’s Batman but it’s not any of the other stuff. It’s Superman but it’s not any of the other stuff. It’s boom, boom, boom, boom.”
“But he lives in a world with superheroes. This is an alternative history fantasy world where superheroes exist but it’s also incredibly grounded. It’s about real people having real lives who just happen to be metahumans. Superman exists. He has friends who are other superheroes. He has people he doesn’t get along as well with who are other superheroes. He’s got a flying dog.”
All will be revealed about Superman and Krypto’s relationship when Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025. I was already excited, but the new teaser trailer has me all in.
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About Superman
Follows the titular superhero as he reconciles his heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way in a world that views this as old-fashioned.