After what seems like years of anticipation, Superman finally arrived in theaters last week to both critical acclaim and fan praise. Beyond establishing a new Superman (David Corenswet), it is also the high-profile launch of a new DC cinematic universe free from the constraints of the previous cycle. Well, except for certain scenes from both The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker’s first season. But for those not closely watching the DC films, Superman is, indeed, a fresh start.
That freshness means various elements of Superman and his world are new to the viewer and, sometimes, surprising to long-term fans. So, with our omnibus editions of classic Superman tales in hand, let’s take a look at some of the more surprising elements from James Gunn’s Superman movie, where they have precedent in the lore, and what they might mean for the emerging DCU.
[WARNING: SPOILERS FOR SUPERMAN BELOW]
1. Metahumans Appeared 300 Years Ago
Superman’s opening text served to move people past the familiar origin elements and establish a few facts about the DCU and Superman before the film properly begins. For the purposes of the film, the most important statements include Superman operating as a hero for three years and that he just experienced his first defeat. But some viewers may have taken note of the first sentence in the blurb: Metahumans appeared on Earth 300 years before the events of Superman.
To start, let’s define a Metahuman. While Gunn has said the term is imprecise, it also has a couple of specific meanings in DC lore. The first: some people have a literal “meta” gene that predicts whether or not they may develop powers. Yeah, it’s a little bit like the genetic mutants of Marvel’s X-Men and, in DC stories like Invasion!, it has been used to both track and power down some super-people. In more recent days, a metahuman has been anyone who exhibits extra-normal powers, be they sourced from alien physiology, technology, magic, or genetic quirks. The dearly departed Arrowverse used the term this way and, it seems, Gunn’s DC will also apply it as a catch-all for characters as diverse as Superman, Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), the Green Lanterns, and others.
But to declare the first Metahuman emerged three centuries before Superman is a clear indication of a story yet to be told. Some potential heroes who could have become public in the 18th Century include Hawkman and Hawkgirl (Isabella Merced). Since their 2010 comic book reintroduction by Geoff Johns, James Robinson, and artists Bryan Talbot, Patrick Gleason, and Richard Case, the pair have been re-incarnating since the height of Egypt’s Old Kingdom. In at least one version of DC history, Wonder Woman’s mother, Hippolyta, donned a star-spangled skirt and fought with the US mystery men during World War II. There are also Old West DC characters like the Vigilante (not to be confused with the one played by Freddy Stroma on Peacemaker), Bat Lash, Jonah Hex, and Johnny Thunder. Not all of them have extraordinary powers, though.
In the context of the DCU, the Frankenstein Monster (David Harbour) and the Bride (Indira Varma) of Creature Commandos are centuries old, but it is still unclear just how public their activities are to the general population. No matter who was first, though, establishing a 300-year timeline means Gunn and other filmmakers have plenty of room to introduce a wide array of characters. Could James Mangold’s Swamp Thing return the character to his early 20th century setting or even earlier?
2. Metropolis Is In Delaware (And Not Too Far From Gotham)
When Lois leaves the so-called Justice Gang’s headquarters, we can briefly see her car has a Delaware license plate. The choice is interesting, as it means the Metropolis of the DCU is, presumably, in the First State. It’s also surprising, as Metropolis and Gotham City tend to exist in their own nebulous version of New York state — the last film cycle even put them across a bay from each other! But the decision to place the new Metropolis in Delaware could be a tip of the hat to the old Mayfair Games DC Heroes role playing game from the 1980s and ‘90s. Its map placed the city in Delaware, with Gotham in New Jersey. And if the glimpse of the freeway during the destruction of Metropolis in Superman is anything to go by, the DCU Gotham may be under the same state governance as Paramus and Action Park.
No matter where Gotham ends up, placing both cities in real US states reflects a desire to ground the DCU in a more conventional reality. It is a turn that allows it to more readily accept costumed vigilantes and those with powers beyond mortal men… just without using the actual New York City, like the original Superman movies did.
3. Lex Luthor Invented Boom Tubes And Pocket Universes
Impossible science is one of the great mainstays of the DC Universe in all of its manifestations. Even before Jack Kirby left Marvel to give DC the New Gods, Batman, Lex Luthor, and others would create insane tech that the heroes either used to their advantage or beat into tiny cubes.
And then Kirby arrived to give us thrilling headgear and an interdimensional travel technology known as Boom Tubes — a portal system that looks a lot like the ones Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) used to enter his pocket universe prison and travel great distances instantaneously.
Admittedly, the thought that Lex invented Boom Tubes in the DCU is a stretch — especially as the New Gods are currently on ice after the brief appearance in the previous DC film cycle. Nevertheless, Luthor has some really advanced gear at his disposal, and Mr. Terrific’s nearly blasé response to the pocket universe — besides the danger its collapse could present, of course — suggests the bleeding edge of the DCU is well in advance of our own science. No doubt, Luthorcorp and WayneTech are at the forefront with Mr. Terrific, Stagg Industries, Kord Industries, and others making their own contributions.
Going forward, that technology could be used in interesting ways. In fact, it already has been. In the first season of Peacemaker, Chris’s (John Cena) father already had access to an inter-dimensional portal where he hid his arsenal and various Peacemaker helmets. And if he could get access to that tech, almost anyone can. What that means for the future is anyone’s guess. But in the short term, the availability of interdimensional portals and extra-universal vaults could bring a Kirby-esque spin to the otherwise down-to-earth HBO Max series Lanterns, based, of course, on the Green Lantern concept.
4. Ultraman Was Also Bizarro (Sort Of)
In DC Comics lore, Ultraman is typically a version of Clark from Earth-3 — a reality where all the good guys are bad. But for Superman, the title is used by a character who is revealed to be a clone of Superman engineered by Luthor. In the big 1986 relaunch of Superman spearheaded by writer and artist John Byrne, Bizarro turned out to be an imperfect clone of Superman devised by Luthor’s scientists. Coincidence? We doubt it. Although, once Ultraman’s mask came off, he looked more like Clark’s flirtation with long hair in the mid-‘90s than the pale, blocky Bizarro of yore.
Nevertheless, we think Ultraman’s origin as a clone of Superman may come into play sometime down the road. Keep in mind that he fell into the black hole generated by Luthor’s pocket universe, so he could end up on Earth-3 itself or something more like the Bizarro World of the Silver Age, where everything is “not like Bizarro” and Bizarro was himself “not the hero” of that cube-shaped planet. Okay, we doubt Gunn will go that far with it, but an Ultraman who forms his own opinions or tries to create a world where he is Superman could lead to some interesting stories, particularly as Gunn shows so much affinity for misfits like Bizarro.
5. Supergirl Likes To Party
From fairly early on, we heard Supergirl (Milly Alcock) would make her debut at some point during Superman. What we did not expect was for her to come to the Fortress of Solitude with a super-sized hangover and looking for her dog.
Her scene — and Clark’s reaction to her — suggests some specific things about the DCU take on Kara Zor-El. For one: she likes to drink and take vacations on planets with red suns… so she can drink. The other surprising thing is her ownership of Krypto. Typically, Kara’s pets include Streaky the Supercat and Comet the Superhorse. The latter’s origins may be too wacky even for Gunn, but it is curious to see him sub in Krypto for Streaky. Of course, it is part of the set up for next year’s Supergirl film. Based on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, the story features a Kara and Krypto who are far more bonded than in traditional DC lore. The book also sees Kara less enthused with spending time on Earth and getting involved in an intergalactic manhunt. So, clearly, this surprising turn is the one to have the most impact in the short term.
6. Peacemaker Has Opinions About Superman
Speaking of the short term, Peacemaker’s cameo in Superman just about guarantees there will be some spillover from the film into Peacemaker’s second season. Glimpsed for only a moment on a talk show, it is clear Chris isn’t a fan of the Man of Tomorrow. And it is easy to see why: Big Blue steals the spotlight from “hardworking heroes” like Chris.
Additionally, Peacemaker revolved around Amanda Waller’s (Viola Davis) fear of beings like Superman and her desire to control metahumans in the hopes of stopping him should he ever go against her wishes. Of course, she always couched that in the notion that he might “go rogue,” but as Chris and the other members of his team learned in the first season, her morality is directly tied to how much power she holds in a given situation. Now, how much of Waller’s stated belief holds into the second season is a matter of debate. Gunn has said some of the first season — like the Justice League cameo — no longer counts in the new DCU. Nevertheless, Waller stated a similar fear of Superman in Creature Commandos, which is 100% canon with Superman. Of course, we’re presuming Waller will still be involved in Peacemaker’s second set of episodes. One thing we do know: Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) will be visiting Chris during the new season, which debuts in August, so maybe his comments on that talk show will have repercussions very soon.
7. A Surprising Number Of People Know Clark Is Superman
While we went into the film understanding Lois (Rachel Brosnahan) would know Clark’s identity, we didn’t expect Guy and the Justice Gang to also know. This is actually one of the larger departures in terms of Superman in film and TV, but it is a well-established idea in the comics, where most of the key Justice League members are aware of each other’s civilian identities.
But even then, we don’t think any comic book Superman has ever let Guy know who he is.
The surprise here is obvious, but it also serves two great purposes. One: the reveal is couched in a joke about Superman’s “hypno-glasses”, a reference to an actual Silver Age explanation for why no one could tell Superman was Clark. Beyond that, though, the reason for Guy knowing the truth is all there in Lois’s response: Clark trusts people.
Superman’s forthrightness is always at odds with the lie he must keep to safeguard his adoptive parents, Lois, and anyone else close to him. So it is surprising to see Gunn confront it in this way and reveal, ultimately, being part of the hero club means you get to know who Superman really is. And we like that it comments further on the how and why of Clark presenting himself as a mild-mannered reporter when not in the tights.
What remains unclear, though, is if Guy was telling the truth about the hypno-glasses. Lois seemed to run with it during their conversation, but it remains to be seen if Clark is really using hypnosis to keep his secret safe. In the meantime, we appreciate a Superman who is quicker to reveal himself and let people into his confidence. That makes for a surprisingly human Metropolis Marvel.
Superman is in theaters now.
