James Gunn reveals first image of Superman and Krypto the Superdog

By Dan Girolamo Published October 15, 2024

When Superman flies into theaters next summer, the Man of Steel will have man’s best friend by his side.

James Gunn revealed Krypto, Superman’s loyal superdog, will appear alongside the titular hero in Superman. Appearing as a white dog with a gold collar, Krypto has similar powers to Superman, including super strength and the ability to fly. Gunn posted an image of Superman and Krypto overlooking Earth from space. Gunn revealed that his dog, Ozu, inspired the inclusion of Krypto in his comic book adaptation.

“Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman,” Gunn wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He immediately came in & destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture – he even ate my laptop. It took a long time before he would even let us touch him.”

Gunn continued, “I remember thinking, “Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?” – and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life. What better time to debut the not-so-good-good-boy Krypto than #AdoptAShelterDog month? Btw, Ozu today, is, fairly often, a very good boy.”

Krypto arrives on screens in Superman this summer. Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman. Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He… pic.twitter.com/zw8rVqv0n0

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 15, 2024

Gunn’s Superman marks Krypto’s first live-action feature film appearance. Krypto famously headlined his own animated series, for two seasons from 2005 to 2006. Dwayne Johnson voiced the character in 2022’s DC League of Super-Pets. In live-action television, Krypto appeared in Smallville and Titans.

David Corenswet steps into the role of Clark Kent in Superman. Besides Corenswet, Superman’s ensemble includes Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt/Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.

Superman opens in theaters on July 11, 2025.