Spoilers for Superman (2025) are below!
Summary
James Gunn’sSupermanhad a tall order to fill, as it teased numerous characters and is meant to kick off the new slate of live-action DCU projects. Critics and audiences have been impressed by Gunn’s film, earning stellar reviews and ever-growing box office returns.
Gunn established lore forSuperman, with elements that stray from what many fans know. While the changes the writer and director made for the new film aided the character, adding depth and emotional impact, they may have also created a problem for the next DCU film. Gunn’s decision to change one key aspect ofSuperman’slore could have created a huge plot hole that the upcomingSupergirlmovie will need to fill in.
James Gunn Changed The Reason Superman’s Parents Chose Earth
The biggest change toSupermanin Gunn’s new movie is the message from his parents.Superman has always beenan alien raised on Earth by human parents, with a connection to his home world of Krypton through the pod that allowed for his travel and the information that his birth parents ensured it contained. Gunn’s new take on the story keeps many of those same elements in place, with one key change to the message his parents sent with him.
Early in the film, Superman listens to the message as a source of inspiration. However, it is damaged. He can see only the first part of the message, in which his parents explain the situation and that they love their son. The rest of the message is translated later in the film, causing a detrimental blow to Superman. Their message states that they chose Earth because they knew he could easily rule over its people and that he was meant to have a harem, helping to recreate the Kryptonians.
The truth of his parents' message becomes a huge plot point inSuperman, allowing for character growth in Clark and a twist on a story audiences thought they knew. However, Supergirl is briefly seen toward the end of the film, setting up the next DCU movie.Supergirlhas already finished filming and is expected to be released in 2026. Still,Supermanmay have caused a problemfor the follow-up movie thanks to the lore change surrounding DC’s flagship hero.
Supergirl Likely Knewn The Information, Or At Least The Intention
Supergirlis said to be based on the comicSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and herbrief appearance inSupermanreinforces her inspiration. The character is Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El, who, much like him, was saved from Krypton, being sent to Earth when the planet died. However, her journey to Earth was delayed, and she arrived long after Superman. Superman was a baby when he left Krypton, unlike Kara, who was a teenager. When Krypton was lost, she also lost her family, and she remembers the world and their way of life prior to arrival.
Supermanshows Kara going off to planets where she can get intoxicated, aligning with theWoman of Tomorrowand establishing that the character may already be dealing with complex emotional fallout from her life. Still, with Gunn’slore change forSupermanand Kara’s past on Krypton before being on Earth,wouldn’t she have known the truth of Clark’s message from his Kryptonian parents?
Kara may not have known the exact message that would have been sent, but she knew their beliefs and the ideals of her people, which means that the truth in the message shouldn’t be a shocking reveal to her. Has Kara spent years lying to Clark? Was she letting Clark believe the lie to better himself? Is burying the truth of it the impetus for her drinking?It poses many questions that now need answered, thanks to the change in lore and Supergirl’s impending feature film.
SupergirlNeeds to Address Her Knowledge Of Superman’s Parents And Krypton
Supergirlwill need to explain why Kara never told Clark about the intent of their people and let audiences know why she never adopted those ideals,as her parents likely sent her to Earth with similar intentions. Seeing Clark living the way he is, rather than a Kryptonian lording over the Earth, could have even been a shock beyond how old he is compared to her. It could have shown Kara that even Kryptonian ideals are now dead and gone. No matter the struggle at play, Supergirl promises to be acomplex character in the DCU. Still, there is a concern surrounding the character that the movie must address.
With such a big change to the lore and the choice to makeSupergirlthe next film in the franchise, Gunn and the other creatives at DC likely considered this. Kara’s story promises to be a complex emotional journey, potentially giving audiences a better look at Krypton, whichSupermanchose to avoid. While numerous details surrounding the next DCU feature film entry remain under wraps, James Gunn has set the story up with unique stakes that will makeSupergirlone of the most interesting superhero projects to keep an eye on.
