James Gunn’s 2025 movie Superman was a smash hit when it hit theaters last summer. In fact, even now, the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes scores sit at an impressive 83% with critics and 90% with audiences. The movie’s success would have been exciting in and of itself, but this was also a much more momentous occasion than just an enjoyable movie. Rather, Superman (2025) marked a truly new era for DC—a franchise that has certainly been struggling over the last several years.
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This new Superman, portrayed by David Corenswet, brought charm, humanity, and a lot of heart to the character, and it’s clear that this depiction landed with audiences. However, Corenswet and this take on Superman weren’t the only things that worked about the movie. Superman (2025) brought yet another fan-favorite DC character to the big screen, and now, DC’s next movie is going to bring that character back and make him even better.
Krypto Was Immediately Beloved in Superman
Krypto has been a beloved part of DC comics dating all the way back to the 1950s, but that hasn’t always meant he’s had a presence on the big screen. In fact, of all the Superman movies that have been made over the years, Superman (2025) is the only live-action movie to bring Krypto to life. There was a major risk that this decision wouldn’t pay off, with the possibility that Krypto would come off looking silly or cheap, but that was far from the case.
In addition to the fact that Krypto ultimately became a hero in his own right in the movie, he was a way to raise the emotional stakes (it was wildly evil for Lex to kidnap and torture a dog), and he added yet another layer to the complexities of Superman as a character. He was also frequently comic relief, really from the very first few scenes of the movie, and he perfectly bridged Superman to DC’s next movie, Supergirl, which is hitting theaters on June 26.
The reveal that Krypto was Kara/Supergirl’s dog and Clark was only watching him did more than just seamlessly transition into this next movie, though. What Superman really did was establish Krypto as a character so that audiences can go into Supergirl knowing how important he really is—and the Supergirl trailers have already confirmed that this new movie will build upon that.
Krypto Will Be Crucial in Supergirl
While Kara’s party girl entrance at the end of Superman gave little away in terms of her deeper feelings and experiences, the trailers for the new movie have confirmed that there is a profound loneliness and a struggle with a sense of self and purpose in this character. And although she may not be from Earth, like many people, Kara seems to have found at least some comfort and feeling of family with her dog, Krypto—who is also her only real piece of home at this point.
Supergirl is therefore going to give audiences so many more scenes with Krypto, as well as a deeper story when it comes to his background and his relationship with and connection to Kara. In that sense, Supergirl will be taking one of the best parts of James Gunn’s Superman and making it even better, which in turn reflects positive momentum for the franchise overall.
The Future of DC Really Does Look Bright
Much has been said over the years about the trajectory of DC, and while fans’ concerns have long been valid, the DC Universe really does seem to be headed in the right direction. As mentioned, Corenswet’s Clark Kent/Superman is a breath of fresh air who seems perfectly primed to go the distance, wherever the franchise goes in the future, and although Supergirl hasn’t yet been released, all signs point to it building upon the very solid foundation that Superman (2025) laid.
This is particularly exciting given that a brand-new Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, is also in the works—something that David Corenswet has dropped many, many hints about wanting to be involved with—as is a Superman sequel, Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Details on those projects remain largely under wraps, especially in terms of the former, but DC fans have plenty to be excited about right now, from Supergirl later this month to Man of Tomorrow and The Brave and the Bold after that.
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