Why DCU Fans Are Convinced They Spotted a Star Wars Character in James Gunn’s Superman

James Gunn wears his nerdy heart on his sleeve. The Guardians of the Galaxy movies are chock-full of pop culture references, including a Patrick Swayze name-drop and a giant Pac-Man monster. It doesn’t seem like things are going to change now that Gunn is in charge of the DC Universe, as Superman has its fair share of Easter eggs to uncover. Some notable examples include the robots in the Fortress of Solitude being voiced by frequent Gunn collaborators, and Bradley Cooper putting away his Rocket voice to bring Jor-El to life on the big screen. However, a few fans believe that Superman ups the reference meter to eleven.

There’s a major reveal in Gunn’s latest movie that shows off a familiar face. The character doesn’t look like their typical selves, though, and some people can’t help but feel like they’re seeing a major figure from a galaxy far, far away rather than someone from the pages of DC Comics. It wouldn’t be all that surprising, as Superman‘s story has a lot in common with Star Wars.

Ultraman’s Unmasking Confused Star Wars Fans

The first few minutes of Superman see the Man of Steel at his lowest. He loses to the Hammer of Boravia, which is uncharted territory for him. Everything seems okay when Superman gets back to the Fortress of Solitude, but what he doesn’t realize is that Lex Luthor is monitoring him and learns the location of his hideout. With the Engineer and Ultraman at his side, Lex enters the Kryptonian palace and gets all the information he needs to get the world to turn on its favorite hero. The revelation about his parents leaves Superman between a rock and a hard place, so he turns himself in to the government, which hands him over to Luthor. It takes the hero some time to escape, but he eventually does and sets his sights on Luthor and his cronies.

Once Superman gets back to Metropolis, he faces off against the Engineer and Ultraman. They give him a run for his money, with the Engineer filling his body with nanites to stop his lungs from working. Quick thinking helps Superman get the edge on his villains, and he sends them careening into the sewers of Metropolis. The Engineer is down for the count, while Ultraman gets back up and looks ready to fight. He takes off his masks and reveals that he’s a Superman clone Luthor created to defeat the Man of Steel. However, Ultraman doesn’t go to the same barber as his doppelganger because he has shaggy hair that resembles Anakin Skywalker’s look in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

Now, Hayden Christensen is not part of Superman‘s cast, and the movie makes it obvious that David Corenswet is the one bringing Ultraman to life. But it’s hard to blame anyone for thinking that Anakin is part of the DCU for a split second, especially because looking into a dark mirror is one of the oldest tricks in Star Wars’ book.

Read Next

A 12-Year-Old DC Movie Is Surging Back Onto the Streaming Charts (& We Know Why)

Star Wars Loves to Have Its Heroes Fight Their Evil Selves

Luthor would love nothing more than to push Superman to do something outside of his nature. The villain sets up the conflict in Jarhanpur to entice the Man of Steel to stick his nose where the world doesn’t think it belongs. While he may not be aware of all of the risks, Superman goes anyway because he thinks it’s the right thing to do. He’s a lot like Luke Skywalker, who finds himself in a tough spot in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. During his training with Yoda, Luke goes into a cave and fights Darth Vader. He beats the Sith Lord, only to realize he’s the one wearing the mask. The moment proves that even Luke is susceptible to the Dark Side if he’s not careful, and while he takes the warning seriously, he doesn’t let fear change who he is.

When Luke learns that his friends are in trouble, he leaves Dagobah and heads to Cloud City to face Vader. Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi are worried because they don’t think Luke is ready, and the young Jedi proves them right by losing his hand. However, he refuses to accept his father’s deal to join him on the dark side and goes on to redeem him. While Lex and the Man of Steel aren’t likely to share an emotional moment anytime soon in the DCU, the similarities between the hero and Luke make it feel like Star Wars is part of Superman, even if Anakin isn’t.

Superman is in theaters now.

Did you think Ultraman looked like Anakin Skywalker in Superman? Do you see the similarities between the two properties? Let us know in the comments below!