DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has revealed a disturbing new image from Superman featuring María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, a character from DC’s controversial superhero team The Authority. The promotional image shows The Engineer apparently dead in what appears to be a stadium setting, connecting to previous trailer footage where Superman battles Ultraman in a similar location. This marks the first official confirmation of The Engineer’s significant role in the upcoming film and suggests darker stakes for David Corenswet’s Superman when the movie releases on July 11th. The image is particularly ominous given that The Authority standalone film has been placed on the “backburner” despite initially being announced as part of DC Studios’ first slate of projects.
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“Happy Anniversary to the Engineer, created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, who you can see played to sinister perfection by puppy in human form Gaby de Faria in #Superman this July!,” Gunn shared on X. Previously, fans caught glimpses of The Engineer in the film’s teaser trailer, where eagle-eyed viewers spotted de Faría walking beneath a LuthorCorp sign, hinting at potential connections between the character and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor. Now that we know she’ll be at the same place as Ultraman, it’s fair to assume the Engineer is indeed working with Lex Luthor.
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The Engineer, whose civilian identity is Angela Spica, possesses nanotechnology-enhanced abilities that allow her to transform her body into various mechanical configurations. In DC Comics, she’s a core member of The Authority, a team that uses controversial and often violent methods to accomplish their goals — standing in stark contrast to Superman’s traditional approach to heroism. The character’s inclusion in Superman represents Gunn’s commitment to introducing lesser-known DC characters to mainstream audiences while still honoring their complex comic book origins. This reveal also reiterates that Superman will serve as a launchpad for introducing Authority characters before their eventual team-up.
How Superman Is Building a Bigger DCU
The intertwining of Superman with The Authority creates fascinating narrative possibilities for the DCU. In the comics, Superman’s idealism often puts him at odds with The Authority’s pragmatic utilitarianism, creating dramatic potential that could span multiple films. By introducing The Engineer in what appears to be a confrontational or antagonistic role, Gunn lays groundwork for exploring ethical conflicts central to superhero storytelling, namely, the limits of power and the moral responsibilities that come with it. This foundation allows the DCU to tackle sophisticated themes while maintaining the accessibility and optimism associated with Superman. Furthermore, the Engineer’s apparent demise in the stadium scene in Superman potentially sets up future storylines where the remaining Authority members seek vengeance or justice for their fallen comrade.
The Engineer is not the only DC connection woven into Superman. The movie also introduces Nathan Fillion appears as Guy Gardner, a brash Green Lantern working alongside Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl and Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, apparently working for Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn). While the HBO series Lanterns will feature different Corps members Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), Guy Gardner will help connect Superman to the future series, despite the gritty tone of Lanterns. Furthermore, Anthony Carrigan joins Superman as Metamorpho, whose molecular manipulation abilities could be used for multiple future DCU projects.
Superman flies into theaters on July 11th.
How do you think Superman will use the Engineer? Will the villain die in the movie? Share your theories in the comments!
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