James Gunn’s Superman has officially arrived, and while the film centers on Clark Kent (David Corenswet), it also serves as a grand introduction to a sprawling narrative landscape for the DC Universe. The world is established as fully inhabited from its opening moments, populated with heroes and villains who have been operating long before the story begins. This approach gives the universe an immediate sense of history and depth, strategically planting the seeds for future stories by introducing a roster of compelling figures. In addition, while the supporting cast of Superman plays pivotal roles in the Man of Steel’s cinematic debut, the film smartly leaves many of their personal narratives tantalizingly unresolved.
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While each character arc within Superman serves the main plot, some heroes’ and villains’ backstories and futures are left as compelling loose threads, setting the stage for future DCU projects. Even if that’s already enough to justify a movie, some of these characters are so interesting on their own that we are also left wondering how a solo movie could serve them. So, now that Superman is available, let’s discuss the new DCU character who most deserves a spinoff. Of course, we’ll be dealing with plenty of Superman spoilers below.
1) Lois Lane
In a film centered on a god-like alien, Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane grounds the story with her fierce human intelligence. She is presented as the story’s primary engine for truth, already established as Clark’s partner who knows his secret and isn’t afraid to question some of the hero’s choices. Plus, she has an active role in the film, helping to guide the main plot. For instance, when Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) destroys Superman’s public image with the Kryptonian message, Lois refuses to accept the lie. She takes the lead, convincing a reluctant Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) to help her save Clark. Furthermore, Lois ultimately uncovers the entire conspiracy, broadcasting the truth to the world, clearing Superman’s name, and sending Luthor to prison.
The movie ends with Superman’s reputation restored, but it leaves major questions about Lois’ future. Exposing and dismantling the empire of a beloved public billionaire is a career-defining moment, one that would also create powerful new enemies. A solo project could explore the dangerous fallout from her victory over Luthor, forcing her to navigate threats that require investigative skill rather than superpowers. In addition, her life at the Daily Planet is a world ripe for exploration, making a Lois-centric project the perfect vehicle for a street-level thriller that dives into the political and corporate corruption of the DCU.
2) Lex Luthor
In Superman, Nicholas Hoult delivers a Lex Luthor who is a brilliant and charismatic industrialist with a dangerous messianic complex, convinced that the Man of Steel is a threat to human potential. His genius is matched only by his ruthlessness. Throughout the film, he manipulates global politics, creates an unstable and violent clone of Superman named Ultraman, and frames the hero for threatening to conquer the planet. His obsession drives him to almost destroy Metropolis, proving he is willing to sacrifice millions just to prove his superiority. Superman concludes with Luthor’s arrest, but for a man like Lex, prison is just a temporary setback.
Luthor’s defeat leaves his story wide open, as his incarceration is the start of a new chapter, not the end of his war. A solo project could easily follow his time in prison, where a man of his intellect and resources would undoubtedly continue to pull strings, manipulate the media, and orchestrate his comeback. The film also establishes LuthorCorp as a global powerhouse, and the fate of his corporation and its dangerous technology is a massive unresolved plot point. A Luthor-centric story would be a compelling corporate-political thriller, exploring his ongoing machinations and showing exactly why his influence makes him a threat, even from behind bars. Maybe his time in Belle Reve could even lead to Luthor forging new alliances, kicking off the DCU beginnings of the Injustice League.
3) Metamorpho
Anthony Carrigan’s Rex Mason, the hero known as Metamorpho, is introduced as one of Superman‘s most tragic figures. The audience first meets him as a prisoner in Luthor’s pocket universe, forced into servitude because Luthor is holding his son, Joey, hostage. He is coerced into creating Kryptonite, but after witnessing Luthor casually killing an innocent man, Metamorpho turns on his captor and plays a key role in the heroes’ escape. The film ends with him being celebrated as a new member of the Justice Gang, but his story is far from resolved.
A solo Metamorpho project would be the perfect opportunity to delve into his tragic origins, exploring his life as Rex Mason before the accident and how his horrifying transformation compares to the sudden pressures of being a public hero. It could examine how a man with deep concerns about his own abilities, as noted in the film, reconciles his past life with his new status as a superhero, providing a rich, character-driven story that is already set up by the movie.
4) Mister Terrific
Without question, Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific is one of the highlights of Superman. As a well–established superhero, Mister Terrific is a core member of the corporate-sponsored Justice Gang and a man whose crime-fighting is defined by his intellect. Initially, he seems content to work within the system, but Lois Lane convinces him to help save Superman, showing how he’s willing to go against the current in the search for the truth. Plus, his technical genius proves vital in closing the dimension rift threatening Metropolis.
The biggest unanswered question surrounding Mister Terrific is the nature of his benefactor, Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn). The movie explicitly states that Lord’s company, LordTech, funds the Justice Gang, but the film offers no information on Lord’s motives. A Mister Terrific solo project is the perfect vehicle to investigate this thread. A high-tech spy thriller following Michael Holt as he uses his genius to uncover his boss’ true agenda is a natural next step for the character, as Mister Terrific is just too smart to be a pawn in someone else’s game. A solo movie would also give Gathegi more screen time, which he proved he deserves after stealing the spotlight in Superman.
5) Guy Gardner
Superman proves that Nathan Fillion perfectly captures the abrasive, overconfident, and deeply stubborn nature of the fan-favorite Green Lantern Guy Gardner. He is introduced as a veteran member of both the Green Lantern Corps and the Justice Gang, and his confrontational personality immediately clashes with Superman. Gardner is a formidable fighter who pulls his weight in the battle against Luthor’s kaiju, but the film positions him as a terrestrial hero operating on an Earth-based team. This placement raises more questions than it answers, creating a major unresolved thread regarding his primary duties.
As a member of an elite intergalactic police force, tasked with patrolling a massive space sector, it’s strange that Guy Gardner is spending his time on Earth as part of a corporate-sponsored team. A solo project could address this, exploring Gardner’s relationship with the Green Lantern Corps and his arrangement with Maxwell Lord, especially considering Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) is also confirmed to be a veteran Green Lantern in the DCU. Fillion is set to return in the Lanterns series, but the character is so entertaining that he also deserves a solo DCU movie.
Which Superman character do you think is most deserving of their own DCU movie? Let us know your pick in the comments!
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