James Gunn Reveals First Look At Superman's Dog Krypto, Inspired By The Director's Actual Pooch

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James Gunn just dropped a major "Superman" first look on X, but it's as much about the hero's trusty sidekick as it is about Clark Kent himself. In a new post to the site formerly known as Twitter, the co-CEO of DC Studios (not to mention the writer-director of the upcoming film) showed fans a glimpse at Krypto, the dog who's destined to accompany Superman on his adventures in next year's tentpole film.

"Krypto arrives on screens in 'Superman' this summer," Gunn writes, revealing the heartfelt background story for this iteration of the comic book pooch. "Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman." According to the filmmaker, his dog Ozu didn't have an easy time adjusting to his new home, and his difficult adoption story became part of the crux of the new "Superman" movie. "Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least," Gunn writes. "He immediately came in & destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture — he even ate my laptop. It took a long time before he would even let us touch him."

Gunn's own dog inspired him to make Krypto a part of Superman

Gunn says that after enduring some memorable chaos with Ozu, he found himself thinking, "Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?" It was that idea that brought Krypto, a dog who has appeared in Superman stories on and off since 1955, into the forefront of his mind. "Thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life. What better time to debut the not-so-good-good-boy Krypto than #AdoptAShelterDog month."

Alongside Gunn's message, the filmmaker shares three images. The first is a gif-like first look in which Superman, in his signature red cape emblazoned with an S logo, sits in space alongside Krypto, overlooking a perpetually rotating earth. Both of the figures are seen from behind (though we know David Corenswet will play Clark Kent in the film), but Krypto has one fluffy ear raised and is giving off definite good boy vibes. The second photo is of Gunn hugging his own dog, Ozu, who he notes at the post's end is "fairly often, a very good boy." Finally, the post ends with a Superman comic panel showing Krypto and the Man of Steel sitting in the crater of the moon, once more looking towards Earth. It's a sweet sentiment and a sweet first look; now let's hope that Krypto is luckier than the critters at the heart of Gunn's last superhero blockbuster, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."

"Superman" flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.