DC Studios just dropped six high-res posters showing off David Corenswet as Superman, Alan Tudyk as Robot #4, Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho, Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific and Krypto looking ready to fetch justice. No posters yet for Lois Lane, Lex Luthor or Jimmy Olsen, but James Gunn’s “Hold your horses” response to one impatient fan makes it clear that they’re coming soon. Gunn also just dropped a bone for Superman fans, confirming that everyone’s favourite superpowered pupper, Krypto, will star in his own animated shorts after the movie lands in theatres.
“If we got an animated spin-off series of Krypto alone, I’d be happy,” wrote one fan on X. Gunn’s reply was short and simple: “You’re in luck.”
But that’s not exactly new news. “We’ve got these cool little Krypto shorts that are so fun, man. I’ve been watching all of them,” said Gunn (via ComicBook) in February this year, describing the series as “goofy” and “for families.” Executive producer Peter Safran added, “He’s a terrible dog. It’s definitely the Krypto you fall in love with in Superman.”
But what can we expect from the shorts? The new Superman trailer hinted that Krypto may live in the Fortress of Solitude, and the toy sets and books released reveal that the super dog enjoys chasing down Yetis that inhabit the area around Superman’s home in the ice. So that could be fun to look forward to.
While fans were unsure about whether the shorts were live-action or animated, Gunn’s comment seems to imply that they will be animated. Of course, there are many styles of animation, so it will be interesting to see which art direction they go with.
Of course, Krypto isn’t the only animal Superman owns and works with in the comic book lore. And considering the popularity of Krypto even before the release of the 2025 film, you have to wonder what other animals could show up in the franchise moving forward:
Streaky The Supercat
Supergirl’s pet cat, Streaky, was given super-powers by an unusual form of Kryptonite (“X-Kryptonite”) that she experimented with. The superhero cat went on to appear in many comic book stories during the ’60s. With cats owning the internet and half of Hollywood’s Instagram feeds, a sarcastic, over-it supercat could balance Krypto’s chaotic energy perfectly.
Beppo
Beppo is a monkey from the planet Krypton that was originally a test animal used by Jor-El to see if his son could survive space travel. Beppo turns up on Earth a few years after Clark and causes trouble with his abilities. The super monkey went on to join the Legion of Super-Pets, alongside Krypto the Superdog and Streaky the Supercat. A live-action Legion of Super-Pets movie is the sort of thing that could work in the DCU, especially since Gunn is a genius at making cute animals work in film.
Comet the Super-Horse
Comet was originally a centaur in ancient Greece named Biron, who got turned into a full horse and somehow ended up with Supergirl. Weird? Definitely. But in James Gunn’s hands, it could be bizarre enough to work. The character disappeared from comic books for a long time, but then showed up in 2022’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (on which the upcoming DCU Supergirl movie is rumoured to be based).
RELATED: James Gunn’s Superman Costs as Much as Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel To Make
Krypto’s animated shorts are a sign that DC’s ready to embrace the stranger corners of its universe. And honestly, if Gunn’s willing to make a “terrible, terrible dog” the heart of Superman’s family, there’s no reason Beppo, Streaky and Comet can’t swoop in next.
