Resurrecting the mainline DC cinematic universe is no easy task, but so far, James Gunn has been doing a killer job. The buzz surrounding Superman is at an all-time high, especially in a year where Marvel movies have struggled to capture the box office with the same ease they had in the past. With a few trailers and some surgical teasers, James Gunn has convinced a huge majority of fans of David Corenswet’s potential as the new Man of Steel. However, something even more incredible has happened: we still know precious little about the plot, even after the trailers and leaks. Say what you will about Gunn’s directing (or marketing) style: the man knows how to plant the seeds of curiosity among fans.
For instance, we still haven’t seen one of Superman’s most important allies in any of the trailers. I mean, yes, we’ve already seen Krypto – but where’s Milly Alcock’s Supergirl? Considering the fact that she’s getting a solo film in a year, it’s astounding to see how the trailers have essentially ignored her character so far. At least, that’s what we all thought; however, according to Salvadoran podcaster and eagle-eyed DC fan Juan Cienfuegos, Supergirl already made her on-screen debut in the latest trailer – and it’s not what any of us expected in the slightest.
Even though Gunn’s Superman is a love letter to the Silver Age of the Man of Steel, there’s one character that sticks out like a sore thumb in the trailer: the enigmatic Hammer of Boravia. This hulking supersoldier wears an impenetrable armor and has abilities that match (or even surpass) those of Superman.
While there exists a Boravia in the deepest reaches of DC comics lore, the “Hammer” itself is something we’ve never seen before. That said, the character seems to be too “crucial” to be just another disposable jobber. And that’s where Juan’s theory comes in. Under all that heavy armor, the Hammer of Boravia is none other than Milly Alcock’s Supergirl. Sounds crazy? Maybe a bit – but, trust me: it makes perfect sense once you look at the facts.
Juan states that the Hammer of Boravia actually being Supergirl aligns perfectly with Gunn’s usual “villain” character development. In the trailer, we see that the Hammer has Kryptonian abilities – something strange for a universe with only two known Kryptonians (so far). According to Juan, the Hammer is a brainwashed Kara Zor-El, likely captured by Lex Luthor at some point. That would explain why Krypto, who usually accompanies Kara in her adventures, joins Clark Kent in this movie instead. However, that sounds a bit too far-fetched, doesn’t it? It would be, until you realize this is precisely the sort of storytelling that Gunn uses for his villains.
Delving even deeper, the podcaster then links the Hammer’s character to a surprising villain from Gunn’s filmography: Scrappy-Doo. Scrappy’s villain reveal in 2002’s Scooby-Doo mirrors a potential Supergirl reveal in the upcoming Superman film, and it also closely aligns with what we saw recently in Gunn’s Creature Commandos, where no one saw that villain twist coming.
There are only a few more weeks to go until Superman hits theaters, but until then, the rumor mill is going strong as ever. If reigniting excitement for the DCU was step one in James Gunn’s resurrection plans, then the new cinematic universe has already scored a major victory.
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