Krypto Is the Breakout Star of James Gunn’s Superman Trailer

DC Studios is in a new era with Superman, a reboot of the Man of Steel with writer-director James Gunn attached. The film is set for release this July, and we’ve had months of teasing headlines, but with the first full trailer now released, there’s plenty of footage for fans to lose their minds over.

New Clark Kent, a saucy Lois Lane, a host of DC heroes and villains, and one dog with more spunk than a simple ‘woof’ appear in the trailer, which expertly balances heart and heroism while offering us a rawer, rebooted look at one of the most beloved DC characters.

A Journey, not an Origin Story

First, it’s important to note that this Superman is not an origin story. Gunn has made this abundantly clear, saying instead that the film is more about Clark Kent’s journey to figure out where and how he fits in.

As Gunn puts it, Superman is more interested in Clark’s emotional journey rather than his origin. The film delves into how he can reconcile his royal Kryptonian heritage with his down-to-earth small-town Kansas roots.

David Corenswet, who starred in the recent Pearl and Hollywood, will don the cape and cowl of the titular hero. Corenswet’s Superman is 25 years old, which is a departure from the “older, wiser” Kal-El from the comics. In the DCU, his debut likely involves a more seasoned hero rather than the wide-eyed, wide-eared novice some earlier reboots imagined.

His dual identity is bound to be a big part of the film as well, especially with his Lois Lane interactions. But who is the Lois Lane in this version?

Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) plays the tough-talking Lois Lane. The trailer opens with Lois in an impromptu interview with “Superman,” played, you guessed it, by Clark Kent.

In one scene, the two banter with one another, each appearing to be a little flirty and a lot competitive. We don’t know if Lois has already discovered Superman’s secret identity or not. Some fans are adamant that she has. Others, including this reporter, take the actors’ facial cues as signs that she has not.

Nicholas Hoult joins Brosnahan, Corenswet, and Gunn’s deep-pocketed cast. As Lex Luthor, Hoult still oozes his trademark evil CEO schtick, which the trailer teases aplenty. But he’s not the only villain we’ll see. Sara Sampaio plays Eve Teschmacher, while Terence Rosemore plays Otis, both apparently Luthor loyalists.

Krypto, Kaiju, and a Larger DC World

But, y’know, while the humans are doing villainous things, one word of warning: if you have a dog, you better get them a safe space away from the TV during some of this footage. Superman’s loyalest (and whitest) companion, Krypto the dog, is a breakout star of the film, debuting last December in the teaser where he carries a critically injured Superman back to the Fortress of Solitude. In the new trailer, we get more of Krypto the Superdog, as he does some fist-pumping (er, pawing?) heroics of his own.

We see the Krypto throw down, paw-to-paw, with Lex Luthor and high-tech baddie Angela Spica, also known as The Engineer, played by Maria Gabriela de Faria. Spica is built like a baddie, too, in black spandex and a snarl, equipped with–what else–a katana-like, rotating blade that she uses to slice and dice her way through Superman and Krypto en route to a showdown with Luthor at the Fortress.

In between punches, high-speed chases, and CGI Kaiju, we also get to meet an array of DC characters who are now a part of the post-Zack Snyder, Gunn-led DC Universe.

Nathan Fillion, with his signature bowl-cut, shows off his Green Lantern uniform as Guy Gardner; Anthony Carrigan appears as Rex Mason/Metamorpho, an elemental superhero who shapeshifts his way around bad guys (okay, and his own life decisions); Isabela Merced shows off her elfin wings as a caped hero we know all too well, Hawkgirl; and Edi Gathegi takes on the identity of Michael Holt, a.k.a. Mister Terrific.

Throw in Millie Alcock as Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El (AKA Supergirl, if you’re not up on your Kryptonian family trees), Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as Clark’s adoptive Kansas parents Jonathan and Martha Kent, and Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr. from his DC Animated Universe work on Creature Commandos, and Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, and we have a full-blown team.

Balancing Human and Hero

It’s a big ol’ superhero buffet, but beyond all the fan service and epic explosions (this is a James Gunn movie, after all), the trailer gives us what we need: an emotional core to the character. There are bits of old and new in the trailer: While the former can be found in nods to Superman tropes like Lois Lane and Luthor, we also get some of Superman’s more modern-day ethical questions.

For example, Lois gives Clark Kent a real run for his money when she questions whether or not Superman’s recent heroics play well with, say, the Secretary of Defense. He isn’t having it, though, and nearly yells at her, “People were going to die!” It’s a big superhero conundrum, often brought up with characters like The Flash. So, where do you draw the line?

The image we get at the end of the trailer, as Superman lies down on his bed after apparently winning the day, is more powerful than it should be. It’s a tired Superman lying down, exhausted in the quiet of his Fortress alone, but with Krypto, his shining hero, on his chest, head resting. It’s pure cuteness in the middle of an intense-looking movie.

Superman gives us new heroes, a window into the emotional core of one of the most popular DC characters, and a surprisingly fresh reboot for an otherwise over-trodden corner of the cinematic superhero universe. And with the first official trailer out, it looks like it’s all the good things.