Krypto is officially joining the DCU, and not only did DCU co-president James Gunn reveal the first image of the character, but he also explained the real-world inspiration behind Superman’s best friend. Krypto was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Curt Swan and debuted in Adventure Comics #210, published in March 1955. Krypto has been an important part of Superman’s mythology. He led his own animated series, Krypto the Superdog, and his own feature film, DC’s League of Super-Pets. The character will finally make the leap to live action in James Gunn’s DCU, starting with Superman.

James Gunn took to X to share the first look at Krypto and revealed that he will debut in Superman, set for release on July 11, 2025. Gunn also revealed that Krypto was inspired by a dog he and his wife Jennifer Holland adopted named Ozu. Ozu came from a troubled home before he was adopted by Gunn and Holland and seemingly destroyed furniture and even Gunn’s laptop, which led him to wonder what it would be like if he had superpowers. Krypto will seemingly be a major part of Superman, as Gunn said the character “changed the shape” of the script. Gunn also encouraged people to adopt dogs from shelters and give pups like Ozu a loving home in honor of October being Adopt a Shelter Dog Month:

“Krypto arrives on screens in Superman this summer. Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman. Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. 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. I remember thinking, “Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?” – and 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. Btw, Ozu today, is, fairly often, a very good boy. #Superman”

Longtime DC writer Mark Waid had previously hinted that Krypto would be part of the DCU following a visit to the Superman set earlier this year. Gunn has always been fascinated with Krypto. Back in 2018, before he landed on directing The Suicide Squad, he considered making a Krypto movie. After all this time, he finally gets to put his spin on Krypto.

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Krypto the Superdog

The ethical treatment of animals and their safety is very close to Gunn’s heart, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 emphasizing the evils of animal cruelty by exploring Rocket’s origins at the hands of the High Evolutionary. While there likely won’t be anything as traumatic in Superman, Gunn’s comments about how Krypto shaped the script for Superman suggest there might be an element of danger. It will be interesting if Krypto is a Kryptonian dog like he was in the original comics, or if Gunn makes him the product of animal testing by LexCorp, similar to how Smallville imagined the character.

This is likely only the beginning for the character, as Krypto is also an important part of the comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which DC Studios is adapting as a feature film with Milly Alcock in the lead role. With Superman, Supergirl, and Krypto on deck, James Gunn’s DC Studios is certainly putting emphasis on the Man of Steel as the foundational building block for the franchise. While two Batman-centric projects, The Brave and the Bold and Dynamic Duo, are in development, it is nice to see Superman getting the much-deserved spotlight again.

Release Date July 11, 2025 Cast David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , María Gabriela De Faría , Edi Gathegi , Nicholas Hoult , Frank Grillo , Nathan Fillion , Milly Alcock , Sara Sampaio , Pruitt Taylor Vince , Skyler Gisondo , Anthony Carrigan , Wendell Pierce , Beck Bennett , Sean Gunn Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Expand