'Superman' is silly and heartfelt — and shows the new DC Universe can easily rival Marvel
The new " Superman" features three cameos that may surprise fans —including one that sets up the next movie in the rebooted DC Universe.
The film starts three years into Superman (David Corenswet) being a superhero in Metropolis, but references his origin story. Named Kal-El when his Kryptonian parents sent him in a spaceship to Earth, he is discovered by the Kansas farmers Jonathan (Pruitt Taylor Vance) and Martha Kent (Neva Howell). They name him Clark Kent, and he eventually becomes Superman.
The first major cameo in "Superman" ties into this origin story.
Bradley Cooper plays Jor-El, Superman's father
Thankfully, the 2025 movie does not retread the familiar story of the planet Krypton being destroyed. But it does reveal that Superman rewatches a damaged recording of his parents in his Arctic base, called the Fortress of Solitude, to soothe him after stressful battles.
In the footage, Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper plays Jor-El, Superman's father, alongside the "Westworld" actor Angela Sarafyan as Lara Lor-Van, the hero's mother. The pair speak in their native Kryptonian language, but the translation says that they love their son and that he's meant to be the best of them.
The billionaire villain, Lex Luthor, (Nicholas Hoult) repairs the recording and discovers that the second half of the message suggests that Superman's parents actually wanted their son to conquer Earth. Luthor uses this information to turn the public against Superman.
John Cena reprises his role as Peacemaker
The next cameo sees John Cena briefly return to play Christopher Smith, also known as the violent vigilante Peacemaker, on a TV talk show.
During Cena's short appearance, he's discussing the controversy surrounding Superman and the Kryptonian recording while Kent is at home in his apartment with his girlfriend, Lois Lane.
It's a fun cameo, as Peacemaker criticizes Superman with some childish insults. Cena's antihero will return in "Peacemaker" season two in August 2025.
'House of the Dragon' star Milly Alcock makes her debut as Supergirl
The third and final cameo of the film sees Milly Alcock crash (literally) onto the screen as Kara Zor-El, also known as Superman's cousin, Supergirl. Yes, that's right, Kent isn't the only surviving Kryptonian in the galaxy.
Supergirl has numerous origin stories in the comics, but the common thread is that she's sent to Earth to protect her younger cousin, only to find that he's grown up in the time it took her to get to Earth.
In a short scene toward the end of the film, she crashes into the Fortress of Solitude while Superman is resting after his fight to save Metropolis from Luthor's pocket universe. She thanks him for looking after Krypto, which reveals to the audience that the destructive (but adorable) super dog actually belongs to her.
When she leaves, Superman references her "partying" on planets with a red sun that disable her Kryptonian powers, enabling her to get drunk.
This is all a setup for the next movie in the DC Universe, "Supergirl," which is based on Tom King's"Woman of Tomorrow" series. That sees Supergirl travel across the galaxy with Krypto on a quest for revenge.
"Supergirl" will be released in June 2026.
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