'Superman' Secret Villain Identity Confirmed
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Ever since the first teaser for James Gunn's 'Superman', fans have been theorizing about one of the more physical villains in the film. In various clips, David Corenswet's Superman is seen fighting a man dressed head-to-toe in dark leather, including a mouthless mask with goggles.
The only clue to his identity is the "U" on his chest and the fact that he seems able to physically match Superman. A lot of fans have guessed this is the evil Superman variant, Ultraman. And now, shots of a new toy tie-in to the movie confirms that the mystery man is, in fact, Ultraman. You can see the proof below.
A great look at the ULTRAMAN figure for 'SUPERMAN' pic.twitter.com/bqij52bDux — DCU Updates (@DCU_Updates) May 15, 2025
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As you can see, the toy tie-in refers to the villain as "DC's Ultraman." Of course, what remains to be seen is just how close to the Ultraman of the comics this version is.
David Corenswet as Superman in "Superman"
David Corenswet as Superman in "Superman"
Warner Bros
In the comics, Ultraman is from an alternate universe in which most of people who we know as heroes in DC comics are instead villains. For example, instead of the Justice League of America, Ultraman is part of the Crime Syndicate of America. A villain named Johnny Quick replaces The Flash, Power Ring instead of Green Lantern, Owlman instead of Batman, etc.
So if the Ultraman of "Superman" is - like his comic book counterpart - a Superman variant, the question is exactly how A.R.G.U.S. finds him and gets him to help them out. The Ultraman of the comics would need a whole lot of convincing to help A.R.G.U.S. or anyone else to work for something other than his own selfish designs; not to mention doing it while hiding his identity.
Of course, it does seem like the multiverse will be present early on in the DCU. The recently released trailer for "Peacemaker" likewise has the titular hero running into what appears to be a multiverse variant of himself.
It's also possible that James Gunn is simply using the name Ultraman and that he will have an origin completely different from the version in the comics.
"Superman" releases in theaters on July 11. The film is written and directed by James Gunn. "Superman" stars David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced.
More Comics:
Official 'Superman' Trailer is Bursting With First Looks at Heroes and Villains
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