In the art book for James Gunn's Superman, Damon Weathers, manager of Legacy Effects, likened Superman's automatons in the Fortress of Solitude to Alfred Pennyworth for Batman. Starring David Corenswet in the title role, Superman marked the first movie in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU. With a direct sequel, Man of Tomorrow, on the way, the next installment in the Superman DCU story will come in 2026 with Supergirl.
Weathers explained that they are "Superman's right hand," and the ones who are "there to help him out." He additionally described the robots as "the Alfred to his Batman," and more specifically, who Superman can turn to "when he needs help with certain things:"
"The automaton is Superman's right hand. They're there to help him out when he gets injured; they're there to help repair him. When he needs help with certain things, they're the Alfred to his Batman, right?"
These robots, who guard and run the Fortress, are not original to the 2025 Superman movie, of course, with the art book pointing out that this element is "directly influenced by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's All-Star Superman comic run."
The Superman robots were played by Alan Tudyk, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, Jennifer Holland, and Grace Chan, populating the Man of Steel's base of operations in the 2025 reboot. Clad in blue armor in the film, the automatons almost had significantly different appearances as revealed by previous concept art.
What Makes Superman's Robots Like Alfred Pennyworth?
As discussed in the art book, Superman's robots are to Superman what Alfred Pennyworth is to Batman, because they are the ones Superman turns to when he needs guidance or help with healing. However, they also share another key similarity with Alfred; they connect Superman to his birth parents.
Admittedly, given what is learned about Krypton in Superman, Clark does not necessarily seek the closeness with his birth parents that the robots can provide, as Bruce Wayne might with Alfred, but the connection is there nonetheless.
Alfred was the butler to the Waynes before Bruce's birth and raised Bruce like a son after the death of his parents. Bruce can sometimes view Mr. Pennyworth not only as a father to him, but also as a proxy, through whom he can still learn from his birth parents.
For the robots, this is a little more literal, as they are the only means by which Clark can see footage or hear from his birth parents. Still, it is interesting to consider how the similarities between the two go beyond what was described in the art book.
Given the extraterrestrial origin from Krypton, the Superman robots could be a useful asset for Kal-El against the intergalactic threat of Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow. It is possible that they may hold knowledge of the wider cosmos, providing insight into what Brainiac brings to the table in the DCU.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
