DC Studios co-CEO and Superman director James Gunn shared a horrifying new image of one of the movie's major villains. Aside from introducing David Corenswet's version of Clark Kent/Superman to the world, Superman will also showcase several villains for the Man of Steel to deal with in the film, namely Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), and the mysterious yet powerful Ultraman. While marketing for the 2025 DC Studios movie has pushed Ultraman to the forefront, not much is known about the character's origins and motivations behind attacking the titular Kryptonian hero.
To generate hype for Superman's release, director and writer James Gunn unveiled a new image of one of its powerful antagonists, not named Lex Luthor, potentially opening the floodgates for more theories online.
In a post from X (formerly Twitter), Gunn shared a horrifying image of the mysterious Ultraman, providing fans with a closer look at the Superman villain's ragged mask.
It is not known when this image was taken from the movie, but there is a good chance that this was after Ultraman duked it out against Superman (as evidenced by his damaged costume). The mystery surrounding Ultraman's secret identity has been part of the main conversation among fans online, and there have been many theories about the villain's secrets.
Superman's final trailer provided fans with a brief (yet blurry) look at an unmasked Ultraman, showcasing the character's use of what appears to be heat vision while trying to fight off the Man of Steel. Some have claimed that Ultraman is secretly Martian Manhunter in disguise, while others pointed out that the villain could end up being an evil clone of Superman or the DCU's version of Parasite.
The DC Comics version of Ultraman is much different from its DCU counterpart. In the comics, Ultraman is an alternate version of Superman from Earth-3 who served as the leader of the villainous Crime Syndicate.
Joining Ultraman in Superman is a long list of DC characters portrayed on the big screen by a star-studded cast, which includes David Corenswet as the titular hero, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific. Directed and written by James Gunn, Superman is set to soar into theaters on July 11, 2025.
Why Ultraman Looks Horrifying in Superman (There’s a Good Reason)
James Gunn's latest image of Ultraman cemented the idea that this horrifying villain is not someone to be messed with while also implying that he will be a hard foe to take down.
It's worth noting that most of the promotional footage of Superman showcased an undamaged Ultraman, and this image marks the first time that the villain is shown in what appears to be his lowest point.
Some have pointed out that this image is taken after a brutal showdown with Superman, and this could be where his mask is taken off for the first time in the movie. The fact that the character made an effort to conceal his true identity suggests that the villain is a big deal, and this could be Gunn's way of teasing fans about the importance of such a reveal.
Ultraman's damaged look could also serve as a major hint of what or who is hiding underneath the mask. Given that the villain works or is being controlled by Lex Luthor, there is a chance that Ultraman is a byproduct of Lex's attempt at cloning Superman, and what lies beneath the mask could be an imperfect clone of David Corenswet's Man of Steel. If this is the case, then this image could serve as a major tease of an even more damaged person behind the mask, further explaining why he made an effort to conceal his identity in the first place.
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