The first DCU movie of the James Gunn era arrived, with Superman introducing a slew of new characters into the revamped comic book universe. On top of the main heroes, such as Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific, there were also several villains, including the mysterious Ultraman.
In DC Comics, Ultraman is an evil alternate-universe Superman who leads the Crime Syndicate. In Superman, Ultraman is different. He is a Superman clone more similar to Bizarro than to the DC Comics version of the character. Despite this, they both serve the same purpose. Each version of Ultraman is a Superman copycat designed to pose a significant challenge to the real Man of Steel in defending Earth.
This also isn't the only time that movies and TV shows have used Superman as the template for creating a character nothing more than a copycat of DC Comics' greatest character, with a twist. While Lex Luthor created Ultraman to fight Superman, the other Superman copycat characters exist in their own world and remain significantly different from the Man of Steel.
Superman Copycat Characters in Movies & TV
David Dunn (Unbreakable)
M. Night Shyamalan's cult classic Unbreakable tells the story of a man who might have the powers of Superman, but in the real world. Bruce Willis stars as David Dunn, a regular man involved in a tragic train wreck that kills 131 passengers; he is the only survivor.
As David tries to understand why he survived, a mysterious man named Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) approaches him and reveals that David is a real-life superhero. He is almost indestructible, has superhuman strength, and can see things about people by touching them.
In his countdown of his favorite movies since making Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino listed Unbreakable as one of his favorite movies, while calling it Bruce Willis's greatest role. Additionally, Tarantino stated (via Sky Movies) that the movie is about a "Superman who doesn't know that he's Superman." That fits the description of David Dunn perfectly.
Brandan Breyer (Brightburn)
Before James Gunn took over the DC Universe at Warner Bros., he made several smaller films and even worked as a producer to help other filmmakers bring their projects to life. One of the films Gunn produced was Brightburn, directed by David Yarovesky.
The plotline here is terrifying. What if an alien baby crashed on Earth, but instead of the Kents finding him and raising him to be a hero, a different couple found him and didn't know what to do when he began to develop his powers? What would result is a Superman without a conscience, a complete sociopath.
Two of James Gunn's brothers wrote the script, which tells the story of a Superman who becomes a mass-murdering serial killer with unchecked powers, slowly destroying the world. It is a huge "What If?" story about a Superman who never becomes good.
John Hancock (Hancock)
John Hancock is another Superman copycat, but one resembling Supergirl from the end of the Superman movie (read more about the differences between Superman and Supergirl). Like Superman, Hancock (Will Smith) is an alien superhero on Earth, but he is a drunk, careless hero who causes more property damage than the villains he is trying to stop.
The movie follows a public relations specialist (Jason Bateman) who tries to help Hancock fix his public image. However, things take a turn for the worse when a second alien appears, and Hancock realizes he is not alone and is losing his powers.
The idea here is to ask what would have happened if Superman had been careless and not cared about saving anyone's life. Much like Brandon from Brightburn, John never had anyone to raise him and teach him right from wrong, and he wakes up every morning mad at the world. Unlike Brandon, though, he doesn't kill everyone to ease his anger.
Homelander (The Boys)
If there is one Superman copycat who is the complete opposite of what the Man of Steel represents, it is Homelander. Based on the character from the Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson WildStorm comic book series, The Boys, Homelander is a clear parody of Superman, but with the twist that he is immoral and completely evil.
Unlike Superman, Homelander is not an alien. Instead, he is a genetically engineered superhero created in a lab by the corporation Vought-American and given superhuman powers. Vought then created a story that he was an alien baby sent to Earth to become its protector when he grew up.
With a fake origin that mimics that of Superman, Homelander also possesses similar powers, as he is the most powerful hero in the world. However, he lacks morals, is willing to kill anyone who angers him, and shows no concern for saving lives. Homelander is the Superman for fans who want a dark hero and isn't a big Boy Scout.
Omni-Man (Invincible)
While Homelander is a parody of Superman with a fake identity that bears a striking resemblance to the Man of Steel, there is another Prime Video character who is not only a Superman copycat but also shares a much closer origin. Omni-Man is an alien sent to Earth, acting as the planet's protector. Like Superman, he is unbeatable.
However, there is one difference. Based on the Image Comics series Invincible, the Prime Video series reveals that Omni-Man was sent to Earth to prepare it for an invasion from his home planet. This is similar to the twist in 2025's Superman, where Kal-El's parents told him to take over the planet with his powers. For Omni-Man, it was to prepare his entire race to take over the Earth.
Omni-Man has most of Superman's powers, but he meets his match when fighting his son, who chooses to stand up for Earth. Much like Homelander, Omni-Man shows what Superman could have been like if he weren't a good man, and it seems most Superman copycats are there to reveal what the Man of Steel would look like without morals and strong convictions.
