DC Studios has finally debuted its take on Krypton, marking the eighth time the iconic comic book planet has appeared in live-action to this point. The ill-fated extra-terrestrial world has not yet appeared in a live-action DCU project, as 2025's Superman skipped the character's origin story (which is where the planet most often appears) in favor of immediately immersing audiences in the Man of Steel's super-powered journey.
Next year's Supergirl will take a slightly different approach, delving deeper into the character's Kryptonian origins, as audiences are less familiar with her particular plight as depicted in the comics. The first trailer for the upcoming film showed as much, debuting a first look at Krypton as part of its otherworldly plot.
In anticipation of the first Supergirl trailer's official debut, DC Studios head James Gunn shared a brief montage from the highly anticipated piece of movie marketing, including a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it images of the iconic comic book planet.
These seem to be flashbacks harkening back to life before Krypton's destruction, and Kara Zor-El's (aka Supergirl's) life on it. Kara can be seen in full Kryptonian garb in one shot, before the camera quickly cuts to a wide shot of a funeral procession on the planet.
This version of the DC Comics locale seems to take its inspiration from ancient Rome, with towering stone architecture blending with brutalist sci-fi pillars and multi-level cities.
Unlike Superman, the DCU's Supergirl remembers the downfall of Krypton. She, too, was sent away from the planet in the hours before its ultimate demise; however, she was a teenager at the time and got stuck in a wormhole, emerging several years later, long after her cousin, Superman, had settled on Earth and passed her in age.
Supergirl comes to theaters on June 26, 2026, from I, Tonya and Cruella director Craig Gillespie. The new DCU blockbuster stars House of the Dragon alum Milly Alcock as the titular Woman of Tomorrow as she travels the cosmos on a revenge quest, looking for the killer of a young girl named Ruthye.
Every Other Live-Action Version of Krypton See On-Screen
Adventures of Superman
1952's original Adventures of Superman series was the first live-action appearance of Krypton in any form of DC media. However, it was rendered relatively archaic when compared to modern standards. Appearing only in the series' first episode, it was depicted as a barren planet, paired with stock footage of earthquake scenes to convey its ultimate downfall.
A brief scene is shown on the planet Krypton where Jor-El (played by Robert Rockwell) is trying to convince the Kryptonian council of scientists that they need to evacuate the planet before the earthquakes destroy it.
Superman (1978)
Superman (1978) was the first time that fans actually got to go down to the surface of Krypton in live-action. This version of the comic book locale was depicted as a high-tech, sci-fi world featuring large crystal pillars and reflective suits worn by its inhabitants.
Smallville
Smallville's take on Krypton looked like it was straight off the comic page. This particular take on the home of Superman and Supergirl showcased a large, almost Asgard-esque central city, with the rest of the planet covered in a thick, gas-like cloud. Of course, not much Smallville action took place on Krypton, as it appeared almost exclusively as a means to tell Superman's origin story.
Superman Returns
Bryan Singer's Superman Returns dispensed with any semblance of utopian set dressing in its depiction of the Kryptonian homeworld. The sometimes idyllic planetary body was shown as nothing more than a hulking piece of stone floating through the cosmos in the 2006 blockbuster, with its citizens seemingly living under its rocky surface.
Man of Steel (2013)
In Man of Steel, Zack Snyder unveiled a new vision for what Krypton could look like in live-action. The entire first act of the 2013 film took place on the otherworldly planet, which featured a landscape dominated by Kryptonian society. This version of the Kryptonians had built towering, almost organic-looking structures to live in, with sprawling cities set atop rolling, varied topography.
Supergirl (CW)
The CW's Supergirl leaned even more on the sci-fi utopia idea set up by Man of Steel and Smallville for its take on a live-action Krypton. This version of the comic book world resembled something that could have been pulled right out of Star Wars or Blade Runner, with large, futuristic skyscraper-like structures and floating roadways.
Krypton (2018)
2018's Krypton TV show (yes, an entire show set on the surface of Krypton) mixed the two versions of the iconic planet that came before it, taking some of the dirtier, grimier elements of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel and throwing in a lot of the future tech of The CW's Supergirl. This resulted in a setting that still felt very much alien, yet bore a loose resemblance to pieces of our own cities and towns.
