James Gunn's DCU is confirmed to include these iconic and powerful DC villains, giving fans fresh takes on their portrayals in the rebooted live-action universe. In addition to villains, the DCU will include nine superheroes who never appeared in Zack Snyder's DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The reboot is also confirmed to feature a collection of Marvel actors who will portray a mix of heroes and villains in the new universe.
As the DCU embraces a brand-new story in Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, the franchise's villain roster has a unique mix of familiar faces and fresh characters straight from the comics, such as Lex Luthor, The Engineer, and Clayface.
Every Confirmed Villain in James Gunn's DC Reboot
Lex Luthor
Nicholas Hoult is set to make his DC debut as Lex Luthor in Superman, making him one of the confirmed main villains in the 2025 movie. Marketing for the David Corenswet-led movie has revealed that Lex has pure hatred against Superman, and he will do everything in his power to defeat him and prove that he is not humanity's savior.
Official merchandise for Superman also revealed Lex Luthor's warsuit, indicating that he will stand toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel in the movie.
Not much is known about Lex's role in the larger DCU, but it is reasonable to assume that he will play a big part in the franchise's future due to his strong ties to the Superman lore.
Ultraman
Ultraman is one of the mysterious villains in the Superman reboot since the character is shrouded in secrecy.
The character is a mysterious figure in black who has no problem fighting the Man of Steel. Some have even claimed that Ultraman is the movie's secret big bad, and he could be someone tasked by Lex Luthor to take down Superman for good.
In DC Comics, Ultraman is a Superman doppelgänger who originated on Earth-3. He also served as the leader of the Crime Syndicate (aka an evil Justice League).
Hammer of Boravia
The Hammer of Boravia is one of the original villains James Gunn created for Superman. As one of the main villains in the upcoming DC movie, the Hammer of Boravia's brute strength and flight prove to be a match for Superman.
The latest trailer also showed the Hammer of Boravia fighting Superman in Metropolis, and the sheer mass of destruction in their clash shows how much of a threat he is to the beloved DC hero.
The Engineer
Another new villain who will give Superman a run for his money in the 2025 DC movie is The Engineer (portrayed by María Gabriela De Faría). The character is shown attacking the Fortress of Solitude in Superman's trailer, acting as an enforcer for Lex Luthor.
Interestingly, The Engineer is a founding member of The Authority, an aggressive team of heroes akin to The Boys. This means that The Engineer will likely survive the events of Superman before starring in The Authority in the latter part of DCU's slate of projects.
Krem of the Yellow Hills
Matthias Schoenaerts will make his DCU debut in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow as the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills, a Kingsagent warrior, pirate, and assassin who becomes Supergirl's nemesis in the comics.
As a ruthless villain, Krem is an expert swordsman who can also use the bow and arrow as a weapon.
Lobo
After playing Aquaman in the DCEU, Jason Momoa will bring Lobo to life in James Gunn's DC reboot, with him making his debut in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.
Born and raised on the planet Czarnia, Lobo is a mercenary and bounty hunter who has super strength, accelerated healing, is an expert marksman, and is a master strategist.
Lobo can stand his ground against the likes of Superman and Supergirl, proving that he is a formidable threat in the larger DCU.
Sinestro
Ulrich Thomsen joins James Gunn's DCU as Sinestro, the next big DC villain after Lex Luthor. The actor is part of the main cast of the Lanterns series on HBO Max.
Sinestro is a dangerous ring-wielding villain who was once a member of the Green Lantern Corps. As a brutal leader and a great strategist, he is a dangerous villain not just to Hal Jordan and John Stewart but also to the rest of DC's active heroes.
White Dragon
Auggie Smith (aka the White Dragon) is confirmed to return in Peacemaker Season 2. In Season 1, White Dragon died after a climactic and emotional battle with his own son (Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker).
Despite his death, the character (who may or may not be Auggie Smith under the mask) is confirmed to return. It's possible that another one of Auggie's disciples could be under the mask, or some multiversal shenanigans are at play that could lead to his return.
It's also possible that the White Dragon could appear in some sort of vision to John Cena's Peacemaker.
White Rabbit
Another villainous figure appearing in Peacemaker Season 2 is Brey Noelle as White Rabbit (aka Jaina Hudson).
In DC Comics, the White Rabbit is a Batman villain who has the power of self-duplication.
Noelle confirmed (via Instagram) that she will appear as the villain in Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 1.
Clayface
After appearing in animated form in Creature Commandos, Clayface will soon make his live-action debut in his own movie, marking the first villain-focused movie under the James Gunn and Peter Safran-led DC Studios banner.
The origin story of the shape-shifting villain is set to be showcased in his upcoming movie, and it is confirmed to dive deep into horror elements.
Ilana Rostovic
In Creature Commandos (the first project set in the DCU), more villains are introduced who are confirmed to be part of the larger universe. One of them is Ilana Rostovic, the acting monarch of Pokolistan.
While she may be a sweet and kind person on the outside, the truth is she is a ruthless and sadistic leader hungry for power, which is why she becomes the prime target of the Creature Commandos (and the villainous Circe).
However, the character died in the end after she was killed by The bride.
Circe
Circe (voiced by Anya Chalotra) is a member of Wonder Woman's rogues gallery who made a significant impact on Creature Commandos after she gave an apocalyptic vision to Amanda Waller, which saw heroes defeated at the hands of Ilana Rostovic.
Given that she survived the events of Creature Commandos, there is good chance Circe will return in future DCU projects.
Rupert Thorne
Rupert Thorne is a minor Batman villain and crime lord from Gotham who appeared in Creature Commandos.
He is later involved with the origin story of Dr. Phosphorus (aka Alex Sartorius) after he commanded his henchmen to put him in the same nuclear fusion experiments he worked on as a way to make it appear as suicide. However, this plan backfired because a newly born Dr. Phosphorus killed him and his men.
