James Gunn's DC Studios Confirms Krypto Has 4 Secret Superpowers (Photos)

The James Gunn-run DC Studios unveiled a new look at Krypto the Superdog from Superman, including a handful of superpowers the movie did not use. Complete with his own collectible popcorn bucket, Krypto became one of the DCU's most popular early characters from Gunn's new DC Universe. While the Man of Steel and his canine companion had plenty of thrilling moments together on screen, the pup's full potential has not been realized yet in live-action.

DC Studios released the first episode of Krypto Saves the Day!, featuring Krypto the Superdog from Superman. Coming as one of over half a dozen new TV shows in DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn's slate, Krypto Saves the Day! highlights the four-legged Kryptonian hero in his own solo stories. This gives him the chance to save the day in Metropolis in smaller-scale crises, using four different powers that were not utilized in his live-action DCU debut.

In the live-action Superman, Krypto shows off a few notable powers, all of which resemble those that Clark Kent uses throughout the movie. The ones he uses most often include flight, superstrength, and superspeed. He also has supreme stamina (as shown when he chases squirrels in Lex Luthor's pocket universe prison) and heightened senses (mostly smell and hearing).

4 Krypto the Superdog Powers Not Seen in Superman Movie

While Gunn has since confirmed that these animated Krypto! stories are not canon to the DCU, it's safe to assume that many elements of these shorts (which were directly inspired by Superman), namely Krypto's powers as listed below, are based in the reality of the DCU, and it's simply the events themselves that are non-canon.

Heat/Laser Vision

Early in Krypto Saves the Day!, the titular canine unleashes his first power that was not seen in Superman when he uses heat vision. While David Corenswet's Man of Steel puts this power to use against more than a few enemies in his solo film, Krypto never does the same.

In the animated short, the super-powered dog gives himself a scratch behind his ear until a flea jumps off of him onto the ground. Looking down at the insect, his eyes glow red as he uses his heat vision, blasting the flea with a laser and killing it on sight.

Ice Breath

Another oft-forgotten power from Kryptonian lore is Ice Breath, which came back to the forefront in Superman for the first time in a solo Superman movie for the first time since 2006's Superman Returns. This power allows the titular hero to cool down or freeze anything in front of him, stopping enemies in their tracks.

In Krypto's short, he chases an ornery pigeon across Metropolis, which results in the pigeon pooping on his nose while hiding in the branches of a tree. Infuriated, Krypto uses his ice breath to freeze the tree before flying into it to shatter the ice, leading to the pigeon being temporarily frozen in a block of ice.

X-Ray Vision

Superman's least-used power across his various media depictions may be his X-ray vision, which, naturally, lets him see behind almost any barrier in front of him. This power was not utilized in James Gunn's Superman movie, as both Clark Kent and his canine companion found no need to look through any obstacles.

In the Krypto short, Krypto uses this power once early in the runtime, when the aforementioned pideon annoys him at home. After flying away from the window and out of Krypto's view, the puppy activates his X-ray vision and looks at the bird through the wall; the pigeon even taunts him while he uses this power.

Suction Breath

The Kryptonians from DC Comics have another breath-based power outside of their ice breath, this one being suction breath. On Earth, Superman and his people are able to suck in almost unlimited amounts of air, giving them the ability to pull anything in front of them much closer to them with one long inhale.

Krypto puts this power to use in his animated short after both he and Superman avoided using it in the latest DCU movie. Near the end of the short, Krypto pulls the pigeon to him with this power, although it causes mayhem elsewhere and leads to the school bus filled with children falling off the nearby bridge.

Released on July 11, 2025, Superman was the first theatrical release in the new DC Universe under DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. Starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult, the story features Clark Kent in his early days working as a reporter at the Daily Planet, all before diving into his first major conflict with Lex Luthor, which puts the city of Metropolis in danger. Superman is still playing in theaters and is available to purchase or rent digitally.