2025 Superman Movie's Ultraman Villain Explained: DC Comics Vs. DCU

Ultraman, one of the villains in Superman, can be glimpsed in the film’s teaser trailer.

One needn’t "look up in the sky" to catch a first look at DC Studios’ brand-new Superman film. Warner Bros. released the movie’s initial trailer to the public on Thursday, December 19. 

The footage shows a downed Man of Steel calling on his faithful canine pal Krypto for aid, as action-packed and emotional moments are interspersed throughout.

The Mysterious Villain Ultraman Featured in Superman Trailer

At one point in DC’s recently released trailer for Superman, a figure wearing all black can be witnessed. He’s shown locked in a pitched battle with Clark as the hero tries to hold the evildoer back in the middle of an empty sports stadium.

The villain in question is heavily speculated to be Ultraman. The rumor mill has additionally suggested that Ultraman serves as Superman’s secret main antagonist.

This secretive status as the movie’s top villain is something fans have wondered about, especially considering Lex Luthor’s (Nicholas Hoult) central role. Luthor is the Big Blue Boy Scout’s arch-nemesis, and one would assume that his presence in Superman means that he’s the big bad.

In the pages of DC Comics, several characters have worn the mantle of Ultraman. And they all have one thing in common: They’re all Superman, albeit nefarious, alternate-reality doppelgängers of the hero.

Traditionally, Ultraman originates on Earth-3. In his home universe, he is the leader of the Crime Syndicate, the Justice League’s malevolent counterpart.

Unlike the original Kal-El, who is famously weakened by kryptonite, Ultraman is only made stronger by his exposure to the substance.

The baddie was first introduced in the comics in 1964's Justice League of America #29. Writer Gardner Fox (who also co-created heroes like Zatanna and Hawkman) and artist Mike Sekowsky (who worked on some of the early Captain America issues in the '40s) are responsible for Ultraman’s creation.

A very specific version of Ultraman was adapted in Smallville's final season. Tom Welling pulled double duty with both his regular role as Clark Kent and as Clark Luthor Of Earth-2, who was raised by Lionel Luthor, the father of Lex. Ultraman also has a handful of animated appearances under his belt.

It‘s quite unlikely that the Ultraman that director James Gunn used in Superman is from another Earth. It feels a bit too early to incorporate multiversal storylines into the fledgling DCU.

Nevertheless, Ultraman is indeed in the film, and he means business. It might be that Lex created a clone of Superman that he will use to fight his nemesis by proxy.

Set photos have revealed Superman getting arrested, with Frank Grillo‘s Rick Flag Sr. and Ultraman standing nearby. It is not yet known why Clark has been apprehended, however.

In all likelihood, if Ultraman is unmasked in Superman, he’ll share a face with the Last Son of Krypton. This means that lead David Corenswet would play both characters.

Turning Superman evil seems to be a hugely popular plotline among DC creatives. This hasn’t always gone over well with fans, as many prefer Clark Kent to be the kind, upstanding man he’s typically depicted as. But corrupted takes on the character also have a very fair share of enthusiasts.

Hopefully, secret villain or not, whatever James Gunn has in store for Ultraman lives up to the hype that fans have for his appearance in the movie.

DC Studios' Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.