Superman’s Mysterious Villain Might Secretly Combine Two Classic DC Characters

The final trailer for James Gunn’s Superman, releasing on July 11, 2025, has ignited anticipation among DC fans, setting the stage for a bold new chapter in the DC Universe. Its arrival signals a fresh vision for the iconic hero, with Gunn’s direction promising to redefine Superman for a new era. Packed with stunning visuals, emotional depth, and hints of a heated superhero saga, the film's trailers spotlight one enigmatic figure: a mysterious Superman clone, locked in a fiery heat vision duel with David Corenswet’s Man of Steel. Its scarred, monstrous look hints at a tragic creation born from Lex Luthor’s schemes

Official sources have dubbed this shadowy doppelgänger Ultraman. This shadowy doppelgänger sports a Frankenstein-like appearance that screams another iconic evil Superman: Bizarro. Could Gunn be pulling off a cinematic masterstroke by merging these two classic DC villains into a single, emotionally complex antagonist? This hybrid foe promises to challenge Superman in ways that could push him to the limit.

Why Superman's Clone’s Look & Origin Scream Bizarro

Fans of DC Comics know Bizarro as Superman’s imperfect clone, a tragic figure with chalky, cracked skin, a warped face, and a backward worldview. Bizarro is often created by Lex Luthor’s experiments gone wrong. The Superman trailer’s clone, with its pale, malformed features and eerie presence during the heat vision clash, mirrors this monstrous aesthetic.

The trailer also hints at a Luthor-driven origin, a key plot point of Bizarro’s story. Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, seething with resentment for Superman, is shown orchestrating chaos, including the clone’s creation. 

This aligns with Bizarro’s comic roots, where Luthor’s attempts to replicate Superman result in a flawed monster. The clone’s monstrous, unnatural appearance, crafted from Kryptonian DNA by Lex Luthor, strengthens this connection.

Trailer Unveils Ultraman’s Dark Traits

While the clone looks like Bizarro, its behavior and design lean heavily into Ultraman’s lore. In DC comics, Ultraman is Superman’s evil counterpart from Earth-3, a Crime Syndicate leader powered by Kryptonite and weakened by Earth’s yellow sun. 

The Superman trailer’s clone is never shown in direct sunlight, always cloaked in shadow or covered in a black suit. This subtle detail suggests the sun might poison him, a classic Ultraman trait.

The trailer’s heat vision battle, where the clone matches Superman’s power with ruthless precision, as shown in the image below also evokes Ultraman’s cold, calculated menace. Unlike Bizarro’s clumsy chaos, this clone fights with a lot of focus and precision, hinting at a villain who’s not just a physical threat but a psychological mirror to Superman’s ideals. 

By introducing Ultraman in the DCU as a Luthor-created clone rather than an alternate-universe fiend, Gunn might be reimagining him as a dark reflection of Superman’s strength, stripped of his compassion.

Combining Bizarro’s tragic, Luthor-born origins with Ultraman’s menace gives Gunn a villain who’s both emotionally resonant and cinematically thrilling. This fusion allows the clone to challenge Superman on multiple fronts:

• Physical Threat: The trailer’s heat vision duel and action scenes show the clone nearly matching Superman’s power, with Ultraman’s calculated attacks posing a serious threat. This may push Superman to rely on strategy and not just brute strength.
• Emotional Depth: Bizarro’s Frankenstein-like tragedy, being a flawed creation yearning for purpose, presents Superman with a being crafted solely for vengeance yet haunted by its own existence.
• Thematic Depth: By combining Ultraman’s calculated ruthlessness with Bizarro’s tragic origins, the clone serves as Lex Luthor’s weapon to discredit Superman’s moral authority. The trailer’s scenes of public distrust show the clone exploiting fears about Superman’s power, pushing him to prove his commitment to justice in a world ready to turn against him.

Watch the full trailer below:

This hybrid villain also fits Gunn’s storytelling style as seen in Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, where antagonists like Ego or Starro blend spectacle with pathos.

If Gunn is indeed merging Bizarro and Ultraman, this clone sets a bold precedent for the DCU’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters (read more about the most recent entry in that chapter). By reimagining classic villains with emotional and thematic depth, Gunn signals that the DCU will honor its comic roots while forging a fresh cinematic path.