Krypto Steals the Spotlight in First Full Superman Trailer

James Gunn’s Superman has officially arrived, thanks to DC Studios. The long-anticipated movie is in theaters this July, and after months of speculation and plenty of questions, the official first full trailer has given us more than enough reason to be hyped.

A New Clark Kent, a Strong-Willed Lois Lane, a Parade of DC Heroes and Villains, and One Buzzworthy Superdog. The Post-Credits Cameo. Everything You Need to Know About Gunn’s Fresh, Faithful Superman Reboot

A Path, Not an Origin Story

While Gunn has been clear that this is not another by-the-numbers origin story, it still felt important to mention, as it’s one of the film’s central pivots. Gunn and his team, while very much creating a Superman story, zeroed in on Clark Kent’s path to finding his place. He’s struggling with two seemingly irreconcilable sides of himself: the life he was born to as the last heir of an ancient royal line on the planet Krypton, and the life he learned and chose on his adopted home planet of Kansas.

David Corenswet, fresh off Pearl and Hollywood, plays a 25-year-old Superman, which makes him considerably more battle-worn and savvy than his former wide-eyed, overly earnest little-known reporter self in previous retellings. But the duality of Clark Kent/Superman will most certainly be front and center, particularly through his interactions with Lois Lane.

Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) is Lois Lane, razor-tongued and unapologetically dogged in her pursuit of answers. We open on Lois, in the middle of an interview (though an at-home one in a skintight suit with the words “Superman” across her chest, so naturally it’s Clark). She and Superman/Clark are dancing around flirtation and familiarity, perhaps even antagonism. But has she figured out Clark’s secret identity? Viewers are split: some point to context clues that prove Lois is in on Clark’s superhero alter ego. Others (including this writer) point to the awkwardness and body language of Brosnahan and Coernswet in that very same scene as evidence to the contrary. But one thing is for sure: the chemistry between the two will be at the heart of the film, and that bodes well.

High-Profile Players

Nicholas Hoult, who joined the cast alongside Brosnahan back in March, plays one of DC’s most popular villains, Lex Luthor. The trailer hints at his typical calculating evil and all-too-realistic physical and corporate threats. Luthor isn’t without backup, either, with Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher and Terence Rosemore as Otis filling in the roles of goons, henchmen, and co-conspirators.

Krypto, Kaiju, and DC Sidekicks

The cat’s out of the bag, and it’s a radioactive white dog. Fans first saw a fuzzy glimpse of Superman’s best friend in last December’s official teaser, when Krypto heroically drags his unconscious master to the Fortress of Solitude to revive him. The trailer continues to lean into this goofy concept, as Krypto squared off against Lex Luthor and a visibly scarred Angela Spica/The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria) with a serious case of attitude.

Spica, with flowing black hair and a full-body suit of black spandex armed with rotating blade weapons, also has superpowers and nanotech that allow her to create and manipulate matter and energy on a subatomic scale. She’s currently under Luthor’s employ, and his and her villains have, along with other military forces, orchestrated a full-blown attack on the fortress in an opening sequence that’s full of humor, heart, and a high body count.

In between all that action and beyond Spica and Luthor, the trailer gives us not just a glance but a full-on montage of lesser-known yet solid characters. Nathan Fillion is there as Guy Gardner, a Green Lantern with a signature bowl cut. Anthony Carrigan is Rex Mason/Metamorpho, a chemistry genius who gained the power to shapeshift and manipulate the atomic structure of elements in his body during an accident. Isabela Merced is the winged warrior Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi is the genius-inventor turned masked superhero Michael Holt/Mister Terrific.

The newest addition, announced earlier this week and introduced here, is Milly Alcock as Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El, better known as Supergirl. Her placement early in the trailer is an indication of her importance to the plot (which is likely a lot more intricate than it’s being sold as), as well as the possible larger family connection among all three Kryptonian superheroes.

Meanwhile, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell join the cast as Clark’s adopted parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent.

A Second DC Crossover?

Frank Grillo has also been added to the cast, reuniting the actor with Gunn after their work on Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad. Grillo has been confirmed as Rick Flag Sr., a role he had also voiced in the animated series Creature Commandos. Sean Gunn will also make an appearance as Maxwell Lord.

No Breathing Room

The action and the stakes don’t let up from start to finish. The trailer is packed with superhero one-upsmanship and high-octane moments (a rooftop leap, a cage of kaiju-like monsters, full team-ups). It also drops viewers into the crux of the inner battle Superman has throughout: when Lois interrogates him on whether he cares how his “grandstanding” is viewed by the U.S. Secretary of Defense, his reply of “People were going to die!” speaks to the noble, impetuous motivations that Superman struggles to balance with reality.

But it’s not all high stakes. Gunn and his team are also seeding in humor and earnestness, both of which are sprinkled throughout. The final shot of the trailer, however, shows a less bombastic side to the Man of Steel. Superman’s lying in bed in a moment of rare peace. Krypto, in his signature “job well done” body pose, lounges with one paw on Superman’s chest, the two seemingly content after their harrowing day. It’s a deceptively simple shot that gives viewers the sense of what Gunn’s and his team’s real goal is with Superman, and that’s an epic superhero story driven by connection.