Superman was a hit for DC Studios, receiving positive reviews and a solid $600 million at the worldwide box office. Now, filmmaker James Gunn is hard at work on a follow-up that, despite not being a direct Superman sequel, will put the Man of Steel front and centre.
Widely believed to be a "Super-Family" movie serving as the third chapter in Gunn's Superman Saga (Supergirl arrives in theaters next summer), the prevailing theory is that the cousins will team up. Who else could appear, though?
In this feature, we're taking a look at five characters who'd be a worthy addition to this movie. These are all characters who have yet to make their DCU debuts, and each of them would surely enrich the story Gunn is setting out to tell in 2027.
Find out which characters we need to see in the Superman follow-up by clicking the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
5. Lana Lang
Superman didn't devote much time to Clark Kent's life in Smallville, and it would be great to meet more than just the hero's parents if we return to Kansas in this follow-up.
Lana Lang was Clark's childhood friend and his teenage love interest. In recent years, she's absorbed radioactive energy and taken on the role of Superwoman. With that in mind, there's a potentially interesting story Gunn could tell with this character (and yes, it's possible to explore Superman's past without regurgitating his all-too-familiar origin).
Clark and Lois Lane's romance is still in its infancy, so adding Lana to the mix could really test them in fun ways. Beyond that, Lana is a sorely underutilised character who has a ton of potential in the new DCU.
4. Superboy
Superboy, also known as Kon-El and Conner Kent, is the genetic clone of Superman and Lex Luthor. A member of Young Justice and Teen Titans, he's a popular character and one that Gunn appears to have already set the stage for with Superman.
In that movie, Luthor created a Superman clone who, while mindless, proved himself a formidable henchman as the costumed Ultraman. If Luthor adds a dash of his own intelligence to a future copy, that could be where Superboy comes in.
The "Super-Family" needs to be more than just Superman and Supergirl, so adding Connor to the mix makes a lot of sense.
3. Parasite
Despite having a few different origin stories, the basic premise of Parasite remains the same; he's exposed to strange, radioactive materials and ends up becoming a vampiric monster as a result.
He needs to feed on energy to live, and he can drain the life energy from others. The villain's touch sometimes means he saps the memories of his victims, so he's one of only a small handful of villains to have learned Superman's secret identity.
A villain with ties to LuthorCorp, Rudy Jones would be a fun secondary villain in this movie, and a worthwhile foe for Superman and Supergirl to test their mettle against.
2. The Legion Of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is an intergalactic team of superpowered teenagers and young adults, active in the 30th Century and 31st Century.
Inspired by the legend of Superboy (a young Clark Kent), the team was founded by Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl. The roster expanded significantly over the years, and even came to include Superman after the heroes travelled back in time to meet their idol.
Supergirl also has a storied history with the Legion, and could even take her cousin's place as part of the group. Those dynamics and time-travel would be fun to explore, as would the fact that this team counts the heroic Brainiac-5 among its members...
1. Brainiac
While Brainiac has attacked Earth's heroes enough to be considered a Justice League villain, his history with Superman stretches back to the dying days of Krypton. One of the most intelligent beings in the universe, he collects cities from the planets he destroys and then shrinks them.
Superman has had to stop Brainiac from doing the same to Metropolis again and again over the years. However, their rivalry became really personal when the Man of Steel learned that he had the Kryptonian city Kandor within his possession.
This has to be the villain Gunn is considering for his "Super-Family" movie. In Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's classic Superman: Brainiac, the duo teamed up to defeat the formidable baddie, and this would be a perfect place for the filmmaker to explore their Kryptonian heritage.