Earlier this week, a list of action figures for the upcoming McFarlane Toys Superman line was leaked online, seemingly confirming that David Corenswet's Man of Steel will indeed face-off against Ultraman in the movie.
This powerful villain's involvement was first rumored by scooper MTTSH, and some set photos of Supes doing battle with a masked individual with a big "U" on his chest appeared to leave little doubt.
Gunn has previously weighed in on the rumor, and while some took his comments (see below) to mean that Ultraman will not appear, he clearly chose his wording very carefully.
“The primary protagonist of Superman is, shockingly, Superman. The main villain of Superman is, shockingly, Lex Luthor. I don’t know where all the stuff is coming from that it’s something other than this. There are so many stories coming out every day it’s difficult to deal with and everytime I strike something down I’m giving it attention. So, I’ll say again, don’t believe anything unless you see it HERE (& why would you want to know everything before the movie comes out anyway?)”
These toy leaks seem to be pretty back and white, but Gunn has now shared the following response via Threads.
Does Gunn mean that this listing doesn't spoil anything because the set photos already confirmed that Ultraman will appear, or that "Ultraman" is simply what he is being referred to for the time being. We have heard this might be a placeholder name for a character who many have speculated to be an amalgamation of several comic book villains, and there are rumors that he may ultimately be revealed as Bizarro.
Superman also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabel Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
Sara Sampaio is on board as Lex's assistant/lover Eve Teschmacher, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell will play "Ma" and "Pa" Kent, and Milly Alcock's Supergirl has been confirmed to make her debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie.
"And that’s a wrap," Gunn posted earlier this year when filming concluded. "God bless our cast and crew whose commitment, creativity, and hard work have brought this project to life. I set out to make a movie about a good man in a world that isn’t always so much. And the goodness and kindness and love I’ve encountered on a daily basis on the set has inspired me and thrust me forward when I felt too spent to move on my own.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It has been an honor. The destination has been Superman, but the journey has been the toil and the laughter and the emotions and ideas and magic we’ve shared together on set - and for that I am forever grateful."