A scene from the final act of Superman has leaked online, and it has some fans wondering if this latest take on the iconic DC Comics hero might be even more ruthless than the SnyderVerse version played by Henry Cavill, who infamously snapped General Zod's neck in Man of Steel.
Major spoilers follow.
The scene begins with Superman unleashing his heat vision to take down a group of Lex Luthor's armored Raptors, who fall to the ground in a heap - definitely the worse for wear, but still breathing. Kal-El is then attacked by Ultraman, who was unmasked and revealed to be a clone created by Luthor earlier in the battle.
Ultraman overpowers Supes and puts him in an armbar, popping his shoulder out of its socket in the process. When Superman notices a piece of debris falling towards them, he manages to throw his enemy into its path and send him into the black hole that opened in Metropolis thanks to Luthor's tampering with the pocket universe.
Did Superman just outright kill someone? No, of course he didn't.
The scene has been latched onto by the #RestoreTheSynderVerse crowd, but it's established earlier on in the movie that anyone who ends up being sucked into the black hole will survive, they simply won't be able to escape. Not exactly a "fate worse than death" for a character who is every bit as powerful as Superman and will likely find a way out at some point.
You can click HERE to check out the scene for yourselves.
Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
The cast also Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as "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 last 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."
You can check out a synopsis for the movie below.
"In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind."