We don't know how long Clark Kent has been Metropolis' Man of Steel in Superman, but it appears he's been protecting his home for at least a few years.
This week has seen the release of Welcome to Metropolis: The Prequel Junior Novel, an official tie-in to the movie, revealing more about these characters before their big screen debuts next month.
Every story needs a little action, of course, and this one has Superman facing off with the villainous Metallo. In the comics, John Corben is a criminal whose brain is transferred into a robotic body powered by Kryptonite. He's a formidable foe, and one who has yet to fully receive his due on screen.
Here's an excerpt from the book detailing the moment Clark and Lois Lane first encounter Metallo:
"I think we should wait for the police to arrive," Clark whispered. "That cyborg definitely looks dangerous."
"And risk missing the scoop of the year?" Lois hissed. "Forget it!" Before Clark could stop her, she stood up, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted, "LOIS LANE, DAILY PLANET. WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
The cyborg turned back, staring at Lois. The eye on the robot side of its face glowed red. "I am METALLO!" it announced in a voice distorted by electronic amplification. "City Hall is mine. The mayor and all the others have gone. So Metropolis is mine, too!"
We wouldn't bank on this being adapted in Superman, though it may be referenced. Lex Luthor is out to destroy the Man of Tomorrow, and it appears neither that massive Kaiju nor Ultraman are his first attempt at doing so.
A character description in Welcome to Metropolis: The Prequel Junior Novel strongly indicates that Lex created Metallo and unleashed him on the city in a bid to kill Superman.
Lex Luthor is head of Metropolis's powerful tech company, LuthorCorp. He runs a tight ship. But while most of his underlings don't always respect him, they know not to mess with Luthor's diabolical plans-one of which includes inserting a dead assassin's brain into the metal body of a weaponized robot. Luthor's Super-Villain antics were largely undisturbed until a certain Superman came to town.
Looking to the future, it's unlikely filmmaker James Gunn will allow himself to be beholden to a children's novel, so if he wishes to introduce Metallo, he'll do so. However, the book is DCU "canon," as far as we're aware, so it may be worth checking out for the villain's origin story.
"Here's this guy who's this [incredible] genius scientist who's worked his whole life to become one of the richest, most powerful men in the world, and he does it all to be lauded," Gunn has said of the DCU's Lex. "I mean, he wants to be the greatest, and suddenly this jerk comes in wearing a cape with a lantern jaw and a cocky grin, and he just takes all of the oxygen out of the room, out of the room of Earth, and it creates a burning hatred in the guy."
Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.