The latest round of photos from the Cleveland set of James Gunn's Superman proved to be the most intriguing yet, as they appeared to confirm that the Man of Steel (David Corenswet) would indeed be facing off against a physical threat in the upcoming DCU reboot.
Earlier this year, a rumor did the rounds that Supes would encounter a clone/doppelgänger of himself when Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) uses some of the hero's DNA to create an exact clone of his nemesis. Reports claimed that this villain would be known as Ultraman, but we're not so sure this is the character we're looking at in these photos.
There's been speculation that this mysterious masked man could be a take on The Authority's Midnighter (unlikely), but we think he might be a slightly more obscure character known as Ulysses, aka "The Last Son of Earth."
In the comics, Neil Quinn was the son of two Prime Earth scientists who worked at a research center called Ulysses. After dark matter penetrated their lab, the couple sent their son through a portal into the fourth dimension, where he gained powerful superhuman abilities.
Quinn doesn't usually wear a mask (though he has been known to do so), but as you'll see from the panels below, his armor is very similar to the character in the photos.
Of course, there's always a chance this guy will be an amalgamation of several different characters, and could still turn out to be some kind of clone of Superman (there's probably a good reason his face is hidden).
Have another look at the "Ultraman" shots below, along with some new photos of Corenswet in Clark Kent mode.
Superman will also star Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, 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 is also rumored to make her debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie, but that's yet to be confirmed.
We're still not sure exactly how these other superheroes will factor into the story, but Gunn has previously revealed that Superman's dual-life as both Clark Kent and the Man of Steel will be explored in the film, suggesting that these characters will be his "super friends." Whether they'll be part of an actual team or not remains to be seen.
“Overjoyed to be announcing the start of principal photography on SUPERMAN today, February 29, which just so happens to be – coincidentally and unplanned – Superman’s birthday,” Gunn captioned the first official photo earlier this year. “When I finished the first draft of the script, I called the film ‘Superman: Legacy.’ By the time I locked the final draft, it was clear the title was SUPERMAN,” he added. “Making our way to you July 2025.”