Highlights
- Lex Luthor may clone Superman in James Gunn’s movie, inspired by Silver Age comics – creating the character Ultraman.
- Integrating Bizarro and Ultraman combines traditional Superman foes, blending evil Superman tropes in a new light.
- While fans debate the use of the evil Superman concept in the DCU, official sources have yet to confirm or deny the rumors.
James Gunn’s Superman movie is rumored to feature a classic DC villain besides Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor. However, a new rumor claims Gunn is changing the iconic foe by combining two villains to create one.
Superman plot details are limited, though Gunn has stated that it will follow David Corenswet’s Clark Kent as he tries to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Fans can reasonably assume Superman will conflict with Lex Luthor, but a recent rumor suggests the cunning villain will enlist some muscle to assist in his battle against the Man of Steel.
Scooper CanWeGetSomeToast reports that Superman will see Lex Luthor capable of creating a clone of the Man of Steel. While the plot element is seemingly inspired by a similar Silver Age comics story in which Luthor creates an evil Superman clone named Bizarro, the character will reportedly be named Ultraman in Gunn’s movie. Further details on Ultraman’s role in the movie were not provided, and as of this writing, official sources, including Gunn, have not confirmed or denied this rumor.
While changing Bizarro’s name may not significantly modify the DC Comics source material, Ultraman is a moniker usually reserved for an entirely different character. Bizarro is traditionally depicted as a flawed clone of Superman with white skin and a childlike intellect. However, Ultraman is the name of several alternate-universe versions of Superman who are either corrupt or outright evil. Both characters have largely been relegated to animated films or television, with variations of Bizarro and Ultraman perhaps most notably appearing in separate episodes of Smallville, so an appearance in Gunn’s Superman movie would mark the most prominent live-action appearance for both.
If the rumor is true, perhaps Gunn is combining Bizarro and Ultraman to use the evil Superman clone concept without incorporating Bizarro’s unusual behavior. Of course, some fans believe the evil Superman trope is overdone, with Invincible‘s Omni-Man and The Boys‘ Homelander currently covering that concept. “Evil Superman is done to death and is boring,” wrote Reddit user Historical_Phrase489. However, other fans were more enthusiastic about Bizarro appearing in Superman. “Honestly if Lex makes the Ultraman from the comics it’d be pretty sick and a really good way to underscore what makes Superman *Superman,” wrote Reddit user bread_thread. “You would know exactly what Superman stood for by the end of that story, and “evil Superman” would be done and over with [right] out the gate; sounds like a win win [sic] if true.”
This is all speculation until official sources confirm or debunk Bizarro/Ultraman’s role in Superman. While scoopers have been correct in the past, Gunn recently debunked a separate report on The Batman 2 casting Boyd Holbrook as Harvey Dent. However, Gunn noted that he wasn’t sure if the scoop was a mistake due to false info provided or if it was intentionally made up for clicks. So, fans will likely have to wait a while before they know if Superman will confront an evil doppelganger in the DCU.
Superman is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.
Source: CanWeGetSomeToast
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