“Superman” trailer reveals first look at Lex Luthor, Guy Gardner, Krypto, and more iconic DC characters

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... the first look at many of the new characters in James Gunn's Superman movie starring David Corenswet.

Warner Bros. released the first teaser for the upcoming superhero blockbuster on Thursday, and the epic footage introduced many of Gunn's rebooted versions of iconic DC figures, starting off with an immediate fan favorite.

The teaser begins with Superman in trouble as he crashes into the snow, bloody and battered from an unseen fight. As he struggles to breathe, he lets out a whistle... and Krypto, the super dog, rushes in to save the day. Wearing his own red cape, Krypto — inspired by the filmmaker's own rescue dog, Ozu — gets a big hero moment. But Gunn warned that Superman's relationship with Krypto is actually "complicated."

Related: Superman first look unveils David Corenswet as James Gunn's Man of Steel

"He's not nearly the best dog as he seems," Gunn told reporters at the teaser premiere event in Los Angeles on Monday. "There's a lot more to Krypto than what you see in this trailer."

Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor also appears in the footage, with flashes of Superman's bald nemesis armed with a gun and looking incredibly pissed off. "This Lex is obviously smart and ruthless, and he has to outmaneuver Superman on certain levels because he can't match him on others," Hoult said. "There's also something about this character, hopefully from my standpoint, where even though you perhaps don't agree with his process, there's an element where you can understand on some levels where he's coming from and why perhaps what he's pushing as his ideology is perhaps better for humanity."

The teaser then shows more of Rachel Brosnahan's Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane after her first look was unveiled on Wednesday. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actor loved working with Gunn on evolving the character to better fit this generation. "Today, we're living in a world where print journalism, to some perhaps, is an endangered art form," Brosnahan said. "And she is someone who has dedicated her entire life to it."

Related: James Gunn teases Frank Grillo's role across Peacemaker and Superman: 'He is morally a complex human being'

Lois is shown first as Clark gets settled into his desk in the bullpen and later as the two get hot and heavy in a steamy makeout session. "They bump up against each other — in more ways than one," Brosnahan joked. A later scene shows Lois hugging Clark in an emotional moment while he's in his full Superman suit, teasing that he might let her in on his big secret during the movie. "The whole point of having a secret identity is [it's] at least at risk in the film," Corenswet said. "He's dipping his toe in the waters in figuring out who he's going to trust first, maybe."

Many more iconic DC heroes make cameos in the teaser as well, although you might have missed their quick appearances. But don't worry, we caught them all! Nathan Fillion is seen in a quick flash as the Earth-based Green Lantern Guy Gardner, sporting the comic-accurate bowl-cut hairdo and using his ring in an action shot. Isabela Merced is shown flying in the sky as Hawkgirl, wearing another comic-accurate look with her costume and helmet. Edi Gathegi's Michael Holt, a.k.a. Mister Terrific, lives up to his name as the highly intelligent hero protects Superman inside a forcefield (potentially from one of his T-spheres?) during a major fight. And keep Kelex in your thoughts and prayers as Superman is shown cradling the beloved robot on the ground in the Fortress of Solitude in a pose that never means anything good.

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A beloved human also makes his debut in the footage: Pruitt Taylor Vince's Jonathan Kent shares an emotional moment with his son Clark, sitting on the front steps of the Kent farm. Meanwhile, Saturday Night Live alum Beck Bennett appears walking through the Daily Planet bullpen as sports reporter Steve Lombard, who also debuted in Wednesday's teaser for the teaser.

And is that Anthony Carrigan's Metamorpho in a close-up shot? The character's gray face with recognizable texture teases that adventurer Rex Mason has already been transformed by a radioactive meteorite into a being that can change his body into elemental compounds. Another unknown character in the teaser is a mysterious, black suited villain who is shown attacking Superman on a baseball field and in other moments in the teaser. So far, that character's identity has yet to be revealed.

Another interesting DC Easter egg in the teaser is the mention of Boravia, a fictional European country from DC comics where Superman has intervened many times. The footage reveals civil unrest in the country in news reports, perhaps teasing one of Superman's saves in the film.

Related: Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch 'wish the best' to James Gunn's Superman

Written and directed by Gunn, Superman (previously titled Superman: Legacy) reboots the DC cinematic universe with a story about Clark Kent, a.k.a. the Man of Steel, as he tries to balance his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing in Smallville. "I knew that I wanted to have a Superman that stayed true to his origins of being the ultimate good guy," Gunn said. "It's a movie about kindness; it's a movie about being good."

Other cast members who will appear in the movie include Skyler Gisondo as Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen, Milly Alcock as Supergirl, Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag, Sr., Wendell Pierce as Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, and Christopher Reeve's son Will Reeve in an undisclosed cameo.

Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.

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