There are many reasons to love the latest “stab” taken at Superman—this time, by none other than James Gunn. But at the top of the list is obviously Krypto the Superdog (and, at last, “crypto” is a word with a new association again). A superpowered creature who has long been depicted as a ray of light in Superman’s universe, and more than occasionally at his side. And yet, audiences have surely never seen him quite like this: unruly, untamed, no polish, no training. These characteristics are courtesy of none other than Gunn’s own dog, Ozu (of course his name is a film reference). A scrappy canine with the same unruliness and perennially cocked left ear that Krypto is given in Superman. Adopted by Gunn from a rescue shelter in 2022, there would most definitely be no Krypto without Ozu in this particular rendering. And while Krypto has always been presented as a white dog, he’s never been displayed in such terrier mutt-like glory as this.
The Superman trend of Krypto always tending to steal the show was present from the beginning, back when Superman was nothing more than a two-dimensional comic (though some still argue there’s nothing any writer and/or director can do to make Superman less two-dimensional onscreen). For Krypto was imagined as a “one-off” character in the series until the creators saw how positively readers reacted to his presence. And so it was that Krypto was brought back a few issues later and became a regularly featured player. Because of how beloved any dog, let alone a superdog, usually is, it seems likely that it took this long to bring Krypto into a live-action version of Superman because no actor wanted to be upstaged by the overshadowing cuteness of his co-star (CGI’d or not).
But perhaps because David Corenswet himself has a dog (a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ira)—who was often on the Superman set during the filming—he understood not only the importance of Krypto’s strong presence in the film, but welcomed the opportunity to cater to dog lovers worldwide. It’s because of that love for dogs, and the unconditional love that dogs, in turn, have for their humans, that Gunn is able to further underscore a key message of the movie: maybe the truly punk rock thing to do in this life is to love as blindly and openly as a dog. Even in the face of all evidence to the contrary.
This notion comes to the fore during a conversation between Lois (Rachel Brosnahan) and Superman a.k.a. Clark Kent when she mentions that them having a fight was inevitable. After all, they’re so different. As she says, she was a punk rocker from Bakerline and he’s, well, Superman. She continues, “My point is, I question everything…and everyone. You trust everyone and think everyone you’ve ever met is, like, beautiful.” Superman replies, “Maybe that’s the real punk rock.” Maybe indeed. Though there’s no telling that to a man like Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult, switching positions from his recent “good guy” role in Nosferatu). Or, for that matter, his cohort throughout the movie, Vasil Ghurkos (Zlatko Burić), the President of Boravia. A country that recently tried to invade neighboring Jarhanpur apropos of nothing except to “liberate” them.
Needless to say, Gunn is very deliberately mirroring the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Though, sadly, there is no hope of Superman swooping in and rescuing Palestinians which is why, in its way, Superman is almost cruelly taunting. Even if who it ultimately seeks to taunt are billionaire boys like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg…and the government itself. Namely, the U.S. government, which is more in bed with The Corporate Overlord than ever. This being how Lex is able to so easily manipulate and bend politicians to his will. A task made more effortless once he breaks into the Fortress of Solitude and steals the farewell message of Superman’s parents, Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara Lor-Van (Angela Sarafyan). A message that was damaged during “Kal-El’s” transit to Earth. As such, for his entire life, Superman was only taking in what they said during the first half: “We love you more than Heaven, our son. We love you more than life. Our beloved home is soon to be gone forever. But hope vitalizes our hearts, and that hope is in you, Kal-El. We have searched the universe for a home where you can do the most good, and live out Krypton’s truth. That place is Earth.”
However, when Lex repairs the glitched-out second half of the message (or rather, his more accomplished minions do), it all sounds so much ickier: “The people there are simple, and profoundly confused. We can mine the spirit and body. Lord over the planet as the last son of Krypton. Dispatch of anyone unable or unwilling to serve you, Kal-El. Take as many wives as you can so that your genes, and Krypton’s might and legacy, will live on in this new frontier. Do us proud, our beloved son. Rule without mercy.” Not exactly the message Superman has been living by all these years, instead doing his best to honor only the first part of what they said. Because that, in his heart, is how he feels about Earth and its “simple humans” anyway. But that’s no matter to anyone once Lex presents the footage to the masses.
With this in his arsenal, not only does public opinion turn against him, but Lex is effectively given carte blanche by the government to do what he will with Superman. Which is hold him in a pocket universe. Although Superman had no idea this was where he was taking him, it’s technically where he wanted to go. Because his entire aim in “turning himself in” (for, in a nutshell, being a decent human being—though Lex would remind he’s an alien…also a timely subtext) was to be taken to wherever Krypto is being held. Since, alas, he was dognapped when Lex and The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) infiltrated the Fortress of Solitude. And that, right there, shows the kind of devotion that, usually, only a dog is willing to give.
For his sense of loyalty, Superman is rewarded, even if somewhat lazily, with Krypto’s slobbering boundlessness…which doesn’t always necessarily help a situation, so much as hurt it (e.g., unwittingly propelling Superman further toward a black hole, rather than stopping him by pulling him back). And yet, the way of love—particularly Superman’s kind of love—is tolerance. Tolerance for imperfections, mistakes and beings not “performing” exactly as you want them to. So sure, in this sense, maybe Superman is punk rock. But if he is in this edition of Superman, it’s mostly with Krypto’s help.
Krypto, who is just as worthy of the Teddybears’ lyrics to “Punkrocker” (the “featuring Iggy Pop” version being what plays during the credits): “I see you stagger in the street/And you can’t stay on your feet/And you’re faking in your sleep/You wish that you were deep/But you can’t hear me laughing to myself/If you could, you would be someone else/‘Cause I’m a punk rocker, yes I am/Well I’m a punk rocker, yes I am.” To be sure, that is precisely the spirit that Krypto embodies, thanks to a bit of ragamuffin inspiration from Ozu.
