The Superman Family is about to make a triumphant return to the silver screen thanks to James Gunn — the writer-director behind Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, as well as the architect of the soon-to-be-rebooted DC Universe. Gunn himself will be helming the Last Son of Krypton’s next cinematic outing, Superman: Legacy, currently slated to release in 2025.
Meanwhile, Kal-El’s cousin Kara Zor-El will receive her own solo film with a big-screen adaptation of Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic miniseries. The new DCU is sure to feature new incarnations of Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and other mainstays of Superman’s supporting cast. However, there are several other familiar faces from the Superman comics — both hero and civilians — who would be right at home in future DCU projects.
Superboy
The name “Superboy” was first used by Clark Kent himself in the 1940s, in flashback comics that focused on his teenage years in Smallville. However, after the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity rebooted the DC Comics continuity, these stories were no longer considered canon. However, in the wake of Superman’s tragic death at the hands of Doomsday in 1993, a new Superboy appeared to protect Metropolis. Nicknamed “the Metropolis Kid”, this Superboy possessed a brash, cocky attitude, along with a stylish leather jacket.
In truth, the new Superboy was a clone created by Project Cadmus using Superman’s DNA — along with, it was eventually revealed, the DNA of Lex Luthor. After Superman’s return, Superboy became like a younger brother to him. Superboy was given the Kryptonian name “Kon-El” by Superman, and he even took the name “Conner Kent” after moving to Smallville. He was a founding member of Young Justice, and later went on to join the Teen Titans. Far more than just a copy of Superman, Kon-El is a true hero in his own right, more than worthy of inclusion in the new DCU.
Steel
Like Superboy, John Henry Irons — better known as Steel — was one of the heroes who appeared to defend Metropolis from evil in the wake of Superman’s death in 1993. Irons was originally a genius engineer whose life was saved by Superman in a chance encounter. After Irons asked how he could repay the Man of Steel, Superman simply asked him to “live a life worth saving”. So when Superman seemingly died fighting Doomsday, Irons decided to carry on his legacy by creating a suit of battle armor, along with a high-tech sledgehammer. Powered by his new inventions, Irons became Metropolis’ new Man of Steel.
Even after Superman’s return, Irons continued to protect Metropolis as Steel, becoming a stalwart ally of the hero who inspired him. Eventually, he even joined the Justice League. Unlike Superboy, John Henry Irons has already made his movie debut with the 1997 Steel movie starring Shaquille O’Neal. However, said film was a massive box office bomb that was poorly received by critics. Plus, it bore little resemblance to the source material, without even a passing mention of Superman. As such, the new DCU provides a perfect opportunity for Irons to receive the live-action adaptation he deserves.
Krypto the Superdog
Krypto the Superdog was introduced in 1955 as the loyal pet of the House of El, who escaped Krypton’s destruction in his own rocket that flew off course through space before crashing to Earth in Clark Kent’s youth. Like Clark, Krypto was empowered by the rays of Earth’s yellow sun, becoming a mighty Superdog. Krypto was later erased from continuity following Crisis on Infinite Earths, only to be reintroduced in the early 2000s.
While Krypto has made plenty of animated appearances, he has yet to appear in a live action movie — no doubt due to the inherent ridiculousness of a dog with Superman’s powers. However, if there’s any filmmaker who can make Krypto work in live action, it’s James Gunn. He’s already brought Rocket Raccoon and Starro the Conqueror to the big screen, so perhaps Krypto the Superdog will be next.
Power Girl
Power Girl was created in 1976 as the Earth-2 counterpart of Kara Zor-El — essentially, she’s an older, wiser, and tougher version of Supergirl. Despite hailing from a parallel universe, Power Girl was popular enough to stick around after Crisis on Infinite Earths, albeit with a retconned origin reinventing her as an ancient Atlantean. Naturally, this new origin proved unpopular, and it was later revealed that she was actually the original Earth-2 Power Girl.
Of course, it’s impossible to bring up Power Girl without mentioning that she is arguably more famous for her costume than her actual exploits as a hero. But even so, she’s a major fan-favorite who’s been a member of both the Justice League and their predecessors in the Justice Society. Granted, it may be tricky to introduce her to the DCU any time soon — her backstory revolves around multiversal travel, and Gunn may not want to introduce parallel Earths so early in the DCU. Still, it’d be a shame to not include Power Girl at some point in the DCU’s future.
Bibbo Bibbowski
Not all of Superman’s allies are superpowered heroes. In fact, some of the Man of Tomorrow’s staunchest supporters are ordinary citizens of Metropolis. Such is the case with Bo “Bibbo” Bibbowski — former boxer, owner of the Ace o’ Clubs bar and Superman’s number one fan. Despite his rough-and-tumble exterior, Bibbo has a heart of gold, and always tries to follow Superman’s example. Whether he’s helping the homeless or taking on crooks with his fists, Bibbo is devoted to looking out for his neighbors in the slums of Metropolis. He’s one Superman super-fan who’s way past due for a big-screen appearance.