James Gunn’s Adopted Dog Inspired Krypto in ‘Superman’ and “Changed the Shape of the Story”

James Gunn revealed that the Man of Steel’s trusty, four-legged sidekick will be making his way to the big screen in Superman .

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While Krypto the Superdog wasn’t originally set to be in the film, Gunn explained that he adopted a pup named Ozu shortly after he began writing the script, and it inspired Krypton’s inclusion in the upcoming project starring David Corenswet .

“Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least,” the writer-director wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “He immediately came in & destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture – he even ate my laptop. It took a long time before he would even let us touch him.”

Gunn continued, “I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?’ – and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life. What better time to debut the not-so-good-good-boy Krypto than #AdoptAShelterDog month. Btw, Ozu today, is, fairly often, a very good boy.”

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Krypto possesses the same superpowers as his fellow Kryptonians under the yellow sun, including super strength, flight, super speed and invulnerability, among others. Superman will mark the superdog’s first foray into the big screen. However, he has appeared in live-action series like Smallville and Titans , as well as the animated film, DC League of Super-Pets , in which he was voiced by Dwayne Johnson.

Corenswet’s Man of Steel stars alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and Milly Alcock as Supergirl . The remaining ensemble cast includes Wendell Pierce (Perry White) , Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen), Sara Sampaio (Eve Teschmacher), Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific), Terence Rosemore (Otis), Anthony Carrigan (Metamorpho), Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl) , Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner) and María Gabriela de Faría (The Engineer).

Superman , which wrapped production over the summer , will be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.

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