Every Villain In Superman Explained

Superman is set to feature an impressive collection of villains and foes beyond Lex Luthor himself. Played by Nicholas Hoult, Lex Luthor is set to play a large role in James Gunn’s Superman, already possessing a strong hatred for David Corenswet’s Man of Steel in the new DCU. However, it seems the classic DC supervillain won’t be alone as a key antagonist in the first live-action DCU movie.

In the newly released trailer for Superman, the new Man of Steel is shown facing one threat after another. To be specific, Superman is featured getting arrested, beaten, and knocked out of the sky more than once by a variety of adversaries. Keeping that in mind, here are all of Superman’s villains explained (that we currently know about).

9

Lex Luthor

Superman’s Classic Arch-Foe

First and foremost, Lex Luthor is set to be a key antagonist in James Gunn’s Superman. Described as being one of Superman’s biggest haters, Luthor can’t seem to fathom how the Man of Steel has received such widespread love and adoration when Lex himself views the Kryptonian as completely inhuman: “He’s not a man. He’s an it that’s somehow become the focal point of the entire world’s conversation.” With that sentiment in mind, trailers and teasers for Superman have teased that Lex will be making great efforts to bring Superman down, even going so far as to break into his Fortress of Solitude.

Likewise, it’s also been shown that Lex will be behind more than a few of the other villains Superman is set to face, specifically Ultraman and The Engineer. Both foes have been shown with Lex at the Fortress, though they may not be the only ones with connections to Lex. The Superman trailer also teases that Lex Luthor might even be serving as the President of the United States (mirroring the original DC comics).

8

The Engineer

Angela Spica

Played by María Gabriela de Faría, Angela Spica’s Engineer utilizes nanotechnology as her primary method of attack. Connected to the team known as The Authority in the comics, the DCU’s Engineer is working with Lex Luthor, shown fighting Superman as well as his dog Krypto in the Fortress of Solitude. Mowing down Superman’s robot ᴀssistants with buzz-saw constructs made from her nanotech, Spica will be incredibly dangerous with some visually impressive abilities. It also looks as though she’ll even best the Justice Gang’s Mister Terrific, who’s shown lying unconscious in the Superman trailer before The Engineer sets her sights on Kal-El himself.

7

Hammer of Boravia

A New Foe Wearing A Powersuit

A new villain created for the DCU and James Gunn’s Superman, the foe wearing the golden powersuit is confirmed to be named “The Hammer of Boravia”. Boravia is the nation at war that Superman will controversially get in the middle of, as revealed in the movie’s teasers and trailers. Coming after Superman in the newest trailer as Lois Lane talks about the unintended cost and consequences of Superman’s intervention, it appears as though The Hammer has come to ensure that Kal-El pays the price for his actions, despite his intentions to do good and save lives that had been in danger.

6

Ultraman

A Mysterious Foe Matching Superman’s Strength

Wearing a black suit with a full mask and goggles, it is not yet known who Ultraman truly is or what he looks like in James Gunn’s Superman. However, what is known is that he seems to have enough strength and power to go toe-to-toe with Superman himself. It also looks as though Ultraman is Lex Luthor’s bodyguard, though he’s also shown working with ARGUS’ Rick Flag Sr. and the military when Superman gets arrested.

In the comics, Ultraman was an evil version of Superman from the alternate reality known as Earth-3. While this is certainly possible, there are also theories that Ultraman could perhaps be Bizarro, a twisted clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor himself in the comics. Either way, it’s going to be fascinating to see who or what is under Ultraman’s mask when and if Superman manages to get it off during a brawl with the mysterious foe.

5

Eve Teschmacher & Otis Burg

Luthor’s Classic Hench People

Played by Sara Sampaio, Eve Tessmacher is briefly shown a few times by Lex’s side and at LexCorp. Eve is Luthor’s classic ᴀssistant and sometimes love interest in the comics as well as in the original Richard Donner Superman movies. It’s also been confirmed that Terence Rosemore is playing Otis Burg, Lex’s right-hand henchman.

4

Maxwell Lord

CEO of LordTech

It’s also been confirmed that Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord will have a presence in Superman. A billionaire and CEO of LordTech, Maxwell Lord is confirmed to be the founder of the Justice Gang, a team of heroes debuting in the upcoming DCU movie. Currently, the known roster includes Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, and Mister Terrific.

While this mirrors Max Lord in the comics, who similarly founded the Justice League International, it’s worth noting that Lord eventually becomes a villain to Wonder Woman and the Justice League overall. With that in mind, one has to wonder if the DCU’s Maxwell Lord will already have a dark streak and/or ulterior motives for his superhero team. It’s also been confirmed that Maxwell Lord will be making an appearance in Peacemaker season 2.

3

Metamorpho

Superman’s Jailer?

While typically a hero in the DC Comics universe, Rex Mason’s Metamorpho is shown sitting in a cell with Superman in the new DCU trailer. Presumably using his powers of transmutation, it looks as though Rex has created kryptonite. This suggests that Metamorpho may be under the orders of Lex Luthor and is serving as Kal-El’s jailer, using the Man of Steel’s classic weakness to keep him imprisoned.

Played by Anthony Carrigan, Metamorpho is set to make his first live-action debut in Superman. However, the implication is that his origins may be darker before he becomes an outright hero. If Metamorpho is working for Lex either willingly or not, it could connect with Rex’s comics history and his early ties with corrupt billionaire Simon Stagg, CEO of Stagg Enterprises (the man responsible for turning Rex into Metamorpho in the comics).

2

A Giant Kaiju

Terrorizing Metropolis

While its origin is unknown, teasers and trailers for Superman have heavily teased that a large, fire-breathing kaiju will at some point start terrorizing Metropolis. This will undoubtedly lead to some fantastic action sequences, as has already been teased by the various sH๏τs of Superman’s battle with the creature. That said, it’s going to be fascinating to learn where this giant monster came from, and who might have unleashed it upon the City of Tomorrow.

1

Solaris the Tyrant Sun?

Superman Will Feature A Giant Cosmic Threat

Giant Cosmic Threat outside while Superman is with Lois Lane

Including the very first official image of David Corenswet’s Superman, multiple sH๏τs from Superman’s teasers and trailers have depicted some kind of giant orbital cosmic that over the Metropolis skyline as Superman and Lois Lane embrace. It also looks as though Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern is on the screen, trying to contain it with his power ring. Currently, the predominant theory online is that this cosmic enтιтy could perhaps be DC Comics’ Solaris, the Tyrant Sun.

Solaris is an artificial and sentient sun capable of causing incredible devastation with a unique hatred for Superman and his legacy. He was also created by Grant Morrison and has a key role in All-Star Superman, a key comic used as the inspiration for James Gunn’s Superman movie. As such, it’s certainly possible that this giant cosmic object in Superman’s trailers is perhaps the DCU’s version of Solaris (though that has yet to be officially confirmed).

James Gunn’s Superman is set to release in theaters on July 11th, 2025.

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