Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Superman.Superman is the first movie in the new DC Universe, and it does a great job of setting up the future of the franchise and the Man of Steel. It took some time for James Gunn to release the first footage from the DCU’s premiere movie. While the trailers eventually revealed many of the film’s threats, a lot was kept hidden.

That leads to Gunn’s Superman reboot having many surprises in store to be uncovered in theaters. That includes mᴀssive plot twists, exciting reveals, and quite a few cameos, some of which set up DC’s future projects. Most of the footage released from Superman focuses on the film’s first act, so how Lex Luthor’s plan comes together and more can surprise audiences.

Everyone Who Dies In Superman

The DC Universe Movie Includes Three Big Deaths

Superman is not a movie that involves many major deaths. Sure, a few characters die, as has come to be expected from superhero entries, but only one was key to the plot. The three characters who died were killed in very different ways. Those include superheroes doing the deed, Lex Luthor in a twisted game, and even a force of nature.

The Justice Gang Takes Down The Kaiju

The first death in the new Superman movie is that of the kaiju. The monster was released by Lex Luthor to keep Superman distracted while he invaded the Fortress of Solitude. The Justice Gang arrives to help the Man of Steel take it down. However, Mister Terrific ends up killing the kaiju with a targeted attack, which Superman was against.

A Metropolis Citizen Is Killed By Lex Luthor

The second death comes from a street vendor who helped the Man of Steel get back up after he had been sent flying into the ground in a fight. Lex brought the random man to his pocket universe to threaten his life and force Superman to talk while he was imprisoned. Playing Russian roulette, Lex kills the man by accident.

Ultraman Is Swallowed By A Black Hole

The third death is certainly the biggest in the Superman movie. After Krypto destroys Lex’s cameras and cuts off his contact with Ultraman, David Corenswet’s Superman beats up the villain. The fight ends with Ultraman being sent flying straight into the black hole in Lex Luthor’s pocket dimension. Superman then goes to help Mister Terrific repair the interdimensional rift in Metropolis.

Superman Movie Cameos Explained

The Movie Pulls Characters From The Larger DCU

James Gunn has always talked about how Superman is not a movie focused on establishing what comes after. However, it does so, not taking away from Clark Kent’s story. A neat way DC found to do that was through cameos that helped show the scope of the new DCU, though a set of cameos was crucial to the movie itself.

Superman’s Kryptonian Parents Include A Marvel Star

Superman‘s crucial cameos come early in the film. After teaming up with James Gunn for three Guardians of the Galaxy movies as Rocket Raccoon, Bradley Cooper appears as Jor-El, Superman’s Kryptonian father. By his side was Westworld star Angela Sarafyan, who played Clark’s biological mother, Lara. A recording they left for their son is key to Superman‘s plot.

Peacemaker Has Something To Say About Superman

The most surprising cameo in the film, as there had not been any talk about his appearance beforehand, was that of John Cena’s Peacemaker. Christopher Smith appeared in full Peacemaker costume during an interview where he commented on the video of Superman’s parents. Cena’s DC anti-hero claimed that other superheroes were obsessed with him.

Maxwell Lord Has No Love Lost For Lex Luthor

Another cameo in the DCU movie was that of Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord. The character is the one behind the Justice Gang. However, unlike the team he created, Lord does not play a major role in the events of Superman. Max appears towards the end of the movie to mock Lex Luthor after The Daily Planet reveals his illegal dealings.

Supergirl Joins Her Cousin In The DCU

Finally, Superman‘s biggest cameo comes at the very end. When David Corenswet’s Superman comes back to the Fortress of Solitude to find Alan Tudyk’s Four — another cameo, with others as the Superman Robots — Milly Alcock’s Supergirl arrives. This marks the DCU debut of Superman’s cousin, who comes to take Krypto, who is revealed to be Supergirl’s dog.

Biggest Spoilers And Reveals In Superman

James Gunn Presents Many Twists In The DCU’s First Movie

There are many shocking twists in Superman. First there is the fact that the second half of the message Superman’s Kryptonian parents left for him included a call for him to conquer the world. Two of Superman‘s biggest antagonists — Ultraman and The Hammer of Boravia — were one and the same. Lex Luthor orchestrated a war just to kill Superman, and more.

First up is Ultraman. Initially, he faked a Boravian accent to pretend that the country was retaliating for Superman stopping its war with Jarhanpur. Later in the movie, it is revealed that Ultraman was a Superman clone. Lex Luthor achieved that by using a strand of the hero’s hair after scavenging the aftermath of his battles for it. Ultraman dies.

Superman found the message his Kryptonian parents left for him soothing and would listen to it in the Fortress of Solitude. However, half of it was corrupted, and Lex Luthor got the Engineer to restore it, with several experts proving that they did not tamper with it. Jor-El and Lara told their son to conquer Earth, which turned everyone against Superman.

Eve Teschmacher is responsible for Lex Luthor’s downfall. The villain had created the Boravia v Jarhanpur war to force Superman to intervene and later allow him to convince the government to bring him and, planning to kill Superman. Eve sends selfies to Jimmy Olsen that include Lex’s contracts, maps, and such in the background.

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Lex Luthor was trying to kill Superman due to how jealous he was of the hero becoming the person the world looked up to instead of him. He almost let Metropolis be destroyed by an interdimensional rift caused by his pocket dimension in order to defeat the hero. At the end of the film, Lex Luthor is sent to Belle Reve.

All The DC Universe Movies Set Up By Superman

Two Films Will Focus On Characters From Superman

James Gunn’s Superman sets up two upcoming DC movies. At the end of the film, Milly Alcock’s Supergirl debut directly connects to her 2026 DCU film. Superman explains to Four how she is often drunk from partying on planets with red suns. That is how Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow starts. She also takes Krypto with her, like in the comics.

The other DCU movie set up by Superman is done so differently. There is no direct connection like between Superman and Supergirl, but one of the film’s villains already has a movie to return in. That is María Gabriela de Faría’s Engineer, who is a member of The Authority. Superman also features characters who will appear in Peacemaker season 2.