Thanks to the events of the DCU Superman movie, one theory that a character who is for all intents and purposes Superman and Lex Luthor’s son is on the way looks remarkably convincing. The DCU timeline has already proved itself willing to adapt the weirder corners of DC’s comic history, thanks to figures like Weasel and Metamorpho.

With the franchise in its infancy, there’s a lot of room for other weird and wonderful parts of DC’s history to be brought to screens. Currently, it looks like the origin story of Superman and Lex Luthor’s offspring is actually far more likely to be adapted in the DC Universe’s upcoming movies and shows than it might initially sound.

Superman’s Story Makes Conner Kent’s Superboy Debut Very Possible For The DCU

Lex Luthor Has Already Created One DCU Superman Clone

One of Superman‘s several major plot twists reveals that Lex Luthor cloned the Man of Steel some time ago, creating Ultraman from the hero’s DNA. However, Luthor is displeased with the clone, partially because he doesn’t seem to act of his own accord, and partially because he’s unable to defeat Superman.

As such, it doesn’t seem impossible for Luthor to seek to refine the process, and to create a Superman clone that is able to act more on his own as Lex’s agent. Interestingly, this premise comes very close to the story of the creation of Superboy in the comics, who is made from a combination of Lex and Superman’s DNA.

Superboy debuted during the Death of Superman storyline – as an artificially made “replacement” for Superman – and has willingly and forcibly worked with Lex in the comics. Indeed, Luthor’s hand in Superboy’s creation does leave him with leverage over the young hero, which would be fascinating to explore on-screen, especially given the DCU’s Superman sets up the backstory for his creation.

Superman’s Ending Could Directly Set Up Superboy’s Debut

Lex Luthor’s Fate Could Tie Nicely Into Creating Superboy

Lex being placed in Belle Reve could end his villainous machinations for some time – but the nature of Belle Reeve also means this happening in the Superman ending could do the exact opposite. Belle Reve containing so many villains conventionally makes it a very volatile place, and the DCU location is likely to contain just as many antagonists.

Indeed, it is worth noting that Belle Reve still appears to be under the control of Amanda Waller to some degree thanks to Creature Commandos. Even if Waller isn’t able to use human operatives right now, Kryptonians may not legally count the same, meaning she could well be the one to allow Lex to create a new Kryptonian clone.

Amanda Waller has forcibly recruited the likes of General Zod and Superboy clone Match in the Suicide Squad in the comics, and this being replicated in some form in the DCU seems to make sense. Indeed, a storyline like this could work well in something like the upcoming Waller show, setting up Superboy for future DCU movies along the way.

The DC Universe’s Robin Reveal Makes Superboy’s Debut Way More Likely

Having Batman & Superman’s Wider DC Family In The DCU Would Make Sense

The little we do know about the Batman movie The Brave & The Bold shows that DC’s “big heroes” are set to get more of their families on-screen. With the movie set to feature Damian Wayne – Batman’s son and notable holder of the Robin mantle – it stands to reason the DCU is also setting up for Superman’s wider family.

As such, it seems to make sense to introduce Superboy sooner rather than later, especially since the DCU will also need to introduce Superman’s birth son, Jonathan Kent, down the line if they want Superman’s wider family to be at the same stage as Batman’s. Similarly, giving Superman and Batman their full families makes their crossovers sound even more interesting.

With the intention for the DC Universe appearing to be depicting the wider world of DC lore, establishing characters like Robin and Superboy who often don’t get to appear in live-action movies would seem very much in line with the DCU’s ethos and plans. Having Superman discover his newfound clone-slash-brother-slash-son also seems to have some immense story potential.

Why The DCU Needs Superboy & His Unusual Comic Backstory

Superboy Would Help Continue Multiple DCU Stories

Superman’s complicated relationship with his Kryptonian heritage and his drastic change of understanding regarding why he was sent to Earth is a focal aspect of Superman. Adding Superboy into the mix would provide a unique way for the DCU to continue exploring this storyline without getting too close to just rehashing what came before in Kal-El’s debut story.

On a similar note, Lex’s jealousy of Superman would be fascinating to explore through the lens of him essentially creating their child – a concept that’s often joked about by fans because it’s totally unhinged and yet does make sense. What all this means for Superboy himself is also crucial, and can help set up DC teams like the Teen тιтans.

Hopefully, the DCU will be able to explore the wider mythos of Superman, and give audiences the closest thing to the best of the comic book world possible on-screen. As it stands, that would seem to be best pulled off by bringing figures like Superboy into the fold – especially since it makes the story of Superman itself all the more significant in the long run.