Superman had one extremely controversial storyline, but there is one way for the DC Universe to walk back on it, and to do so, a major villain could enter the franchise, which has just been teased. James Gunn’s Superman box office might not be exactly where many thought it would be, as the film will likely not outgross Man of Steel.

However, after the Superman movie’s ending, DC has set up many exciting paths for how David Corenswet’s Clark Kent could come back for more, and I’m convinced a Superman sequel could do even better at the box office after the fine work establishing the character and his world in Superman. Gunn packed in quite a few DC references and connections in Superman.

Interestingly, like The Batman and the MCU Spider-Man franchise before it, Gunn’s Superman chose not to tell the hero’s origin story, though key details were still revealed by the film. One of the most crucial storylines in the first DCU movie is related to Kal-El’s origin, and it has become a major controversy. Well, DC could resolve that situation with one twist.

Superman Revealed A Very Different Story For Kal-El’s Parents

Superman starts with David Corenswet’s Clark Kent being taken to the Fortress of Solitude to be treated after his fight with the Hammer of Boravia. There, we learn about his past, as Superman likes to watch a message from his Kryptonian parents, Bradley Cooper’s Jor-El and Angela Sarafyan’s Lara Lor-Van. It gives him comfort for a key reason.

Superman thinks he was sent to Earth when Krypton was dying not only to live, but also to be the planet’s protector with his immense powers. He felt his reason to be good came from his parents in that way. However, Lex Luthor would reveal to that world that it was not true, as the Engineer recovered a corrupted portion of the message.

In it, Superman’s Kryptonian parents reveal that Kal-El should conquer the world to continue Krypton’s legacy. Given how that message was recovered by Lex and his team, I was obviously skeptical at first. However, it would later be revealed to be accurate by Mister Terrific, who claimed that the scientists who worked to prove its veracity could be trusted.

I Was Not A Fan Of The Explanation For Superman Coming To Earth

First off, there are two sides to the controversial Superman movie reveal. On the one hand, I totally get what James Gunn set out to do. By making Clark’s Kryptonian parents villains in the eyes of the Earth’s population, the DC movie recontextualizes Clark’s decision to become Superman. It is not his mission to be a hero. Clark chooses to be good.

By the end of the movie, with Superman’s origin plot twist out, Clark is actively going against what his birth parents wanted, instead choosing to focus on his human side and be Earth’s protector. To that end, the controversial storyline has a point and works well. However, I could not help but keep hoping the message was false until the end.

While Gunn’s idea for the DCU Superman’s origin works, it comes at the cost of two characters. In the comics and other adaptations, Jor-El and Lara are two extremely loving characters who try to save Krypton and their son with all they have. By making the decision it went for in Superman, the DCU loses what made those characters beloved.

DC Might Have Already Set Up The Perfect Solution To Superman’s Most Controversial Reveal

While Gunn has since maintained that Lex Luthor was not lying and that the recording is real, I believe there is a perfect explanation for how Jor-El and Lara could be revealed to not have said what appears in the message. With Superman coming to digital, a few featurettes have been released. One of them has sparked many DCU theories.

In the Adventures in the Making of Superman behind-the-scenes featurette that was released ahead of Superman‘s VOD arrival, a couple of interesting storyboards caught my eye. While Milly Alcock’s Supergirl debuts in the DC movie — not in Superman‘s post-credits scene, like many had theorized — we never see her fly alongside David Corenswet’s Man of Steel.

However, there is a storyboard with Corenswet’s Superman, Alcock’s Supergirl, and Krypto flying together. Right beneath it, we can see what appears to be half of Brainiac’s head. If that is indeed a tease that the villain is coming to the DCU, then he could be behind the message.

Brainiac is so technologically advanced that he could have manipulated the footage of Superman’s parents, making it seem real. As such, that would explain why Earth’s scientists could not tell that it was fake, thus opening the door for a retcon of the controversial storyline.

When Brainiac Could Debut In James Gunn’s DC Universe

If Brainiac is coming to the DCU, then a Superman sequel feels like the ideal place for him to appear. Gunn has confirmed that he is writing a Superman sequel of sorts. Those comments have evolved into what appears to be a “Super family” movie where David Corenswet’s Superman plays a key role. Gunn recently confirmed the Superman Saga.

With Milly Alcock’s Supergirl set to lead her own solo movie in 2026, that project could tease a team-up movie with Supergirl, Superman, and Krypto, as shown in the DC storyboard. Given how Supergirl’s backstory is often connected to Brainiac in multiple adaptations, it would make sense for the superhero cousins to join forces against him in a Superman sequel.