The DC Universe has already introduced Kryptonite into its story before Superman itself, and both the method used to do so and the impact it is set to have on the 2025 DCU movie have taken me by surprise. While Creature Commandos started off the DCU timeline, Superman will be the movie to kick things off properly in just a few days.

Superman‘s story is thus doubly exciting and nerve-wracking for DC fans, given it’s the first movie in the new cinematic world, and the first film foray of the newest live-action Superman. As such, it’s interesting to note that a key element of Superman‘s story has already been set up, since Kryptonite has been introduced via a previous release.

Kryptonite Is A Huge Part Of Superman’s Story

As one of the few things the various iterations of Superman are weak to – and one of the even fewer things Kal-El is consistently weak to throughout his history – Kryptonite naturally holds a key place in Superman’s mythos. As a substance that can weaken Superman or be used to justify him losing fights he otherwise wouldn’t, it’s easy to see why.

Over the years, as Superman’s prominent place in pop culture has been further and further cemented, the idea of Kryptonite has become a shorthand for describing a weakness, and is immediately recognizable to even many who aren’t superhero fans. While the comics naturally delve more into this, Superman’s movies and shows also put a major spotlight on Kryptonite too.

Practically every series that involves Superman in a central capacity incorporates Kryptonite into its story at some stage, since it provides a uniquely useful story angle. Indeed, Kryptonite first appeared in the 1943 DC radio play The Adventures Of Superman, before appearing not long after in the comics, and then becoming an increasingly important part of Superman’s lore from there.

Between then and now, Superman has faced Kryptonite in a range of releases, including instances like him almost dying when Lex Luthor uses it against him in Superman: The Movie, and Batman using it to fight him in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. As such, how the DCU brings Kryptonite into its story is a matter of major importance.

The DCU Introduces Kryptonite In The Superman Prequel

While the specific way in which the DC Universe’s story introduced Kryptonite into its narrative is surprising by itself, the timing of this introduction is also decidedly notable. Rather than having the first appearance of Kryptonite come in Superman itself, the 2025 movie’s prequel, Superman: Welcome To Metropolis, brings the substance into the universe in a major way.

In Superman: Welcome To Metropolis, Lex Luthor introduces Kryptonite by revealing that LuthorCorp has found a substance he believes he can use to enhance Metallo, and thus ensure the cyborg is able to defeat Superman. While not named, the rock is repeatedly shown as glowing green and later shown to weaken Superman, making the matter of its idenтιтy pretty straightforward.

The decision to debut Kryptonite here is an interesting one, since the story doesn’t strictly need it to make sense – as there were other ways Metallo could have conceivably been “upgraded” without using the substance specifically. Similarly, the fact the novel ends with Luthor realizing Superman is weak to Kryptonite seems to be a potentially major setup for Superman itself.

Though Superman still looks to be the first time we see Kryptonite actively on-screen in the DC Universe, this backdrop paints a fascinating picture for the franchise. This should also help the DCU feel more like a world with in-universe history that we’re getting acquainted with, since it suggests Lex and Superman have already learned about Kryptonite before Superman.

The Superman Prequel Makes It Look Even More Like Kryptonite Will Be A Core Part Of The 2025 Movie’s Story

Superman‘s trailers have already teased that the movie will employ Kryptonite in some capacity. However, the setup Superman: Welcome To Metropolis puts in place would mean it’d make all the more sense for the rock to be a focal element of the 2025 film’s narrative, especially when looked at alongside these trailer teases and what they may mean.

With the Superman trailers showing Metamorpho seemingly making Kryptonite – and Kryptonite then being held above a grimacing Man of Steel – it very much seems Superman’s weakness will be employed against him. Welcome To Metropolis has usefully already underlined just how weak the DCU Superman is to Kryptonite, as it seems Metallo could have defeated him without Hawkgirl stepping in.

This makes it all the more crucial that the Superman prequel shows that not only has the hero come across Kryptonite before, but also that he and Lex have both noted the Kryptonian’s weakness to it – even if “the rock” remains unnamed for now. With this setup in mind, concepts such as Luthor specifically seeking out Metamorpho in the hopes of using Kryptonite additionally make a lot more sense.

While details like how Metamorpho gets involved and how Superman is able to deal with Kryptonite and still save the day are unclear, what is clear is that the DCU is delving into the hero’s weaknesses as much as his strengths. As such, Superman‘s use of Kryptonite is already looking to be a truly interesting part of its story.