Among the many anticipated superhero movies set to be released under the guidance of James Gunn for the new and improved DCU,Superman: Legacyseems to be the title that everybody is talking about these days.
Not only have plot leaks already flooded the internet which say that the last son of Krypton will arrive in a world that is already engulfed by people with superhuman abilities, but more importantly, there have been confirmatory news by the CEO himself that actor David Corenswet and actress Rachel Brosnahan will step into the shoes of Clark Kent aka Superman and Lois Lane respectively.
While you could easily say two pivotal characters have been confirmed, there is still much speculation to be had regarding the penultimate villain of the movie. For casual fans of the superhero genre, the antagonists they would most likely point to are either Lex Luthor or Doomsday. In that circumstance, those names would make the most sense, given the popularity of those icons.
The bald-headed andsharply dressed mad mogulhas been the opposite of Superman since the beginning of time (he made his first appearance in 1940, quickly becoming his arch nemesis) and as a genetic monstrosity that was storming Krypton many years before any humanoid was on that planet, Doomsday quickly became a well-known name when he killed our main protagonist in Action Comics in the early 90s.
Since then, the bestial entity has had numerous live-action appearances, ranging from2016’s Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justiceto the current-day CW showSuperman & Lois.
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Even though these are some formidable foes, James Gunn has been known to have a knack for spotlighting lesser-known comic book characters when it’s his turn to take the directing and producing chair.
Some great examples of this include his beloved take onMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyas well as the many namesthat he put a face to inDC’s The Suicide Squad,which premiered on HBO Max in 2021. With that factoid in mind, let us take a look at some of the more interesting and obscure villains he can drop intoSuperman: Legacyto attract audiences to the theaters.
Trying to Stop an Intergalactic Madman
First, let’s start with an intergalactic mercenary and bounty hunter named Lobo. The red-eyed, black-and-white outlandish humanoid is definitely not a character that people would expect in the first entry of a Superman movie.
Once introduced as a tough villain in the 1980s who has unmatched strength, durability as well as a surprising intellect (who unleashed a swarm of locusts-like insects on his own home planet just for fun), the muscular and careless fiend has since been re-molded into more of a goofy abomination, crossing paths with names like The Mask, The Road Runner, Judge Dredd, Teen Titans and most interestingly,The Authority(another soon to come DC movie).
With rumors swirling some months ago about actor Jason Mamoa hanging up hisAquamanrole to step into a live-action roledepicting this specific anti-hero, this wacky character being brought to life on the big screen is not exactly a far fetch. If James Gunn decides to focus on the original iteration of the character with unbound ruthlessness and recklessness, this could be a great match for a novice Superman.
Related:DCU’s The Authority: How the Movie Could Connect to the Rest of the DCU?
Killing Superman Over and Over Again
Don’t let the simple name of Gog fool you. While there are multiple versions of this twisted god-like figure that have different backgrounds and motivations, the first two versions are the ones that would be the most suitable for a Superman story.
First appearing in a 1998 miniseries titledNew Year’s Evil: Gogand being the sole survivor of a nuclear catastrophe in Topeka, Kansas, the traumatized man becomes a church leader who convinces his followers that Superman is a modern-day savior who saved him from the travesty.
This statement caused the red-caped hero to pay him a visit. Feeling betrayed by Superman once he realized that the Last Son of Krypton is not actually a perfect god, he was then imbued with divine powers given to him by The Phantom Stranger. He then kills Superman over and over each day out of rage. Only from the combined might of many different forms of past and present heroes is the madman ultimately stopped.
Rebooting this fiend in 2005, Gog blamed Superman for his parent’s deaths.Traveling using time machinesand utilizing different versions of himself to gain powers and grow stronger, he plans to once again destroy the Man of Steel.
He deliberately interferes in a climactic fight involving Doomsday and causes chaos to various timelines but ultimately convinces Doomsday to travel back in time to reset the future. Both routes sound favorable for Mr. Gunn as the earlier pathinvolves religious themes, and the latter route can involve a major supervillain cameo to satisfy those who want to see familiar faces.
Exploiting The Man of Steel’s Weakness
Last but not least is Metallo, a powerful cyborg sometimes powered by Superman’s fatal weakness, kryptonite. While this name could very well be the most notable on this shortlist for his many appearances in print, animated cartoons, and live-action television, there is one alternative timeline story thatthe current CEO of DC Studiosmight be interested in.
Released in 2009, Metallo is first a human sergeant serving under Lois Lane’s father. Being part of a siege to take down Superman (which was paid for by Lexcorp), he then opts to use a power suit.
Fatefully struck by a wild bullet that bounces off the Kryptonian power source, he is brought back to life by Lex Luthor, who drives a hatred of Superman deep inside of him. Mixing origins and making Lois Lane a pivotal point of the story would significantly boost capturing all viewers’ attention.
Whichever villain James Gunn decides on,Superman: Legacywill be a comic book movie that not only kick-starts the DC Cinematic Universe back into high gear but will also revitalize a classic superhero for modern audiences.
