James Gunn Shares First Look at Superman’s Krypto and It’s Inspired by His Own Dog

Krypto, DC Comics’ iconic Superdog, will make his live-action debut in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film. This marks the character’s first appearance on the big screen and the inspiration comes from a very personal source – Gunn’s beloved dog, Ozu. In a heartfelt social media post, Gunn shared that his rescue dog played a big role in the decision to include Krypto in the film, which is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025. “Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted. right after I started writing Superman,” wrote Gunn on X (formerly Twitter).

“Ozu, who came from a backyard hoarding situation with 60 other dogs and never met humans, was problematic, to say the least,” he added.

“He immediately came in and destroyed our house, our shoes, our furniture – he even ate my laptop. It took a long time for him to let us touch him.” Gunn reflected on how Ozu’s behavior sparked an idea: “Wow, how hard would life be if Ozu had superpowers?”

He continued: “And so Krypto came into the script and changed the shape of the story while Ozu was changing my life. What better time to debut the not-so-good kid Krypto than Adopt a Shelter Dog month? By the way, Ozu today is, quite often, a very good boy.”

A character preview shows David Corenswet’s Superman sitting with Krypto on the moon, looking down at Earth.

According to Deadline, Krypto made his comic book debut in 1955 in Adventure Comics #210 and has since appeared in several animated shows and films, although this is his first live-action role. In 2005, Krypto the Superdog debuted as an animated series on Cartoon Network and later on the CW’s Kids’ WB block, airing until 2007.

James Gunn’s Superman film will follow the Man of Steel as he navigates his dual heritage – being Kryptonian and raised by humans. He strives to embody truth, justice, and the American way while remaining true to human compassion in a world that often ignores it.

The film stars David Corenswet as Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer. The cast also includes Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, Sean Gunn, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Isabel Merced and Nathan Fillion.