Director James Gunn has revealed that Krypto the Superdog will make his live-action debut in the upcoming Superman film, which is set to release next summer and will feature David Corenswet as the Man of Steel. Gunn made the announcement in honor of Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, sharing a personal story about how his own adopted dog, Ozu, inspired Krypto’s role in the movie. Reflecting on how challenging life was when Ozu first came into his home, Gunn joked that it made him wonder what life would be like if Ozu had superpowers, which led to Krypto’s inclusion in the script.
Krypto, originally from Superman’s home planet Krypton, has appeared in numerous animated DC projects but has never appeared in a live-action film. Gunn’s movie will mark the first time the character will be brought to life in this format, and fans are excited to see the dynamic between Superman and his superpowered canine companion.
James Gunn captioned the post, “Krypto arrives on screens in Superman this summer. Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman. Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He immediately came in & destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture – he even ate my laptop. It took a long time before he would even let us touch him. I remember thinking, “Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?” – and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life. What better time to debut the not-so-good-good-boy Krypto than #AdoptAShelterDog month. Btw, Ozu today, is, fairly often, a very good boy. #Superman”
Additionally, Krypto will return alongside Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, directed by Craig Gillespie, which is scheduled to debut in June 2026. This exciting news has ramped up anticipation for Gunn’s fresh take on the DC universe and the introduction of fan-favorite characters in live-action form.
