“Superman” releases in just over two weeks, and the marketing campaign for the film continues in overdrive. Today, James Gunn released an image of “Ultraman,” presumably one of the film’s primary villains — but fans are still wondering who’s under the mask.
Gunn shared a close-up of the villain in-costume on his X account, simply captioning the image “Ultraman.” Though the superpowered threat has been present since the first official teaser for “Superman,” this reveal gives us by far the best look at the character to date.
While many depictions grant Superman a nearly indestructible suit — whether by an extension of his powers or a perk of Kryptonian fabric — Ultraman’s uniform clearly lacks the same quality. The image highlights just how ratty Ultraman’s costume truly is, with cracked goggles and fabric actively falling off the mask. It’s a disturbing look, one that stands in contrast to the pristine uniform worn by heroes in the film.
What do we know about Ultraman?
Little is presently known about Ultraman’s identity or role in the film aside from his alliance with Lex Luthor (who Gunn states is the film’s primary villain) and The Engineer. But that has not stopped fans from speculating. Trailer footage shows Ultraman overpowering Superman in a number of sequences, most prominently their fight in the Metropolis Meteors baseball stadium. With powers mimicking Superman’s own, the list of possible identities for Ultraman narrows down.
More recent footage has given another hint to the character, as trailers feature glimpses that appear to be an unmasked Ultraman fighting the Last Son of Krypton. This figure, using heat vision and wearing a suit resembling Ultraman’s, has notably long and messy hair, fueling more speculation over the character.
Who is Ultraman?
In the comics, Ultraman hails from Earth-3 (a dimension which flips the roles of heroes and villains) and leads the villainous Justice Syndicate. The villain was introduced in 1964’s “Justice League of America #29” by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. Rather than harming him, green Kryptonite typically gives Ultraman power.
Like most DC characters, has a number of different origins affected by events like “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and “Flashpoint.” In the New 52 continuity, Ultraman (whose real name was then Kal-Il) overpowered the Justice League with his Justice Syndicate, taking over the world as part of the “Forever Evil” event.
At this time, a straight adaptation of Ultraman feels highly unlikely. The character is rooted in multiversal lore that would be a tough hurdle for the first film in a burgeoning universe. It seems far more likely that elements of the character will be adapted, such as his name and basic concept as an “evil Superman.” With trailers highlighting Lex Luthor’s access to Kryptonite, it’s even possible that the character’s drug-like use of the substance will be carried over.
Could Ultraman be Doomsday?
Another unlikely theory claims that Ultraman will be some version of the dreaded Superman villain Doomsday. This theory mainly draws from the character’s costuming. As seen in this new look, the suit — and, particularly, goggles — worn by Ultraman bear some resemblance to the containment suit initially worn by the villain that famously killed Superman. As Doomsday gains power and becomes more nightmarish, this suit progressively breaks until the bony behemoth is released.
Again, it’s hard to imagine this theory will come true. DC already caught flak for adapting “The Death of Superman” in “Batman v. Superman,” as that was only the second film in the franchise to feature the Man of Steel. Were the studio to repeat this mistake by bringing in Superman’s deadliest villain in his first cinematic outing, it would feel like a massively unforced error. It would likewise be strange for the studio to return to the same villain (Lex Luthor aside) two films in a row with so many Superman rogues left on the table.
Who else could it be?
There are a few more Ultraman theories floating around that range from plausible to nearly impossible. One of the stronger lines of thinking posits that Ultraman will be some adaptation of the character Bizarro. This one checks a few boxes.
As stated before, Ultraman’s power set strongly resembles Superman, leading fans to suspect he is Kryptonian in origin or DNA. Ultraman’s alliance with Luthor suggests that the classic Superman villain extends some ability to sway the mystery threat. The villain’s long hair and dirty costume likewise suggest Luthor has the character under some form of control or imprisonment. Perhaps Luthor, using Clark’s DNA, managed to create a Superman clone he can use for his own purposes.
There are a few things working in this theory’s favor. Ultraman’s obscured face in all released footage could be meant to hide Clark Kent actor David Corenswet’s recognizable mug. This would also be the first time the classic DC villain Bizarro received a big-screen adaptation (unless we’re counting that weird scene from Christopher Reeve’s “Superman III”). Though Bizarro recently appeared extensively on CW’s “Superman & Lois,” Gunn would get some credit for digging a bit deeper into Superman’s villain roster.
A similar theory suggests that Ultraman might be a new version of the Superman villain Parasite. Parasite’s ability to absorb the powers of people he touches would explain the character’s speed, strength and heat vision in the trailers. Like Bizarro, this would be a villain who, despite some TV adaptations, has yet to appear in theaters.
Of course, it’s possible that Ultraman will simply be revealed as a generic individual who’s been given Superman’s powers. With the presence of Krypto and Supergirl in this universe, it’s possible the villain will be another surviving Kryptonian under Lex’s control. Some fans even suggest Ultraman’s mask actually conceals Henry Cavill, with the actor joining the new DC universe as an evil version of his darker Superman adaptation. This one seems … unlikely.
Whoever Ultraman is, fans will have to wait until “Superman” hits theaters July 11 to find out.
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