Following his announcement of Dynamic Duo on social media, director James Gunn also shared that Superman’s canine best friend, Krypto, will be joining the Action Comics superhero on the silver screen next year, as WB is preparing to launch its Gods and Monsters DC Universe with the upcoming Superman being the first release. The announcement, made in celebration of Adopt a Shelter Dog month, reveals that Krypto’s character was inspired by Gunn’s own rescue dog, Ozu. Ozu, who had a troubled past, influenced Krypto’s role in the story.
Dogs are among the most beloved animals on the planet, and historical evidence suggests that the domestication of dogs likely began some 20,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic era, when wolves and humans formed a mutually beneficial relationship. We recommend watching 2018’s Alpha. However, despite being loved, only a handful of dogs have been explored in superhero cinema, like Cosmo from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Lucky the Pizza Dog from Hawkeye, and Milo, Stanley Ipkiss’ dog, from 1994’s The Mask.
Krypto, Superman’s canine friend from the planet Krypton, seems to be next in line to appear on the silver screen. The audiences have previously met Krypto in numerous animated releases (like DC League of Super-Pets) and the comic books have seen many of these characters and their different incarnations over the years. Live-action movies, however, might prove to be a bit more challenging when it comes to introducing super-pets and using them effectively, making the addition of Krypto to the cast of Superman all the more noteworthy.
Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, has been around for quite some time, having first appeared in a Superboy adventure in Adventure Comics #21, published in March 1955. He was originally intended as a one-off character, but Krypto attracted positive attention from the readership. He returned four issues later, becoming a regular member of Superboy’s cast. The original Krypto was actually the dog of toddler Kal-El while they were on Krypton and served as a test subject for testing the rocket that would bring Kal-El to Earth.
However, Krypto’s ship was knocked off-course and drifted through space for years before eventually landing on Earth, reuniting Krypto with the now-teenaged superhero, Superboy. Just like Superboy, Krypto also possesses the same powers and abilities, and his physical abilities are proportionate to his smaller size and species. Also, certain sensory abilities, like hearing and smell, are more acute than those of Superboy/Superman.
Krypto also has super-intelligence (approximately human level) and was initially drawn as a white dog of generic pedigree. When not accompanying his best friend from the planet Krypton, Krypto poses as Skip, Kent’s family’s pet dog. In the pre-crisis send-off to Superman, Krypto ends up saving the Man of Steel by biting the throat of the Kryptonite Man but dies with the villain. Since then, many different incarnations of Krypto have been introduced in the comics but haven’t really stuck around.
A more modern and familiar version of Krypto was introduced in the early 2000s Superman comics, but instead of being from the real Krypton, the dog was created on an idealized Krypton that was originally created by Brainiac 13 to trap Superman. Superman eventually overcomes the trap and returns to Earth with Krypto in tow. Unfortunately, this version has the normal canine intellect and often does damage or inflicts grievous bodily harm when combating bad guys since he bites just like a regular dog would, without being careful about his super-strength.
To prevent Krypto from separating the bad guys from their limbs, Superman usually keeps his dog in the Fortress of Solitude under the care of one of his robots. It’s entirely possible that this less-aware version of the super-canine will make an appearance in James Gunn’s new cinematic universe after the director was inspired by Ozu’s playful but violent reactions when ripping apart various things around the house. Now, imagine having a poorly housetrained pet that has superpowers. Yikes!
Gunn confirmed that Krypto wouldn’t talk in the movie, differentiating the super-dog from his DC League of Super-Pets incarnation, in which he was voiced by Dwayne Johnson. To be entirely honest, Gunn has a talent for making compelling characters with few words (Groot being the perfect example) and he’s likely to do the same with Krypto, who is set to be an integral part of the upcoming movie.
Now, just how much influence Krypto’s introduction will have on DCU remains to be seen; if successful, his presence could have far-reaching effects on the narrative. He could contribute to more super-pet stories in the upcoming DCU live-action films and serve as a tying point for several characters and crossover films, considering that he accompanied numerous superhero Kryptonians on their adventures.