Spoilers ahead for Superman!
The new DCU has finally made its entrance into theaters, as Gods and Monsters kicked off with James Gunn‘s Superman. Rather than an origin story co-CEO James Gunn brought audience into a fully formed universe, including a number of DC heroes besides the Man of Steel. That includes Milly Alcock’s memorable cameo as Supergirl, with the filmmaker explaining why that helped bring even more heart into the blockbuster.
Superman is performing well at the box office, and fans are dissecting every frame of the movie. While Milly Alcock was announced as Supergirl, we got to see her in a brief (drunken) scene in Superman has she picked up her dog Krypto from her cousin Clark. While this was a fun sequence that set up her solo movie, Gunn spoke to EW about its deeper meaning. In his words:
But for me, the main reason for Kara showing up is to show that Superman not only risked his life to go save a dog that was his dog, that so many of us would do, he was watching the dog for somebody else. The dog’s a pain in his ass. He didn’t want to take that dog. She’s off being irresponsible. He doesn’t want to have to watch a dog. He’s having to save the world every two seconds. And even still, he goes to the ends of the earth for that dog.
I’m not crying, you’re crying. Clark Kent’s hope and kindness really shone through during Superman‘s runtime, particularly the way he cared for Krypto. And the fact that it wasn’t even his dog makes his selflessness and concern for the flying pooch all the more moving. The Last Son of Krypton is a friend to humans and animals alike. I mean, he went out of his way to save a squirrel at one point during the blockbuster.
What we know about Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is very limited, but it looks like we should expect Krypto to once again be a scene stealer for the upcoming DC movie. While the superpowered dog had a sweet relationship with Clark, it’s even more adorable knowing that Krypto is actually Supergirl’s pet. In the same interview, Gunn spoke more about why this was important to the story, offering:
To me, that’s one of the most touching things in the movie. Earlier, when Lois says, ‘It’s just a dog,’ and he says, ‘Yeah, not even a very good one, but it’s probably scared,’ it just shows you the depths of his empathy. I find that so touching. Then, when you find out at the end, it’s not even his dog; she just left it with him.
Fans felt violent when it was revealed that Lex Luthor dognaps Krypto during Superman. Luckily he was saved thanks to the efforts of Clark, Lois, Mister Terrific, and Metamorpho. And Superman’s conversation with Louis about the dog’s disappearance was another example that showed just how pure his heart was.
While Clark mentions that Krypto technically isn’t his dog, it wasn’t revealed until the final moments of the movie that it was actually his cousin’s. Exactly what Superman and Supergirl’s relationship is like remains a mystery, but the Kryptonian cousins did appear to be comfortable with each other. I mean, why else would Milly Alcock’s Kara leave her beloved pet with him?
Superman is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list, and Krypto is expected to return to the DC with Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow on June 26, 2026
