James Gunn Definitely Has Krypto The Superdog On His DCU Radar
The co-head of the new DC Universe, James Gunn, will try and leap tall buildings in a single bound when he directs 2025's "Superman: Legacy." But even as the filmmaker reboots the Man of Steel, Gunn is already thinking about other potential characters he wants to bring to life from the pages of DC comic books. With all the intriguing Kryptonians he could pursue, who would have thought that Gunn is showing interest in Kal-El's very own Kryptonian canine, Krypto.
Obviously, Gunn has experience bringing super-powered "animals" to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) is undoubtedly one of the most cunning and charismatic members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and it looks like Cosmo the Spacedog will play a meaningful part in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" after having appeared in the first trailer for this summer's sequel.
Now Krypto is on Gunn's mind, but he denies there's any correlation between pursuing the Dog of Steel and previously handling the Guardians' smart-mouth raccoon. "I think I would have an interest in a live-action Krypto whether or not I had anything to do with Rocket," Gunn said in an interview with Rolling Stone. With an entire library of DC superheroes to choose from, though, one naturally wonders when Krypto might show up in Gunn's new DCU.
It's a bird, it's a plane ... it's Krypto
James Gunn's future lies with what will hopefully be a worthwhile new beginning for DC. But even with "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" just a month away from its theatrical debut, the film's director can definitely envision a DCU with Superman's best friend flying around.
Yes, Gunn believes there's a place for Krypto the Superdog in his and Peter Safran's vision of the DCU. While he knows his time helming the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise helped him hone his craft, Gunn also acknowledges that the MCU and DCU are vastly different cinematic animals. "I learned so much from making these movies," Gunn said during his interview with Rolling Stone. "But it's not like Superman is going to have exactly the same vibe as a 'Guardians' movie. It's actually quite different."
"Superman: Legacy" won't hit theaters until 2025, but certainly Gunn could include Krypto in the film since it's still being developed. "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" also presents another opportunity for Krypto to show up in the first wave of DCU projects announced by Gunn and Safran. Krypto was most recently voiced on the big screen by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in "DC League of Super-Pets," and its A- CinemaScore suggests that an audience exists for the superdog.