James Gunn Breaks Silence on Leaked Toy Spoilers for Superman Reboot

James Gunn has come out to address the leaked toys that have surfaced online for Superman, exclaiming that they don’t actually spoil the film, despite revealing the identity of one of the film’s villains. The film, which stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent, will be the beginning of a new DC cinematic universe and introduce a bevy of iconic comic book characters. One of those is a villain that fans of the source material will instantly recognize, as revealed in the spoiler-y toy leaks. Potential spoilers ahead.

A toy listing for Superman made its way online over the weekend, leading fans to find out that Ultraman, an alternate universe version of Superman in the comics, is in the film. This coincides with a masked stunt person suiting as a mysterious character with a large U symbol fighting the Kryptionian hero on the set of the film. Despite the seemingly big reveal, Gunn went to Threads to dispel any belief that the toy listing spoils the film. In fact, the director reveals he has to approve them before they become public.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about but I have to okay all the toys. And I don’t think any of them spoil anything.”

It should be kept in mind that it seems the movie version of Ultraman will be different from the comics, as teased by a completely unfamiliar outfit seen on set. Some fans speculate that he is instead a lesser clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), who Gunn insists is the true villain of the film. The aforementioned toy listing also included “Lex Luxor with Baby Kaiju,” so perhaps there is an even greater mystery at play here. After introducing Starro in The Suicide Squad, it seems Gunn simply loves putting kaiju on the big screen, and we can’t blame him.

The trailer for Superman is not out yet, but many expect it to arrive before the end of the year. Gunn himself has teased several times that fans would be getting the first footage of Superman sooner rather than later. That said, it’s unclear if the trailer’s debut will be tied to an existing movie release sometime this year. The last major contention of 2024, CCXP, which takes place in Brazil, could be when audiences get their first look at Gunn’s Superman. The event runs from December 5 to 8, so perhaps we could finally see Corenswet in action as the Kryptonian hero.

In addition to Corenswet as Superman, the film features Hoult as Lex Luthor, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Hawgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, and many, many more DC characters in what appears to be a jam-packed solo film. The main villain group facing Superman appears to be the Authority, which is getting their own film in the DCU at some point. Ultraman, as revealed in the toy leaks, is expected to form part of that team of villains and anti-heroes. This is primarily speculation, but every set image and leak points to Luthor not being the only villain terrorizing Superman in the reboot. It’s unclear who is playing Ultraman, although some fans think Corenswet himself may be pulling double-duty on screen.