On June 11, 2025, a new trailer for the upcoming Superman-movie by James Gunn has been released. As usual, many details and hidden hints can be discovered. One particularly interesting aspect seems to show a new villain, but who could that be?
The most famous villain in the Superman universe is Lex Luthor. Instead of using brute force, he tries to defeat the great hero with intelligence and sneaky tricks. In the new movie, which will premiere in Germany on July 10, 2025, the CEO of Lexcorp will once again serve as an opponent. This time played by Nicholas Hoult.
However, the new trailer also shows an interesting foe. In a short scene, a character uses the heat vision known from Superman against the hero. But it is not exactly clear who that might be. There are several theories about it.
You can see the new trailer here:
Superman has many opponents with Superman powers
Who could it be? Based on the previous trailers and the significant screen time that Lex Luthor has, it can be assumed that he will ensure that this unknown opponent appears or even gets created. Comic movies like to take well-known characters and alter their origin story.
Who the villain with the laser eyes is, is difficult to answer since there are several possibilities.
A quite plausible idea is that it is Ultraman without a mask. In the previous trailer, a masked figure can be seen with Lex, who has a “U” as a symbol. In the comics, Ultraman has a similar symbol and is an alternative, evil version of the hero.
Though he dresses like Superman in past stories, the masking could prepare for a plot twist. At the beginning of the trailer, one can also see how Clark is pushed down by a guy with gloves; these are also clues for Ultraman.
Another possibility, speculated by comicbookmovie.com, is the Ultra-Humanite. He was a significant opponent of Superman even before Lex, a mad scientist who modified his own body.
There are also other speculations from fans.
There are more candidates
What other theories are there? On x.com, @DCUHypeGuy posted more fan theories. Among them are:
- The alien Lobo, although that’s quite unlikely because Lobo is supposed to appear in the upcoming Supergirl film.
- The Kryptonian General Zod, who was also seen as an opponent in Man of Steel.
- Ulysses was sent by his parents to another dimension to save him. However, when his dimension is destroyed, he becomes the villain.
- The well-known Superman clone Bizarro. Originally created by Lex Luthor, he is a failed imitation of the hero who is not fundamentally evil.
What does MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes think of the theories? I find Lobo and Zod quite unlikely because on one hand, Lobo has already been confirmed for another film, and on the other hand, Zod was already the villain in Man of Steel. I don’t think they would recycle him.
However, a new version of Ultraman, Ulysses, or Bizarro seems likely because all three function as a counterpoint to Superman, and one can assume that in the new film, James Gunn will play around with the concept Superman
. One of the most important Superman stories is, ironically, his death: One of the most powerful heroes died 32 years ago, and his death is still one of the most important stories of Superman
