Anyone who’s seen Superman knows Krypto is no ordinary canine. Just like Kal-El and Kara Zor-El, he possesses incredible powers and abilities that make him nearly invulnerable and super-strong on Earth. Unfortunately, there is an upsetting downside to these gifts. On Threads, a fan asked Superman director and DC Studios co-head James Gunn how Clark Kent would introduce Krypto to other people he meets (the dog’s name is a giveaway that Clark isn’t really from Earth). In his response, Gunn sadly shared that Krypto isn’t allowed to just meet normal people because of his uncontrollable nature.
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“Our Krypto can’t meet people like that because he might tear them apart,” Gunn wrote, punctuating his response with a sad face emoji.
Due to his cute appearance, Krypto was a key part of the Superman marketing campaign, appearing in the film’s first teaser trailer that debuted late last year. Gunn’s film marks the first time the character was adapted in a live-action film. In Superman, Krypto isn’t just a cuddly pet; he aids Kal-El in combat and does his best to defend the Fortress of Solitude when Lex Luthor and associates arrive. Though Krypto takes part in plenty of action, Gunn had to cut a scene where Ultraman punches the dog, as that part upset test audiences too much.
At the end of Superman, it’s revealed the dog actually belongs to Kara Zor-El. She left him on Earth so Kal-El could watch him while she partied on another planet. That short sequence seemingly sets up a role for Krypto in the upcoming film Supergirl, which will premiere next summer.
When Gunn says Krypto could “tear [people] apart,” he doesn’t necessarily mean maliciously. Krypto is a very excitable dog. In Superman‘s opening scene, he happily dives on top of Superman, unknowingly causing the hero to feel more pain. There’s no telling what he could do even if he met someone Clark Kent considers a friend. If Krypto had the zoomies when saying hello to a friendly face, he might seriously injure that person. He probably doesn’t understand that not everyone is built like Superman and Supergirl, so to keep everyone safe, he just resides in the Fortress of Solitude, far away from normal humans.
This is a sad reveal because even though Krypto is a bit of a troublemaker, he’s still a good boy and deserves love and companionship from everyone — just like any other dog. Perhaps with a bit of training, he could become more disciplined and be able to live in everyday society. It’ll be interesting to see how his character develops over the course of the DC Universe. The hard-partying Supergirl may not be the one to get Krypto to tone down his tendencies, but maybe if he crosses paths with Superman again in Gunn’s next DC film, Kal-El can figure something out.
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Image courtesy of Marvel Studios.
