Following the success of Superman in theaters, writer-director James Gunn announced that he is now working on the next film in his Superman Saga. Gunn’s revelation means there will be many more exciting stories on the big screen surrounding the Man of Steel and his friends in the new DC Universe.
Superman’s story has set up many possible narratives for its sequel films, which could feature new and returning characters and teams. While the DCU is still unfolding, here are some predictions of what shall come in the rest of James Gunn’s Superman Saga.
Lex Luthor forms the Legion of Doom
At the end of Superman, Lex Luthor is arrested for his crimes and taken to Belle Reve, where the government imprisons supervillains and metahumans. From there, he could end up assembling a league of villains to escape prison and get revenge on Superman and the Justice Gang for foiling his plans.
The DCU has introduced or will introduce villains who could be a part of Lex’s group, such as Circe, Gorilla Grodd, and Sinestro, so it seems like the franchise will eventually show them teaming up against the Man of Steel and his allies.
Brainiac appears
One major Superman villain who has yet to receive a big-screen debut is Brainiac. There have been varying backstories for this character, with some adaptations making him an AI created by Kryptonians. Nevertheless, this villain remains one of the most fearsome figures in the DC franchise, having invaded and harvested countless worlds in his pursuit to collect all knowledge.
The character was reportedly set to appear in the cancelled Man of Steel sequel. Now, Gunn has the opportunity to bring this character into another Superman film.
Ultraman returns as Bizarro
Despite his title, Ultraman was more like the villain Bizarro in that he was a mindless clone of Superman, and the sequels could further embrace his comic book roots. In Superman, Ultraman was knocked into the rift below Luthor’s pocket universe. It’s unclear if he survived. While he may seem like a one-off villain, Gunn has the opportunity to bring the Kryptonian clone back in a spectacular way.
A sequel film could embrace Bizarro’s comic book roots by revealing that Ultraman ended up in an alternate universe based on the Bizarro World. During his time there, he could not only develop a zombie-esque appearance like Bizarro, but he could also develop sentience and become a far more deadly and compelling villain.
Superman and Supergirl team up
While Supergirl made a cameo at the end of Superman, she could have a bigger role in the Man of Steel’s next film. As a Kryptonian, she has immense powers rivaling her cousin’s, so she could be a huge help in fighting whatever big villain Superman has to face in the future.
It could also give the filmmakers the chance to further explore their dynamic as cousins and the last children of Krypton. Her adventure in her upcoming solo film could catch the attention of another cosmic villain, inadvertently setting the stage for Superman’s next big battle on Earth.
Ultraman returns with Crime Syndicate
If Ultraman ends up in an alternate universe after Superman, he could, instead of becoming Bizarro, join the Crime Syndicate like his comic book counterpart. The Syndicate is essentially a darker version of the Justice League from another universe, featuring evil versions of heroes like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern.
By sending Ultraman into the interdimensional rift, Superman could’ve secretly set up a future war between both teams in a crossover event similar to Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.
Superman battles the Authority
The DCU has been slowly building up to the Authority’s debut, having already introduced one of its core members, the Engineer, in Superman. Since the character survived the events of the film, she could return for a rematch against Supes in a sequel, except she may fight alongside the other members of the Authority.
This team-up against the Man of Steel could make for an especially challenging conflict in a sequel. It could also allow Gunn to introduce the Authority and build up more hype for them before releasing their solo film.
Rogol Zaar appears
In the DCU, Clark’s Kryptonian parents are revealed to have sent their son to Earth so he could conquer the planet and breed with humanity to preserve the Kryptonian race. This implies that Kryptonians were an imperialist race of invaders, giving them a poor reputation across the cosmos. Thus, Superman paves the way for Rogol Zaar to appear as a villain in a future film.
Rogol Zaar is an alien warrior hellbent on eradicating the Kryptonian race. This modern DC villain views the Kryptonians as a universal plague. Not only does Zaar claim to have destroyed the planet Krypton, but he was also so powerful that Superman had to team up with General Zod to defeat him.
If Zaar were to appear in the DCU, the Kryptonians’ history of conquering planets could give him an understandable reason to want to destroy them all. Plus, the DCU could then have Clark team up with Supergirl and Zod in a surprising new story.
