James Gunn’s Superman is out in theaters and a new chapter for the DC Universe is here and it’s all about the optimism and the inherent goodness of Superman. But it looks like the film was originally going to start with a much more violent intro, with Krypto the Superdog being shown in a very different way.
According to visual effects lead during production Matthew “Matty” Eberle, the original opening scene had Krypto being way more aggressive. In a recent ComicBook.com social media post, Eberle shared, “Initially during the scene where Krypto is pulling Superman along, they run into a bunch of dead yetis. Superman says, ‘Krypto, you can’t kill yetis.’ But that line didn’t make the final cut.” I was there.
The final version of Superman has Krypto coming to Superman’s aid when he’s down. While Krypto does some “bad dog” moments—like the funny scene where he flails Lex Luthor later in the film—he’s not a killer. The idea of him slaughtering yetis is a very different Krypto. This gives us a glimpse into some of the merchandise for the film, like the Fortress of Solitude playset that had an action figure of a yeti.
This isn’t the only time a more intense Krypto sequence was cut from the movie. The cast, including María Gabriela de Faría (The Engineer) and Sara Sampaio (Eve Teschmacher), have said a sequence where Ultraman (a Lex Luthor clone) punches Krypto was cut because it tested poorly. Sampaio said “It didn’t test well” and de Faría chimed in “You can’t hit a dog”
Cutting these more intense Krypto scenes aligns with James Gunn’s vision of a more hopeful and less serious DC Universe, especially with Superman. The Snyderverse DC movies were dark and serious, but Gunn has been pushing to bring back the heroism and optimism of these characters. A deadly Krypto, while maybe funny for some, might have conflicted with the tone Gunn is going for with his Superman movie and the DC Universe as a whole.
Ultimately it’s a conscious choice to keep the tone of the movie and have Krypto be the lovable, mischievous companion fans expect and not a furry snow assassin. It’s a example of the new DC Universe where the first moments are carefully crafted to set the emotional foundation.
