Is Ultraman the Surprising Return of Superman’s Most Hated Villain?

One possible villain for Superman in the upcoming movie could be a notorious DC film antagonist who hasn’t been seen in live-action for 38 years. With high anticipation from both dedicated fans and casual viewers, and with renowned superhero writer and director James Gunn leading the project, Superman promises to bring many unexpected twists. Many of these surprises may be connected to the impressive cast of Superman, which will introduce several significant DC Universe characters.

In the movie Superman, you’ll find a rich cast of characters, some well-known and others who may not be immediately recognizable. The Justice Gang is made up of four superheroes who haven’t had much screen time before, and this film introduces at least six adversaries for Superman to face. These adversaries include Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Maria Gabriela de Faría as the Engineer, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., a character from Boravia known as the Hammer, Ultraman, and a kaiju. Among these adversaries, Ultraman and the Hammer of Boravia are shrouded in mystery because their comic book origins are not well-defined.

Ultraman Might Be A New Version Of Superman IV’s Nuclear Man

Ultraman Might Be A Different Superman Knockoff Than His Comic Book Namesake

Ultraman shares his name with Superman from an alternate universe in Earth-3, who leads the Crime Syndicate. Since the DC Universe (DCU) has just begun to delve into the multiverse in The Flash, it seems unlikely that the Gods and Monsters chapter will introduce multiversal characters right away. Thus, Ultraman could be a clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor, or another villain disguised as Superman. However, instead of traditional adversaries like Bizarro, Doomsday, or Cyborg Superman, the Superman in James Gunn’s universe might surprise us with the revelation that Ultraman is similar to Superman IV: The Quest for Peace’s Nuclear Man.

In the trailers for Superman, it appears that Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor has a fascination with genetic engineering, as indicated by Metamorpho’s capture. It is possible that the colossal fire-breathing creature, the Engineer’s advanced body, and Ultraman’s overpowering strength are all products of Luthor’s experiments. If this is correct, then Ultraman might be a genetically engineered Superman clone, serving as Lex Luthor’s subordinate, much like Nuclear Man, who was created from Superman’s DNA by Luthor in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace to function as his henchman.

James Gunn’s Superman Trailers May Have Teased Nuclear Man’s Weakness Change

Ultraman’s Fully Masked Appearance May Have An In-Universe Purpose

In “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace,” instead of being empowered by sunlight like Superman, the villain Nuclear Man weakens when he is not in sunlight. To vanquish the antagonist, Superman, played by Christopher Reeve, soars into space and manipulates the moon to block the sun, causing a temporary eclipse and diminishing Nuclear Man’s power. He then hurls Nuclear Man into a reactor, transforming him into a living battery. In James Gunn’s version of DCU, Ultraman is completely masked, while Nuclear Man might lose his powers when exposed to daylight.

The trailers for Superman highlight that the Man of Steel relies on the healing power of sunlight, which the robots in the Fortress of Solitude hastily provide when he arrives injured. This not only establishes David Corenswet’s Superman as having similar powers and vulnerabilities to his comic book counterpart, but it also suggests a future scene where Ultraman’s suit and mask are destroyed, revealing his artificially-created body to the sunlight, potentially weakening him.

Superman Adapting Nuclear Man Would Be The Best Display Of Skill For James Gunn’s DCU

Nuclear Man’s DCU Reimagining Would Prove James Gunn’s Franchise Can Tackle Any Character

Reworking Superman’s interpretation of the Nuclear Man character from the controversial Superman IV: The Quest for Peace could demonstrate that James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU has the ability to reimagine even the most debated or overlooked characters effectively. This is significant because Superman was the first live-action movie installment in the DCU, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is considered one of the least successful superhero films to date. By presenting a contemporary take on the generally disliked Nuclear Man, the DCU would gain credibility to explore other daring ideas and forgotten characters, not just in future Superman sequels, but also throughout the broader DC Universe.

2025-05-23 16:39