Pa Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Part of why James Gunn Superman was such a good movie in that it was a relatively self-contained adventure that still planted interesting seeds for future projects. One of those seeds was the surprise appearance of the party-loving Supergirl, setting her up for her own solo film. Lex Luthor’s arrest, meanwhile, created a hilarious cameo for him Peacemaker and his future appearance in Superman: The Man of Tomorrow. We also saw an evil clone of Superman disappear into a black hole, which some fans saw as the end of his story. However, many others are convinced that this makes him the Big Bad of the upcoming DCU movie.
For example, it is possible that the clone ended up in another universe. This universe could be the DCU’s version of Earth 2, a world ruled by the evil Justice League. If so, the clone could reappear as Ultraman, who is the leader of this villainous league in the comics. However, there is another theory: based on his outfit in Supermanthe clone may eventually re-emerge as Doomsday, a villain capable of outright killing Superman. Cool theory, but when James Gunn chooses this path, the audience will not be impressed. why so? It’s simple: this plot has already appeared in the TV show Superman and Lois!
Attack of the clones
Early in Supermanwe discover that our titular hero has, shockingly, gotten his ass kicked by a guy called “The Hammer of Borovia.” Who could actually go toe to toe with Man of steel? We eventually learn the surprising truth: The Hammer of Borovia is actually a pet clone of Lex Luthor’s Superman that can be remotely commanded during battle. It looks like the clone might defeat Superman near the end, but is thrown into a black hole. But fans have long suspected that he might be somewhere in the multiverse, especially after Peacemaker confirmed the existence of other realities.
One theory is that he ended up on Earth 2, from which he would eventually lead the evil Justice League. However, other fans have speculated that he may return as Doomsday. No Doomsday clone yet stony face, he did wear a suit and mask very similar to the one Doomsday wore in the comics, right down to the goggles. While it would look cool on screen, it would be more than derivative. U Superman and LoisBizarro was an evil clone of Superman Lex Luthor turned into Judgment Day. If this happens in the DCU, some fans might worry that James Gunn is officially out of ideas.
The classic comic book villain returns
Obviously, all new comic book mediums borrow from what came before, so the DCU was always destined to bear some resemblance to its predecessors DC mass media. However, a big part of the success of this cinematic universe has been surprising us with beloved characters that are very different from their previous appearances on screen. Superman and Lois was a great show that all DC fans must see. But if Gunn ends up stealing the show’s idea of turning Superman into an evil Doomsday clone, future DCU movies could bomb Supergirl did After all, why go to the theater for a “new” story when you can just watch the reruns they stole from?
Obviously, we don’t know what (if anything) the future holds for the evil Superman clone. If he returns as Doomsday, Ultraman, or even as himself, it won’t be until the third Superman movie. Of course, we’ll be lucky to have the DCU until then; with Supergirl being a critical and commercial failure, Warner Bros. may completely rethink its approach to future superhero movies. This could mean bringing in a new leader to reinvigorate this cinematic universe. Who will it be? One thing is for sure, this will not be a clone (evil or otherwise) of James Gunn!
