Recently, director James Gunn revealed that Krypto the Superdog will join the cast of Superman. As a lifelong Superman fan, this filled me with optimism. Superman is at his best when he’s allowed to be an optimistic beacon of hope, and including Krypto demonstrates just how much Gunn understands that aspect of his character. After all, yes, it is nonsensical that Jor-El and Lara would send their toddler’s dog to Earth with him. However, it is also fun.

I’ll confess my bias; I grew up watching Krypto the Superdog, an animated series featuring a talking Krypto.

In this iteration, he has more in common with Superman; both leave Krypton as babies and reunite once older. It was produced by Alan Burnett and Pauld DIni, who worked on Batman: The Animated Series, but it had more in common with the older Hanna Barbera DC cartoons. Equally cheesy and heartwarming, the series emphasizes the lighthearted nature of Superman content. Just take this scene where the two meet again as an example:

While Krypto is a huge part of Superman’s life both in animation and in the comics, he’s yet to appear in a feature film. Smallville alluded to him in an episode where Clark Kent adopted a golden retriever, but he was an ordinary, albeit adorable Earth dog.

Gunn’s inclusion of Krypto is a major milestone for the character, and it has me terrified. Recently, a theory has been floated around that Krypto could face a tragic fate to drive Superman’s story forward, a la John Wick. Though this could make an interesting motive, I don’t know if I have the heart to watch Krypto die.

Superman’s Krypto Death Theory Would Be A Tragic Opening For The DC Universe

After the reveal that Krypto was joining the DCU, user @hernandy_s took to Twitter to share a heartbreaking thought: Krypto will not survive Superman. They posted a photo of Superman in handcuffs as well as a photo of him with Krypto, along with the caption, “Hirohiko Araki once said the best way to show an audience how evil a villain is… is by having him brutally murder a dog.“

While this would certainly be a way to convey just how heavy the stakes of Superman are, I struggle with the idea of killing off Krypto unless significant ramifications are attached. The reason that John Wick successfully pulled off such a tragic story was that the plot avenged the poor pup and then some, factoring in the sequels. That is to say, Superman needs to have a good reason if Krypto is offed to progress the story.

As much as I love that good boy, even I can accept that losses can deepen a story. Having Clark lose his best friend would certainly open the DCU on a heavy, albeit emotionally resonant note.

Killing Off Krypto In The Superman Movie Is In Line With James Gunn’s Previous Superhero Movies

Krypto isn’t Gunn’s first foray into depicting adorable animals. While his recent Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy comes to mind, it is also important to note that he wrote not one but two Scooby-Doo movies. Few canine protagonists are so iconic. He may not have won any Oscars for those movies, but they did establish that he had an affectionate nature towards writing pets. Fast-forwarding to Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn more than demonstrated his care for animal characters.

Rocket Raccoon has one of the best arcs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, going from a lonely, hurt individual to a leader, a valued team member, and an Avenger. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 furthers this characterization by revealing his history as a test subject, alongside a cast of adorable animal friends. Unfortunately, Rocket was the only survivor out of his friends; however, Gunn wrote them not as one-note cute animals, but as characters. Obviously, they were inherently more sympathetic to audience members as truly innocent creatures, but he still gave us a reason to care.

Sadly, that may not bode well for our pal Krypto. Gunn has brought in adorable animal sidekicks for the sole purpose of killing them off to further another character’s development. He could very well intend the same fate for Krypto. The consolation prize here is that Gunn loves animals. Not only does his work treat animals with kindness, but he himself does. The director is a longtime dog owner, who often features his pets in his films. If Krypto does die, Gunn will hopefully give him a reverent send-off.

Why Krypto Likely Won’t Die In Superman – But Could Be Doomed In The DCU Anyway

Moreover, there is a precedent for Krypto not making it out of conflict unscathed. Even if he survives the first DCU film, he might not make it much further. The very story that Superman’s sequel, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, is based on features Krypto getting mortally wounded. After spending time on Earth with Clark, the pup travels with Supergirl, and he is unfortunately shot with a poisoned arrow. Kara then journeys to rescue him. Long story very much short, he does survive in this comic, but his injury is a huge part of the story. If the film adapts this plot, Krypto may not fare so well.

As a labrador owner myself, it is my sincerest hope that Krypto survives Superman. His death could be a relatable motivator for Clark, but that doesn’t necessarily outweigh the adorability of letting Superman have a canine sidekick.

Superman releases on July 11, 2025.

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