Movies

Krypto the Superdog: How Superman’s Loyal Canine Conquered Comics and Hollywood

BBG News

As a fervent film critic, allow me to share my thoughts on the latest installment of the DC Comics universe: “Superman” directed by James Gunn. The film pits Superman (David Corenswet) against the formidable Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and his band of metahumans, but this time, the Man of Steel isn’t battling alone. Enter Krypto, a little white pooch adorned with an endearing red cape, who lends Superman a helping paw while occasionally exhibiting the playful mischief that dogs are known for. Despite his long-standing presence in the Superman comic books for over 70 years, this is Krypto’s debut on the big screen in live-action form.

James Gunn, who shares the leadership role at DC Studios and is responsible for all future DC films as well as directing this one, has experience with animal characters endowed with superpowers. He’s most famously recognized for the Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” series, where Bradley Cooper portrayed Rocket, a gun-wielding raccoon. Subsequent movies introduced other animal characters, such as Cosmo – a Soviet space dog possessing psychic abilities. In the new “Superman” movie, Cosmo’s character is similar to Krypto, though filming involved a real dog named Jolene in place of the CGI character.

In October, Gunn announced that Krypto would feature in the upcoming movie, sharing on social media that his pet dog, Ozu, who he adopted during the film’s writing process, served as inspiration. “He wrecked our home, shoes, furniture, and even ate my laptop,” Gunn wrote about Ozu. “It took a while before we could even touch him.” Reflecting on this, Gunn wondered what life would be like if Ozu had superpowers – thus, Krypto was born and significantly influenced the storyline as Ozu transformed Gunn’s life.

Including Krypto in this fresh DC film series differentiates it from the initial Zack Snyder-directed films, like “Man of Steel,” which were serious, somber, and lacked the whimsy to incorporate something playful like a superpowered canine. Despite only recently gracing the big screen, Krypto has a rich but complex comic book past with many inconsistencies—how this film handles such history is one of its strongest points in showcasing an excellent adaptation of a superhero comic.

Krypto first appeared in comics in 1955, but there have been several versions

Krypto, crafted by writer Otto Binder and artists Curt Swan and Sy Barry, first graced comic book pages in Adventure Comics issue 210, released in March 1955. Originally, he was a regular dog from the planet Krypton, launched into space in an experimental rocket by Jor-El, Superman’s father, before he sent his own infant son to Earth. A navigational mishap caused Krypto’s rocket to deviate, landing on Earth during Clark Kent’s teenage years. After gaining superstrength and the ability to fly like Superman due to Earth’s sun, Krypto was initially conceived as a one-time character appearing only in that specific issue. However, he proved to be a fan favorite and embarked on numerous adventures alongside Superboy, later joining adult Superman too.

In this portrayal, Krypto stood out as being quite animated, expressing his thoughts through speech bubbles instead of behaving like an ordinary dog who could fly. He was quite comical, much like many elements of the Superman universe during the Silver Age of Comic Books (1956-1970). Despite transitioning into the Bronze Age, Krypto continued to exist until DC’s ongoing narrative became excessively complicated. To simplify things, DC rebooted their continuity with the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline in the mid-80s, causing Krypto to temporarily disappear from the scene. However, he eventually made a comeback.

Following the crisis, Krypto, originally Superman’s superpowered canine companion, would reappear in various forms. In the 1993 issue of Adventures of Superman #501, a new version of Krypto was introduced, this time as an ordinary Earth dog with no special powers. This particular dog was adopted by Bibbo Bibbowski, one of Superman’s human friends, and later given to Superboy, a character distinct from Superman. It’s important to note that the original Pre-Crisis Krypto belonged to a different Superboy, who was actually a younger version of Superman himself.

In the 2001 comic event “Return to Krypton,” an alternate version of Superdog, Krypto, made an appearance. This Krypto was engineered by the villain Brainiac as a trap for Superman from a fabricated Krypton. However, Superman managed to break free, and this Krypto followed him into our world. Unlike the original Krypto, who had more human-like characteristics, this new Krypto retained his superpowers but acted like an ordinary dog. Later in the 2000s, a comic called “Superman: Secret Origin” rewrote Superman’s origin story and introduced yet another version of Krypto. This time, Krypto was a dog from Krypton whose rocket veered off course and landed when Clark Kent was a teenager.

In 2011, DC Comics rebranded its storyline as the New 52, which meant that Krypto’s arrival on Earth had a different backstory than before. Instead of being sent via a rocket, this time Krypto was trapped in the Phantom Zone, a place where criminals from Krypton were banished. The pooch found itself there while trying to prevent an escape. As an adult, Superman managed to free his dog from the Phantom Zone, and Krypto gained superpowers under the influence of the yellow sun. However, due to low popularity, in 2016 DC made changes with another reboot, DC Rebirth, which restored many things to their original state, including Krypto’s initial origin story. Once more, he was a Kryptonian dog whose spacecraft veered off course.

In various alternate comic stories and standalone tales, Krypto has undergone several revisions to his background. He’s been featured in numerous animated films and television series, with one notable appearance being as a main character in the 2022 family movie “DC League of Super-Pets,” where Dwayne Johnson provided his voice.

The new Superman movie has no backstory for Krypto—which is great

In this new “Superman” film, we find Superman not starting his story anew but instead three years into his crime-fighting tenure. Krypto, too, has skipped his origin tale; he’s already under Superman’s care and causing a ruckus at the Fortress of Solitude as the movie begins. The only hint about Kryptonian dog Krypto’s past is the disclosure that he belongs to Superman’s cousin, Supergirl, and has been looked after by him. Actress Milly Alcock, who will portray the character in an upcoming movie, makes a brief appearance at the film’s end to reclaim her canine companion upon returning from another planet.

In a manner reminiscent of Superman’s comic book roots, this film maintains an ambiguous backstory, which may provide a more authentic reading experience compared to other superhero movies. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), known for its gradual world-building starting with Iron Man, might have instilled in audiences the expectation of clear origins and explanations. However, those familiar with superhero comics, with their complex histories and often conflicting lore, will confirm that this is not always the case. Frequently, it’s better to embrace the unexplained elements, such as Superman’s dog Krypto, who appears in some stories but not others, serving merely as part of the fictional universe ready to be explored.

Incorporating Krypto into the storyline, Superman is bringing a distinctive (though perhaps less mainstream) aspect of his character’s lore to life, banking on viewers embracing this element. Although this approach might confuse newcomers, it offers a welcome departure from the norm. This small white dog symbolizes the expansive range of superhero narratives that can flourish when the focus is on creating an entertaining adventure rather than laboriously detailing the backstory of every hero, villain, and, indeed, pet.

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2025-07-11 00:06

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