James Gunn’s HBO Max ‘Superman’ Follow-up Is a Must-See Before ‘Supergirl’

by

James Gunn is creating a strong lineup of projects for the DC Universe, including shows and movies centered around Superman, Lanterns, and Supergirl. Throughout his career, Gunn has a knack for highlighting lesser-known characters and making them popular – he did it with the Guardians of the Galaxy at Marvel, and he’s continuing that trend with the DCU. Projects like Creature Commandos focus on underrepresented heroes, and even Peacemaker explores a character grappling with his place in the world. Gunn consistently surprises audiences by elevating unexpected characters, like Mr. Terrific, who is poised to be a standout in the upcoming Superman film.

Krypto wasn’t always a fan favorite in the comics, but James Gunn transformed him into a lovable character for Superman’s world. Gunn has a knack for this, similar to how he made the short-talking Groot from I Am Groot so popular. Now, he’s doing the same with Krypto in a series of fun shorts. With a Supergirl series coming soon, it’s a perfect time to enjoy Krypto’s playful adventures, available on HBO Max and even for free online.

Audiences Should Get To Know Krypto Ahead of ‘Supergirl’

In the recent Superman film, we saw Superman caring for Krypto, who it turns out belongs to his cousin, Supergirl. This connects to the upcoming Supergirl movie, which is inspired by the Woman of Tomorrow comics – a series where Krypto plays a big role. Now that Krypto is part of the DC Universe and is popular with younger audiences, animation seems like the perfect place to tell more of his story. James Gunn previously worked on an animated short series called Krypto Saves the Day!, and the team behind it – writers and directors David Gemmill and Ryan Kramer, known for The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie and Uncle Grandpa – are continuing Krypto’s adventures. There are currently three episodes available, with another one coming out later this month.

After the Superman movie came out in 2025, a series of animated shorts featuring Krypto the Superdog began to be released. “School Bus Scuffle” launched in August, a fun back-to-school story about kids on a bus watching Krypto in action. Other episodes were timed to fit the seasons: “Halloween Havoc” offered a spooky October adventure, and “Package Pandemonium” arrived in November, just in time for the holidays. True to its title, Krypto Saves the Day! showcases Krypto’s cleverness and incredible powers in every story. Superman also appears, but Krypto remains the main hero. Each short is only about five minutes long, making for a quick and easy watch, with the fourth one premiering on April 18th.

The newest Krypto short, “Coastal Catastrophe,” is a fun beach adventure arriving as the weather heats up. We’ll also see a lot more marketing for the Supergirl movie in the coming weeks, as it’s scheduled to be released in June. This makes it a great time to share more Krypto content! Even Google is participating – if you search for Supergirl, you’ll notice a red paw print appear, and clicking it brings Krypto’s paw onto the screen to leave another print. Krypto has already been a big part of the movie’s marketing, including a Super Bowl trailer that showed him as a puppy, letting fans know he’ll play a significant role in the upcoming summer film.

While the Krypto Saves the Day! shorts aren’t officially part of the main DC Universe storyline, James Gunn has confirmed they’re still a fun way to see more of Supergirl’s adorable, super-powered dog before the Supergirl movie comes out. You can watch them on HBO Max or for free on YouTube. The latest Supergirl trailer highlights how important Krypto is to the story, and these shorts offer a lighthearted and family-friendly introduction to this standout character.

Read More

2026-04-09 16:17