Although DC’s Superman is renowned for being one of the strongest superheroes, many villains can still beat the Man of Steel. As the universe’s strongest hero and Earth’s protector, Superman has amassed a rogues’ gallery of the fiercest creatures on the planet, all of which are vying for Kryptonian blood.
We know Lex Luthor is going to be in the new film. But beyond Lex, Superman is expected to include a formidable cast of adversaries and antagonists. Nicholas Hoult’s Luthor, who already harbours a deep animosity toward David Corenswet’s Man of Steel in the new DCU, is expected to play a significant part in James Gunn’s Superman. It appears that the original DC supervillain will not be the only antagonist in the first live-action DCU film.
The new Man of Steel is battling one menace after another in the Superman trailer. In particular, a number of enemies are shown repeatedly arresting, beating, and knocking Superman out of the sky.
12. Otis Burg
In Superman: The Movie (1978), Otis, played by Ned Beatty, is a slothful idiot who blindly obeys Luthor’s commands, frequently screwing up. Character actor Terence Rosemore is playing Otis in the upcoming Superman movie. He’s collaborated with James Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad.
If Otis is as hapless as he’s been in previous adaptations, then he’s not going to be much of a threat.
11. Eve Teschmacher
Eve Tessmacher, played by Sara Sampaio, appears at LexCorp and by Lex’s side. In both the original Richard Donner Superman films and the comics, Eve serves as Luthor’s go-to helper and occasionally his love interest. In this movie, her greatest weapon appears to be her social media presence. Will she use her influence to sway public opinion against the Man of Steel?
10. Maxwell Lord
Luthor isn’t the only evil billionaire. The appearance of Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord in Superman has also been confirmed. It has been reported that Maxwell Lord, the CEO of LordTech and a billionaire, founded the “Justice Gang,” a group of heroes who will appear in the next DCU film.
As of right now, Michael Holt / Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner / Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), and Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) are on the recognized roster. Although this is comparable to the comics’ Max Lord, who also established the Justice League International, it’s important to remember that Lord turns out to be a villain for Wonder Woman and the Justice League as a whole. In light of this, it is reasonable to question whether Maxwell Lord of the DCU will already have a sinister side and/or hidden agendas for his superhero team. Additionally, Maxwell Lord’s appearance in Peacemaker season 2 has been confirmed.
9. Rick Flag Sr.
Rick Flag Sr. is played by Frank Grillo. He’s a WWII military commander and head of the Suicide Squadron. Grillo provided the voice of Flag in the adult animated series Creature Commandos. So, who is he in the new Superman movie? “He’s the head of ARGUS,” he said. “But he works beside the Secretary of Defense, General Mori.” But don’t expect him to be a major villain in the movie. “With Creature Commandos and Peacemaker, Flag is a prominent figure in the stories,” Frank Grillo told Entertainment Weekly. “With Superman, he kind of just drops in.”
Grllo is not a physical threat to Superman, but he wields the power of the government in the new Superman movie. This allows him to arrest Superman.
8. Rex Mason / Metamorpho
In the new DCU teaser, Rex Mason’s Metamorpho, who is normally a hero in the DC Comics universe, is seen sitting in a cell with Superman. It appears that Rex has produced kryptonite, presumably through the use of his transmutation abilities. This implies that Metamorpho might be acting as Kal-El’s jailer on Lex Luthor’s orders, keeping him confined by using the Man of Steel’s well-known flaw.
The character “Baby Joey ” is confirmed to be the son of Metamorpho (Rex Mason). The character description was revealed in the children’s book “SUPERMAN: FRIENDS AND FOES”. In the movie, Metamorpho’s son’s kidnapping forces him to choose between working with Lex Luthor or Superman. This is the first live-action depiction of Metamorpho and his son in the DC Universe.
He’s strong enough to incapacitate Superman, but since he’s not evil, he’s not as big a threat as the next villain.
7. Angela Spica / The Engineer
Nanotechnology is the main weapon used by Angela Spica’s Engineer, who is portrayed by María Gabriela de Faría. The DCU’s Engineer, who is associated with the group known as “The Authority” in the comics, collaborates with Lex Luthor, who is depicted in the Fortress of Solitude battling Superman and his dog Krypto.
Spica will have some visually stunning talents and be extremely hazardous, using her nanotech to create buzzsaw creations that will slash down Superman’s robot aides. Additionally, it appears that she will even defeat Mister Terrific of the Justice Gang, who is depicted in the Superman teaser unconscious before The Engineer attacks Kal-El. If she’s strong enough to defeat Mister Terrific, then she’s a formidable foe.
6. Lex Luthor
First and foremost, James Gunn’s Superman is expected to have Lex Luthor as a major enemy. Luthor, who is said to be one of Superman’s greatest detractors, finds it hard to understand how the Man of Steel has gained such broad admiration and affection when Lex considers the Kryptonian to be wholly inhuman: “He’s not a man.”
In some way, he has become the main topic of discussion on the planet. In keeping with that idea, Superman teasers and trailers have hinted that Lex will be doing all in his power to defeat Superman, including breaking into his Fortress of Solitude. Additionally, it has been revealed that Lex will be responsible for several of the other antagonists Superman will encounter, including Ultraman and The Engineer. Though they might not be the only ones with ties to Lex, both enemies have been spotted with Lex at the Fortress.
His smarts and influence make him a dangerous foe to Superman. But the next villain is a physical match for Superman.
5. Ultraman
In James Gunn’s Superman, Ultraman is portrayed as wearing a black outfit, a full mask, and goggles, but his true identity and appearance are still unknown. What is known, though, is that he appears to be strong enough to compete with Superman himself. Additionally, Ultraman appears to be Lex Luthor’s bodyguard, but after Superman is captured, he is also seen collaborating with the military and ARGUS’ Rick Flag Sr.
In the comics, Ultraman was a malevolent Superman from Earth-3, another reality. Although this is conceivable, there are also suggestions that Ultraman might be Bizarro, a perverted Superman clone made by the comic book character Lex Luthor. He appears to have the same powers as Superman, like super-trength, durability, heat vision, and flight. This makes him more than a match for the Kryptonian.
4. The Hammer of Bovravia
It has been established that the adversary in the golden powersuit is “The Hammer of Boravia,” a new antagonist developed for the DCU and James Gunn’s Superman. According to the teasers and trailers for the film, Superman will controversially enter the war-torn country of Boravia.
The Hammer seems to have arrived to make sure Kal-El pays the price for his actions, even though he intended to do good and save lives that were in danger. This is in contrast to Superman, who is shown in the most recent trailer as Lois Lane discusses the unexpected cost and repercussions of Superman’s intervention. His fight with Superman is so destructive that he has to lure the Hammer away.
3. Brainiac
Early in the movie’s history, fans began to speculate that Brainiac would be a major villain in the film. He’s been portrayed as a superintelligent android or cyborg from the planet Colu or Superman’s home planet, Krypton. Otto Binder and Al Plastino created the character, which made its debut in Action Comics #242 (1958). Since then, he has remained one of Superman’s most formidable foes. The name of the character is a combination of the terms “maniac” and “brain.” The inclusion of several super-intelligent characters like Luther and Mr. Terrific hinted at a super-intelligent villain.
The rumors were fueled by a movie scooper named Umberto Gonzalez, a writer for The Wrap. He’s teased Brainiac in Gunn’s Superman, revealing an image from the comics posted to X with the Eyes Emoji.
Additionally, scooper Daniel RPK stated a year ago that Brainiac is in Superman, and he allegedly even included the information in his Patreon account’s “confirmed” section.
Additionally, a Reddit leaker (@wholikesanimations) stated that they had seen concept art of a Brainiac drone, characterizing it as:
Oh here’s a fun one. I’ve seen concept art for what appears to be a Brainiac Drone. Now, this doesn’t outright confirm that Brainiac is in the movie, but he at least has some sort of presence. The drone’s appearance is nothing of note, just a generic gray robot with green highlights. The reason I’m lead to believe it’s a Brainiac Drone is because it features Brainiac’s signature headpiece thing on its forehead. So yeah, interesting stuff.
Brainiac is incredibly powerful. Nothing has been confirmed, but if he’s in the movie, he’ll be a next-level threat for the Man of Tomorrow. Kind of like the next villain.
2. A Giant Kaiju
Superman teasers and trailers have strongly hinted that a big, fire-breathing kaiju will eventually begin to terrorize Metropolis, albeit its origin remains unknown. The several shots of Superman’s fight with the beast have already hinted at some amazing action scenes that will surely follow.
Nevertheless, finding out the origin of this enormous monster and who might have let it loose on the “City of Tomorrow” will be fascinating. This beast is pretty strong, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the most powerful villain in the movie.
1. Solaris, the Tyrant Sun
Several images from Superman’s teasers and promos, including the first official image of David Corenswet’s character, show Superman and Lois Lane embracing while a giant orbital monster hovers above the Metropolis cityscape. Additionally, it appears that Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern is attempting to confine it with his power ring on the screen.
The most widely accepted theory on the internet is that this celestial being might be Solaris, the Tyrant Sun from DC Comics. A DC Comics villain from the DC Universe’s far future, Solaris is also referred to as Solaris the Tyrant Sun. Grant Morrison invented him, and he made his debut in the “DC One Million” event in 1998. Solaris is a star-like robot created to counter an organic computer virus that contains his programming and was sent by his future self.
Afterward, Solaris becomes an enemy of Superman and his descendants until the 505th-century Superman sacrifices himself to reprogram it. By the 853rd century, Solaris is placed in Uranus’ orbit to warm the outer parts of the Solar System and relay information, and is overseen by Starman. Because Solaris was so large that he covered Earth’s sun, removing Superman’s power source, he proved to be one of the most formidable enemies Superman faced in DC Comics. We will have to wait for confirmation when the film comes out because we don’t know if this is, in fact, Solaris.
Which villain do you think is the strongest villain in the movie? Let us know in the comments below!
