Superman is here, and he is not alone – this time, he is joined by krypto, his loyal pet “superdog,” a felow kryptonian whose powers mirror the man of steel’s. And how could that be not? James Gunn is in the director’s chair, and that guarantees the hero at one animal company, if not more.
With SupermanGunn officially kicks off his revamped DC Universe (DCU). This has no real ties to the dc extended Universe (DCEU), The Darker, Jack snyder-rate that came before. We have had superman movies for decades, but before this one, no live-action superman film is inscribeed krypto. That, in itself, say a lot about the tone shift dc is undergoing, and the kind of emotional world gunn is building.
Over the years, gunn has turned animals into emotional powerhouses in his stories. They do not comic relief or background fluff, they are vital charges, often mirroring the emotional heart of the narrative. From space raccoons and telepathic dogs to misunderstood rats and vulnerable squirrels, gunn’s animal character are unforgettable – – they make their stories feel more humane.
Gunn-Waveerse Runs on Emotion, and Animals are the condoms
Gunn’s storytelling has always gravitated toward misfits, outsides, and the unloving. And in that world, animals often become poignant symbols of innocence, resilience, and unspoken trauma. Take Guardians of the galaxy vol. 3One of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) Most Gut-way Chapters to Date. At its core, that movie is about Rocket Raccoon, his origin, his suffering, and the cruel inflicted on him in the name of “Scientific Progress.” When Rocket and the other lab animals finally break free from their cages in the high evolutionary’s lair, it’s much more than a rescue scene; It’s a moment of moral clarity, the kind that punches you right in the heart, escaically if you ever loved animal.
Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The reason that scene hits so hard is because Gunn isnt manipulating. He’s expressing something he truly believes in: the value of all life, not just the “superpowered” kind.
In The suicide squad (2021), Gunn Gave US Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) and her Rat Companion, Sebastian, Easily The Film’s Most Surprising Emotional Anchor. Despite a story stuffed with explosions, grotesque monters, and a giant alien starfish, it’s the bond between ratcatcher and sebastian that tugs at your soul. When sebastian curls up Next to a grieving character or offers a tiny leaf to bloodsport (Idris alba) as a gesture of love, it is almost embarrassingly moving. Guunn Eve Used Real Trained Rats for the film, and by all accounts, treated them like royalty on set.
Sebastian isn is just there for cute gags. He’d a reminder that in gunn’s world, kindness and connection do it has to be loud or dramatic, they can come from the smallst creatures. In a team of killers, sebastian was the one character who never had blood on his hands.
Story Continues Below this ad
Daniela melchior as ratcatcher 2, along sebastian in the suicide squad
Paws, claws, and kryptonian cause
In Superman (2025), gunn continues this theme of animal empathy, and not just throught krypto, but in the details that might be easy to miss. One Such Moment Features Superman Rescuing a squirrel amid the chaos in metropolis. It’s a deliberate, clearly framed act of compassion that speaks volumes about the kind of hero this version of superman is. For him, no life is too small to matter.
Later in the film, as lex luthor’s rampage tears through the city and metropolis faces evacuation, there is a poignant shot of an elderly woman clutching an other than an other. There are no dramatic lines, no music swell, just a deeply human moment that lands. In a film filled with spectacle, scenes like these ground the story and make gunn’s version of superman feel superior.
That guunn at his best–Layering high-concept sci-fi with small, human moments that make you care not just about what happens, but to whom.
What makes gunn’s use of animals so effective is their presence, it’s the meaning he assigns to them. Rocket, for instance, is more than a genetically-altered raccoon; He embodies deep emotional scars and resilience in the face of cruelty. Sebastian the rat becomes a symbol of pure, non-juddgmental love in a world full of violent anti-heroes. Krypto, cosmo, and even the blink-andy-you-guirrel or turtle in superman all bring an emotional softness that grounds the spectacle around them. These animals are in decorative, they are storytelling devices, catalys for character growth, and reminders of the emotional stakes at play.
Story Continues Below this ad
Krypto in Superman
In gunn’s world, the smallest creatures often carry the heaviest emotional weight, subtly remind using that kindness, empathy, and connection are just superpowers, they who make us human. Gunn reminds us of the power of care. His movies are fun, wild, and loud, but they’er also tender. He taps into something universal – – The kind of love that transcends species.
So yes, if you leave theatre thinking about adopting a dog, hugging your cat, or maybe buying a box for your turtle, well, that fairly the point.