1 Superman Theory Suggests This Controversial DC Team May Be Hiding in Plain Sight

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James Gunn’s Superman is less than two months from release, and the upcoming film has a bit more attention on it than most comic book movies since it will try to rectify the DC brand and get the new DCU franchise off to a strong start. So far, Creature Commandos has been the only entry released under the DCU, and the animated series earned a positive reception, but Superman will mark the true start since it’s the franchise’s first tentpole film.

DC Studios recently released the first full trailer for Superman, which offered a little more insight into what the audience can expect. The Superman trailers aren’t shying away from the huge scope of the film, with kaiju battles to appearances by other notable DC heroes. With the film, Gunn will look to strike the tricky balance of establishing a new universe and also telling a satisfying standalone story that stands alone, something many superhero movies like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 have failed at in the past. One mysterious character in particular could pave the way for a major development in the DCU early on, and there’s some solid evidence to suggest this will be the case.

María Gabriela De Faría will portray the Engineer in the upcoming Superman film, likely working for Lex Luthor.

The Engineer is a member of The Authority, a team Superman could set up with the introduction of her.

While the upcoming DCU film will center on David Corenswet’s Man of Steel, it will also take place in a world full of already-established heroes right from the start. To portray this, Gunn will include other DC heroes in the film. Most notably, Superman will feature Hawgirl, Guy Gardner, Metamorpho, and Mr. Terrific as part of a team seemingly formed by Maxwell Lord, going by the Justice Gang moniker. However, the Justice Gang won’t be the only costumed heroes in Superman.

Based on the trailers, it seems Lex Luthor will also have a team of super-powered characters to go up against Superman. One of whom will be the Engineer, played by María Gabriela De Faría. The Engineer will seemingly play a similar role as Faora in Man of Steel as a secondary female villain, but her nanotechnology powers will set her apart. The Engineer’s inclusion in Superman is also significant because she is a member of The Authority in the comics.

At the end of January 2023, DC Studios unveiled its first slate of films, part of Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. The original slate highlighted the films and television shows DC Studios planned on developing, and one of the most surprising projects on it was The Authority. The superhero team hails from the comic book publisher, WildStorm, and after an acquisition from DC Comics, The Authorityjoined the DC Universe in 2013.

It’s now been two years since DC Studios’ plans rolled out, and there have been some changes along the way. Not every project has been able to get off the ground just yet, and Gunn has stressed the importance of quality scripts before entering principal photography. Therefore, The Authority remains a project on the back burner at DC Studios based on an update provided earlier this year. Since The Authority is an obscure line-up of characters, it made perfect sense why the film was on the DCU slate based on Gunn’s past work. Despite The Authority film being stuck in limbo at the moment, that doesn’t mean the team will no longer turn up in the DCU. It seems the team will still play a role based on Gunn’s comments. Gunn mentioned having characters from The Authority in projects that have already been filmed. So far, the only one we are aware of is the Engineer in Superman, so if Gunn is suggesting another member of The Authority could appear, then it might just be a major reveal in Superman.

“I mean, honestly, Authority has been the one that’s been the hardest, both because of the shifting overall story and because of getting it right in a world with The Boys and a world with all the things that The Authority influenced that came out after it, and also having a lot of characters that we’ve fallen in love with that we’ve already filmed and have that we want to continue their story to see them meet each other, and so it’s been, I will admit it and say it’s a little bit more on the backburner right now.” — James Gunn on the status of The Authority film.

Instead of a Superman clone, Ultraman could end up being a member of The Authority.

There are many Superman copycats in comics, and Apollo is one of them.

Apollo is also notably married to Midnighter, another member of The Authority, in the comics.

In addition to the Justice Gang and the Engineer, another costumed character set to appear in Superman dons an all-black suit covered from head to toe. Merchandising from the film revealed the mysterious character will go by Ultraman, a name that has precedence in the comics. In the usual DC lore, Ultraman is an alternate version of Superman and the leader of the Crime Syndicate. Ultraman appears to be the most formidable opponent for Corensweat’s Superman in the film, but it doesn’t seem like Gunn will go with the traditional multiverse angle.

Instead, who’s behind the Ultraman costume could wind up being a major reveal in the film. Some believe the Ultraman in the film will be Corenswet as a Superman clone, while others speculate it could be Bizarro. Based on the DCU projects in the works and with the Engineer already appearing in Superman, the film’s version of Ultraman could also be Apollo. Like the Engineer, Apollo is a member of The Authority and carries the same skillset as Superman. Therefore, Superman could feature the early beginnings of The Authority, initially working for Luthor before going on their own path, starting with the Engineer and Apollo. Introducing Apollo would also be different enough from recent Superman adaptations that have explored an evil version of the character. It would also make sense that after fighting Superman, Ultraman would form a new identity and potentially team up with the Man of Steel in the future, after being inspired by him to do good.

The DCU is full of possibilities and will have the opportunity to win over audiences after the failure of the DC Extended Universe by showing them a different side of it. Superman looks like the most ambitious entry in the iconic hero’s solo franchise to date, with its heavy world-building that will set the stage for what’s to come in the DCU. One project in the works, despite some hiccups, is The Authority, and while the team may never receive a proper solo film, they might be better suited to serve a role in a potential Superman sequel or in another DCU project.

Plus, Superman may include more than one member of The Authority in the film. Gunn is notoriously good at protecting the major reveals in his films; for instance, nobody knew the identity of Star-Lord’s father for quite some time. The same could occur with the film’s version of Ultraman. Instead of going into dangerously familiar territory with a literal evil Superman clone, the upcoming film could set up something greater by making the DCU’s Ultraman Apollo from The Authority.

“}]] There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the Ultraman character in James Gunn’s Superman, and one theory suggests it could tease a future DCU team.  Read More