10 DC Characters We Might See in James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Sequel

Superman has become one of the biggest hits of the summer movie season, kicking off the DCU in earnest after Creature Commandos offered a soft launch at the end of 2024. Following the box office and critical reaction of Superman, followed by Peacemaker Season 2 and the hype for both Supergirl and Lanterns, this is probably the best time to be a DC fan in over a decade. Fans won’t have to wait long to see more Superman, as James Gunn is working on a follow-up film, one he says won’t be a traditional sequel but will be part of what he sees as a four-film saga.

The only comments Gunn has made about the movie are that it is one of the next films in the production pipeline, one that could arrive as soon as 2027. It will also focus on a few characters introduced in Superman. With the DCU being new, there are plenty of directions to take the upcoming Superman film and how it could expand the DCU.

Here are 10 characters that we think could fit into a number of different directions Gunn might take the Superman sequel, including fan-favorite supporting characters, iconic villains, and some additional heroes from across the DC Universe.

Bloodsport

Created by John Bryne

First Appearance: Superman vol. 2 #4 (April 1987)

Bloodsport was introduced in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and played by Idris Elba. The character was a world-class assassin, one of the deadliest people on the planet, who found himself recruited into Task Force X and reluctantly became the team’s leader, even stopping Starro the Conqueror. Even though Bloodsport shooting Superman with a Kryptonite bullet has been retconned out of the DCU, it would be great to see the character return and face off against the Man of Steel, even if only for a brief scene.

It would be a nice reunion between Elba and director James Gunn, but also further connects the events of The Suicide Squad with the DCU and allows audiences to follow up with the character. What is even more interesting is the prospect of seeing him as an antagonist. After a movie where the audience rooted for and empathized with Bloodsport, featuring him in a Superman sequel as a contract killer doing his job and putting him in a fight with Superman, it would show that the DCU isn’t afraid to switch up how audiences see certain characters.

Renee Montoya/The Question

Created by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Mitch Brian

First Appearance: Batman: The Animated Series Season 1 Episode 9 “Pretty Poison” (September 14, 1992)

Superman demonstrated that DCU projects could feature heroes and villains from across the comics’ history, not just those commonly associated with the title hero. After Superman introduced the likes of Mister Terrific and Metamorpho, a Superman sequel should follow suit, and one great addition to the cast would be Renee Montoya/The Question. Originally introduced in Batman: The Animated Series, Renee Montoya quickly found her way into the comics. In 2007, the character adopted the persona of The Question, previously a hero from Charlton Comics like Peacemaker and Blue Beetle, who was even the inspiration for Rorschach in Watchmen.

Despite Montaya often being associated with the Gotham City part of the DC Universe, she has found herself traveling all over the world. Renee Montoya’s Question plays a big role in Greg Rucka’s Lois Lane: Enemy of the People, working with Lois Lane to uncover information for an investigation. Pairing The Question with Lois Lane might be the best avenue for a Superman sequel, as it helps establish that Lois Lane has her own superhero connections outside of Superman. The involvement of The Question also opens the door for a conspiracy-coded Superman film, one that could even steer into Clark and Lois’s roles as journalists. All the President’s Men and Spotlight meet Superman is a strong pitch. Rosie Perez played Renee Montoya in Birds of Prey, so her role could be folded into the DCU’s continuity, or they could feature a new version of the character.

Captain Atom (Nathanial Adam)

Created by Cary Bates, Greg Weisman, and Pat Broderick

First Appearance: Captain Atom vol. 3 #1 (March 1987)

Like the Question and Peacemaker, Captain Atom is another character that DC acquired from Charlton Comics and became an inspiration for a Watchmen character. In this case, Doctor Manhattan. The most famous version of Captain Atom is Christopher Adam, a United States Air Force officer who is experimented on and transformed into a superhero with vast control of nuclear energy. Captain Atom is one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe, and the perfect ally and foe for Superman.

Given Superman’s distinction as a hero who transcends national boundaries and disregards border rules, it logically follows that the sequel could introduce a superhero under the control of the United States government. Captain Atom is a military man, one loyal to his country. Even if he doesn’t want to fight Superman, he will, as seen in the excellent Cadmus storyline from the Justice League Unlimited series. Captain Atom is not only a great physical antagonist for Superman, but one whose existence is what many people mistake Superman’s to be: someone who answers to the whims of the United States government.

Black Lightning

Created by Jenny Blake Isabella with Trevor Von Eeden

First Appearance: Black Lightning #1 (April 1977)

Superman isn’t the only hero of Metropolis, as the city is also home to Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning. Often depicted as a school teacher in one of Metropolis’ lower-income areas, the Suicide Slums, Black Lightning has the ability to control and manipulate electricity. He also has two daughters who possess his similar electrical powers, Anissa/Thunder and Jennifer/Lightning.

Metropolis is one of the most important locations in Superman’s history, yet the films often don’t explore the city in great detail. Black Lightning offers the possibility of a Superman sequel providing a new perspective on Metropolis with a hero who looks out for the little guy and deals with systemic issues in the classroom while Superman tackles larger threats that put the world at stake. Black Lightning could even be depicted as an older, more seasoned superhero, one close to retirement, and his two daughters coming into their own as heroes in various other DCU projects.

Mister Mxyzptlk

Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

First Appearance: Superman #30 (September / October 1944)

The villain with the name that is seemingly impossible to pronounce, Mister Mxyzptlk, is one of Superman’s oldest and most powerful foes. He was even created by Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. A fifth-dimensional imp that can control reality, Mister Mxyzptlk can range from a simple nuisance for Superman to a full-blown threat. While we don’t expect him to be the headlining villain (though that would be awesome), it feels like, after all this time, he should make an appearance.

The presence of imps has already been teased in both Superman and Peacemaker. Superman features the Justice Gang battling an interdimensional imp in the background while Superman and Lois Lane have a heart-to-heart, but James Gunn has confirmed that it was not Mister Mxyzptlk. Then, in Peacemaker Season 2’s opening episode, a reference to an imp dimension is made. It feels like James Gunn has a fascination with DC’s imp characters like Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite (who was name-dropped in Peacemaker Season 1). An appearance by Mister Mxyzptlk would be a great payoff to these seemingly throwaway lines.

General Sam Lane

Created by Robert Bernstein and Kurt Schaffenberger

First Appearance: Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #13 (November 1959)

Despite there being numerous Superman films, none have explored Lois Lane’s family. This is a story development that television series like Smallville, Superman & Lois, and My Adventures with Superman have often explored in more detail. Yet Lois’s relationship with her father, Sam Lane, is an important part of her character that the DCU should dive into. While on the surface, Lois Lane’s father being a disapproving military man of her superpowered boyfriend seems very similar to the Thaddeus Ross/Betty Ross/Bruce Banner dynamic of Hulk comics, Sam Lane actually could serve a vital role in the DCU.

The romantic relationship between Superman and Lois was a highlight of the 2025 film, and the sequel should expand on that by delving deeper into each one’s past and family. Superman saw Lois Lane meeting Clark’s adopted parents, and now, for the next step in their relationship, Lois needs to introduce her boyfriend to her father. The question is, does she introduce Superman or Clark Kent? Sam Lane would not only give the viewer a new side to Lois Lane to see and explore her history, but also provide for a fun Meet the Parents dynamic in the sequel.

Lana Lang

Created by Bill Finger and John Sikela

First Appearance: Superboy #10 (September/October 1950)

Building on the idea that a Superman sequel should expand Clark and Lois’ relationship, what better way to build on that than by bringing in Lana Lang, Clark Kent’s high school sweetheart and the first love of his life? Lana’s introduction not only allows for a new examination of Lois and Clark’s dynamic, but also for James Gunn to further explore what Clark’s life was like in Smallville before becoming Superman. Recent comics and the television show Superman & Lois made Lana Lang a love interest to John Henry Irons/Steel, another Superman supporting character we would like to see introduced in the DCU at some point.

Lana Lang’s introduction also opens the door for some of her superpowered personas. She has taken on the moniker of the character Insect Queen and later Superwoman, gaining powers similar to Superman. While her Insect Queen persona was heroic, Gunn could create a hybrid of her and the second one, which was an alien villain, and have Lana Lang become infected with an alien parasite and become a threat that Superman needs to deal with, one with a personal attachment to him. Meanwhile, adapting the Superwoman persona would give Gunn the chance to explore what happens when a normal person is given the powers of Superman.

Brainiac

Created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino

First Appearance: Action Comics #242 (1958)

Next to Lex Luthor, Brainiac is Superman’s archenemy. Yet the character has never appeared on the big screen, but not for lack of trying. James Gunn even said he considered Brainiac as the villain for Superman, before shifting to a more straightforward Lex Luthor story (though a sketch of a Brainiac storyboard can be seen in Superman’s bonus features). Brainiac has had many different origins over the years, but the one commonality across the versions is a quest for knowledge, and to make it more valuable, he tends to destroy a civilization but leave one city intact, preserved and minaturized in a bottle.

He is often responsible for shrinking the Kryptonian capital of Kandor, home of Supergirl. Brainiac can tie into Superman’s quest to understand his culture more, following the dark revelation in the 2025 film, but also Supergirl, who likely wants revenge on the villain who was responsible for destroying her home. Brainiac is the perfect villain to unite Superman and Supergirl in a team-up film. The biggest argument against including Brainiac in a direct Superman follow-up is that he is a powerful enough villain to unite the Justice League.

Mongul

Created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin

First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #27 (November 1980)

When it comes to DC alien conquerors that are similar to Marvel’s Thanos, Darkseid is often the one that fans latch onto. Yet the DCU might be better off going with the other option, Mongul. Mongul is an alien warlord who controls a giant space station the size of the planet called Warworld. he is one of Superman’s most iconic foes, posing both a physical threat and an emotional one, as seen in the landmark story “For the Man Who Has Everything,” where Mongul traps Superman in a dream-like coma, mirroring his imagined dream life.

Mongul’s presence was actually teased in 2021’s The Suicide Squad, with his daughter Mongal being part of the first Task Force X team that died in the movie’s opening act. What appears to be a throwaway character could be a major plot point for a future Superman movie, as Mongul could attack Earth for what happened to his daughter. As an alien warlord with a Death Star-like battle station, he is also a threat that would likely warrant more than just Superman, setting the stage for the Justice League or even another superhero team, one whose solo film has gotten stuck in development hell at DC Studios.

The Authority

Created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch

First Appearance: The Authority #1 (May 1999)

The Authority was one of the big titles that James Gunn teased for the DCU back in January 2023, but Warner Bros. has struggled to get the feature film off the ground. The Authority is a superhero team that takes a more proactive approach, as they have been known to kill and take control of world governments. The seeds of The Authority were seemingly planted in Superman, as the movie featured María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/Engineer, a founding member of the team in the comics. What if they merged a straightforward Authority movie with the planned Superman follow-up?

We’ve already mentioned how the Superman sequel could feature him taking on The Authority. Superman’s action interfering with global affairs seemingly will have long-term ramifications on the DCU, setting the stage for a group like The Authority to enforce their will on the planet, all in the name of safety and protection, forcing Superman to realize that even his good intentions can have damaging repercussions, but also if those repercussions are enough to negate the original good action. The membership of The Authority could be anyone’s game, as the film could pull from the original Authority lineup, their predecessors in Stormwatch, the DC Comics stand-in for the team, The Elite, and even the new incarnation introduced in the 2021 line-up. Either way, The Authority feels like a natural next step for Superman’s DCU journey.