‘Superman’ Originally Included a Violent Opening With Krypto Killing Snowmen

James Gunn’s new Superman film doesn’t conjure up much violent imagery when compared to some of the other movies offered up by the now defunct DCEU/Snyderverse. However, the original opening sequence of Gunn’s opus portrayed Kal-El’s (David Corenswet) adorable Krypto as a very bad dog and a killing machine, at that, rather than simply rescuing the Man of Steel, which is what happened in the final cut. According to Superman’s on-set visual effects lead, Matthew “Matty” Eberle, the cute and lovable Superdog slaughtered several abominable snowmen and left their cold corpses in his wake. Eberle made the revelation about the deleted scene in a social media post, which was shared by ComicBook.com. Eberle wrote on Facebook:

“Several… originally… when Krypto is dragging Superman, they pass by several dead abominable snowmen… Superman says ‘Krypto, you have to stop killing abominable snowmen’… Hit the cutting room floor. I was there 😊”

Krypto already exhibits bad dog tendencies throughout Superman, but he never comes across as a killer, even when he snatches up Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) near the end of the film and hilariously flails the bald baddie around during the Man of Steel’s impassioned monologue. Eberle’s revelation of the cut sequence also explains DC’s Fortress of Solitude playset, which was a toy released with three action figures: Superman, Krypto, and a giant abominable snowman — not unlike the one Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) had to escape from at the beginning of Star Wars: Episode V -The Empire Strikes Back.

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Now, Krypto killing yetis would have been out of character for Superman’s version of the playful Superdog, but it would have been intriguing if Supergirl’s (Milly Alcock) cute canine would have mixed it up with Ultraman. The Man of Steel’s clone was created by Luthor, and Ultraman even fought Krypto in a controversial deleted scene. Unfortunately, in the final cut, Krypto never properly battled Ultraman, who unfortunately did not turn out to be Henry Cavill under the mask as so many fans had hoped for. The Superman villain was still one of the best parts of the movie, though, and the former Kal-El, Cavill, may indeed be a part of the DCU as another character in the future.

Henry Cavill Was a “Class Act” When He Lost the Role of Superman

Henry Cavill in Man of Steel wearing the Superman suit — Warner Bros.

James Gunn’s different and exciting Silver Age take on the Man of Steel helped propel Superman to the top of the box office during the film’s opening weekend. Yes, despite the controversial recasting of the beloved character from Henry Cavill to David Corenswet, audiences still flocked to theaters in droves to see The Last Son of Krypton do battle with the evil Lex Luthor. However, it’s worth noting that Cavill was a “class act” upon learning that he’d no longer be playing Kal-El of Krypton. Gunn said in an interview while appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast:

“He [Cavill] was an absolute gentleman and a great guy about it. He said, ‘The only thing I ask is that I’m able to reveal it myself as opposed to coming from you guys.’ And I’m like [that’s fine].”

Happy Sad Confused’s host, Josh Horowitz, added, and Gunn agreed:

“He’s a class act.”

Cavill made his last appearance as the Man of Steel in the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson-led Black Adam (2022) in a post-credits scene which teased a potential showdown between The Last Son of Krypton and The Champion of Kahndaq. In December 2022, Cavill cleared the air, though, and announced on social media, as Gunn detailed above, that he would no longer be playing the character. That very next summer, the news broke that David Corenswet would be taking up the mantle in Gunn’s then-titled Superman: Legacy.

Gunn’s Superman is now playing in theaters, and the DCU’s big-screen journey has officially begun. Meanwhile, plenty of characters remain uncast in Gunn and Peter Safran’s ever-expanding DC Universe. Should a multiverse truly emerge in the upcoming film installments, there are plenty of roles that Cavill could play, and compelling evil versions of Superman at that, including Bizarro, Cyborg Superman, the real Ultraman (leader of The Crime Syndicate), and Red Son Supes.

Sources: ComicBook.com, Happy Sad Confused