James Gunn introduces 'Superman' pup Krypto the Superdog

Superman director James Gunn is introducing a furry new character from the upcoming film.

The filmmaker gave a first look at Krypto the Superdog, a pup inspired by Gunn's own rescue dog, Ozu. The character Krypto is Superman's dog and originally appeared in the DC comics.

"Krypto arrives on screens in Superman this summer. Krypto was inspired by our dog, Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman," Gunn wrote on Instagram.

Gunn said Ozu was rescued from "a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings," causing him to have a "problematic" start with his family by destroying shoes, furniture and Gunn's laptop.

"I remember thinking, 'Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?' -- and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life," he added. "What better time to debut the not-so-good-good-boy Krypto than #AdoptAShelterDog Month. Btw, Ozu today, is, fairly often, a very good boy. #Superman."

Gunn's Superman is a reboot of DC's Superman film series. The cast includes David Corenswet as Clark Kent, aka Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

Superman opens in theaters July 11, 2025.

Versions of Krypto previously appeared in Krypto the Superdog, Smallville, Titans and DC League of Super-Pets, along with other series and films.