Superman'(2025) Intentionally Teased the Debut of Superboy
It’s clear that Superman is one of the biggest events of the summer and fans of DC Comics have been enjoying James Gunn’s first solo superhero movie. Not only did Superman give fans a version of the Man of Steel that feels new, yet familiar, but it also brought a new DC Universe to go along with it.
Superman sees Clark Kent/Kal-El (David Corenswet) embattled with Lex Luthor’s (Nicholas Hoult) machinations. Luthor has thrown everything at the wall, from manipulating governments to exiling his enemies to a pocket universe, to get his way.
The rivalry between Superman and Lex Luthor is a tale as old as time, but the details of that relationship actually reveal something that might be coming sooner than later: Superboy.
In the film, Lex Luthor has his own hired guns: the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) and his cybernetic-powered Raptors. However, he also has his own personal clone of Superman he can control known as Ultraman, made from one of Kal-El’s hairs. This fact is revealed when Superman tries to stop the rift, only to be confronted by the Kryptonian clone.
Although some fans assumed that Ultraman was the multiversal variant from Earth-3, where everyone’s alignments are switched, Gunn instead takes a different route. As such, this detail that Ultraman was made from Kal-El actually teases the origins of Superboy, an integral member of the Superman family as well as two different teams: the Teen Titans and Young Justice.
This version of Superboy, also known as Conner Kent, was also created as a clone by Lex Luthor who sought to replace Superman when he previously died at the hands of Doomsday. However, when Superman eventually returned, Conner was adopted into the family and became a superhero, gaining the Kryptonian name “Kon-El” in the process.
Most fans might know this Superboy best from the Young Justice animated series. There, he became one of the team’s founding leaders next to Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Robin. However, his relationship with Miss Martian from that series elevated the character to a new level that resonated with audiences.
Given how Superman developed Ultraman to be a clone of Kal-El, it wouldn’t be far to assume that Lex Luthor didn’t take precautionary measures to develop more clones. Ultraman was essentially a dumbed-down version of Kal-El that could be easily manipulated and with this being his weakness, it’s likely that Lex Luthor has prepared for a future situation.
The next and most likely DCU film that Superboy could debut in is Supergirl, which is set to release in June 2026. However, the Woman of Tomorrow actually made her debut in Superman at the end of the film, reuniting with her cousin and Krypto. Despite that movie having an extraterrestrial approach, the likelihood for Superboy to appear or at least be referenced has risen.
There is though a certainty that Superboy could also make his full debut in the upcoming live-action Teen Titans movie. While that movie’s plot and cast remains to be seen, the inclusion of Superboy on the team is actually not that far off. The version of the character in the mainline comics had some memorable runs, specifically with Teen Titans (Vol. 3) from 2003.
That run focused on the creation of a new version of the Teen Titans, following up the events of the eventual disbandment of Young Justice. In addition, that run also explored the origins of Superboy’s connection to Lex Luthor, the rivalry between the team and Deathstroke and his son, Jericho, and Raven’s demonic past.
If Superboy does indeed appear in the Teen Titans movie, then it would be interesting to see how the film explores Conner Kent’s past. Due to Ultraman being a weak lackey for Lex Luthor, the film could develop and expand upon the distant familial dynamics that Kent and Luthor share that Ultraman and Luthor lacked. It could see Luthor acting as a father figure to Kent before he eventually joins the team with the others.
Although, it seems like a long way until fans actually hear back about Teen Titans. Nonetheless, Superman has laid the groundwork for so many aspects of the DC Universe, even with what’s been already established. What will come in the future will prove to be an interesting take on what’s been seen in previous live-action incarnations.
Superman is now playing in theaters.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.