Despite its brief runtime, the Superman trailer has set the internet ablaze with speculation about how James Gunn’s first live-action DCU movie is going to play out. Gunn himself has taken to social media to provide some minor tidbits about the film, even stating that most of what has been shown in this first trailer is all from near the beginning of the movie. That hasn’t stopped fans from analyzing and trying to piece together what sort of conflict the Man of Steel will find himself in. Because of this, we have confirmation of yet another DC character that appeared in the trailer, although this one wasn’t as obvious as the rest.
While the likes of Guy Gardener, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Metamorpho are easily visible in the trailer, there’s one small cameo that plenty of people missed. A fan on Threads pointed out how, in one shot of the LutherCorp building, you can see a figure walking across the rooftop. The Threads user guessed that it was Maria Gabriela De Faria’s character, the Engineer, which James Gunn confirmed was indeed the case. With this confirmation, the trailer more or less showcases every major player (that we know of) in the upcoming Superman movie.
While there were some criticisms online that James Gunn’s Superman film feels a bit too overcrowded, it’s exciting to see a new DC Universe that’s lived in, and has a population of heroes already operating. Moreover, should Superman prove to be a critical and financial hit next summer, it will pave the way for the rest of the projects DC Studios has planned to expand this seemingly comic-accurate version of the universe further.
James Gunn’s DC Universe Has Ambitious Plans Beyond ‘Superman’
Maria Gabriela De Faria’s the Engineer is one of the members of the Authority, a team of super-powered individuals who see themselves as above any government or state. The Engineer’s role in Superman is unknown at this point, but a film centered around The Authority is in the works at DC Studios, as revealed in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s initial press release. As part of their Gods and Monsters slate of films, Gunn had previously teased The Authority film as an ambitious film with morally gray characters.
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The Engineer and the team she’s a part of weren’t initially part of DC Comics until the publication acquired the characters and Wildstorm Comics’ publiction. Now that they are a part of the DC canon, James Gunn clearly intends to use them in a larger capacity for his and Safran’s interconnected universe of films and television. The director is no stranger to morally ambiguous characters either, as seen in the incredibly successful first season of Peacemaker.
Just by viewing the initial trailer for Superman, it’s clear that Gunn not only wants to tell a heartfelt and comic book faithful story, but also plants some seeds for a bigger universe. With the writer/director having already brought Marvel’s relatively unknown Guardians of the Galaxy team to the attention of a wider audience, it is now DC’s turn to get more of the Gunn touch.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.’ rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
- Release Date
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July 11, 2025
- Cast
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David Corenswet
, Rachel Brosnahan
, María Gabriela De Faría
, Edi Gathegi
, Nicholas Hoult
, Frank Grillo
, Nathan Fillion
, Milly Alcock
, Sara Sampaio
, Pruitt Taylor Vince
, Skyler Gisondo
, Anthony Carrigan
, Wendell Pierce
, Beck Bennett
, Sean Gunn