Superman Trailer Easter Egg Teases Big Screen Debut of Iconic Flash Villain

There are still more than six months until James Gunn’s highly anticipated “Superman” hits theaters (watch the first trailer). That means we’re currently at a stage where, as with any big summer movie that’s so far away, studios tend to tease it rather than reveal much of anything substantial. Right now, you just want to get the movie on moviegoers’ radar with some eye-catching visuals, perhaps a villain reveal, and then save the much more revealing official trailer for March or April.

However, Gunn’s “Superman” doesn’t play into that. I don’t know if it’s because Warner Bros. and DC Studios have taken things seriously since Christopher Nolan concluded his Batman trilogy, or the fact that the last two standalone Superman films: “Superman Returns” and, to a lesser extent, , grade, “Man of Steel,” have been commercial disappointments, but the two companies are in hard sell mode eight months from now. The new trailer for “Superman” is packed with action and big character revelations. Lois Lane! Lex Luthor! Krytpo! Guy Gardner? Damn it, Guy Gardner! The entire movie may not be all that packed with surprising moments, but it’s refreshing that so much of it is brightly colored and, you know, fun! Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” was solid and “The Penguin” was surprisingly great, but we desperately need a respite from the darkness. “Superman” seems to promise just that.

It’s also a promising introduction to supporting villains who will likely appear in future DC Universe films like “The Brave and the Bold” and “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.” Some of these intros are buried in the trailer, but eagle-eyed members of the DC Comics fandom have examined the trailer frame by frame and highlighted them for the rest of us to ponder. And one of these villains is an old friend of the Scarlet Speedster himself.

It’s just a solitary blink-and-miss image printed in a newspaper, but it looks like Gunn’s DC Universe will feature some form of involvement from the great and powerful Gorilla Grodd. Check it out for yourself below (courtesy of Comicodigy on Twitter/X):

Gorilla Grodd also appeared in a newspaper in the #Supermantrailer pic.twitter.com/KgRqeRYAC4

– Comicodigy (@comicodigy) December 19, 2024

Who is Gorilla Grodd? Why is he just a hyper-intelligent ape capable of mind control and hell-bent on world domination. He’s been stomping around in DC comics, animated series, and television shows since 1959, and while he’s primarily caused problems for The Flash (a character whose role in Gunn’s DCU is yet to be determined), he’s also caused problems for Superman, Batman, Martian. Manhunter and Ambush Bug, among others.

We have no idea what Grodd will do in Gunn’s DCU, but the fact that his films have room, again, for a gorilla with psychic powers is a balm for the soul. Superhero movies need characters like Gorilla Grodd. They need to be overflowing with silly inventiveness and splash pages. Grodd brought just this to the DC animated universe (through the voice of the great Powers Boothe), so I can’t wait to see what kind of havoc he will wreak in a live-action film.

“Superman” hits theaters on July 11, 2025.