The emphasis is on teamwork in this second trailer for Superman: Legacy. While the Kryptonian won't be alone in Metropolis, the threat will come from all sides.
The big superhero reunion
Less than two months before Superman hits theaters, Warner Bros. Discovery and DC wanted to wow us with a second trailer dedicated to the man who will be responsible for relaunching the DCU this summer. Three minutes are enough to confirm that director James Gunn hasn't been stingy with superheroes and supervillains (a habit). A big superhero party that will include on the good side: Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced - The Last of Us, Alien: Romulus), Guy Gardner (Green Lantern), Mister Terrific, Metamorpho, the dog Krypto, and therefore our national Superman.
Among the villains, the director of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy has not been left out either: Lex Luthor, the Engineer, Ultraman and a brand newcomer to the DC universe: the Hammer of Boravia, an armored superhero from the East. For those afraid of being left behind by this anthology of names, some explanations are in order.
Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult)
First appearing in the 4th issue of Action Comics, published in 1940, Superman's most famous antagonist will celebrate his 85th birthday this year. A very nice birthday present for someone who has seen many iterations, both in the comic book universe and in cinema. This new version, played by the talented Nicholas Hoult (who already played the genre as Hank McCoy in the X-Men), will retain all the character's codes: megalomaniac, calculating, scientific genius, businessman, and a visceral hatred for Superman.
To build his character and make him more contemporary, James Gunn focused on his scary side, emphasizing a very dark and realistic approach, and drawing inspiration in particular from the comic book miniseries Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, which portrays the antagonist as a manipulative and megalomaniacal genius. For his part, Nicholas Hoult said he was inspired by the version played by Michael Rosenbaum in the series Smallville. Given the actor's talent and the diversity of roles he has played in cinema (Mad Max: Fury Road, Juror No. 2, and more recently Nosferatu), we imagine that he will be able to draw on his character's ideology. #1 published in 1999 that Angela Spica, aka The Engineer, made her debut. Behind this mysterious name, an ultra-intelligent teenager who acquired solid knowledge in nanotechnology, and used it to modify her body, or rather replace her blood with a metallic liquid, giving it this chrome appearance.
A member of a superhero group called The Authority, Angela Spice is capable of shapeshifting, creating clones of herself, and even communicating with machines. Appearing very briefly in the first trailer, The Engineer is revealed in more detail in this new trailer. Capable of creating weapons and merging her skin with her black suit, she gives Superman a hard time. The promise of very attractive fights.
Ultraman?
Who is this antagonist draped in black and stamped with a huge "U" on his chest? While nothing has been mentioned by James Gunn, it's a safe bet that this new antagonist with immense strength is Ultraman. Originally, Ultraman is an evil double of Superman from Earth-3, a world where the dynamics between superheroes and villains are reversed. There, he leads the Crime Syndicate, an organization seeking to conquer the multiverse.
This dark reflection of Superman sports a very different design than the one he is portrayed in the comics. This bias from James Gunn suggests that Ultraman could be an artificial creation of Lex Luthor, created from kryptonite, or a clone of Superman. This full black suit implies that Warner has a little twist planned for viewers.
The Hammer of Boravia
This is the big new feature in this second trailer. A completely new villain among cinematic supervillains, the Hammer of Boravia is a pure creation born from the imagination of James Gunn. But the director still drew on comics to invent his character. More specifically, in Superman #2, released in 1939, Superman intervenes in Boravia, a fictional Eastern European monarchy, to prevent a criminal from stealing a poison gas formula.
James Gunn subtly integrated Superman's intervention in Boravia into his story to create a vengeful character. At least, that's what we can read in a fake article from the Daily Planet (the Metropolis newspaper), used as promotional material for the film last year. According to local media, the Hammer of Boravia attacked downtown Metropolis "in retaliation for Superman's actions in Boravia." But behind this heavily armored colossus with a golden helmet, Lex Luthor himself could be hiding. Another little secret, made by James Gunn.
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