HBO Max’s 2 New Superman Universe Releases Officially Start An Era For The DC Franchise
HBO Max just became the home of two new Superman universe releases, starting a new era for the DC franchise that suggests a plan for how the DCU could change the way it operates. Superman is an icon of superhero stories. Due to that, it was honestly disheartening just how much the old DCEU movie timeline chose not to use the character.
Superman had a non-speaking cameo in Creature Commandos, led his own DCU movie, played a supporting role in Supergirl earlier this year, and is set to return in 2027’s Man of Tomorrow. That marks four appearances in the DCU in as many consecutive years. That said, Superman is no longer alone in his corner of the franchise, like Cavill’s was in the DCEU.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
While Sasha Calle’s Supergirl only debuted in 2023’s The Flash, coming from another universe, and never sharing the screen with Cavill’s Superman, the DCU had Milly Alcock’s Supergirl debut in the same movie as David Corenswet’s Superman. DC Studios’ Superman-related releases also include an animated series that is not canon to the DCU, but spiritually linked to the franchise.
DC Has A New Global Hit On HBO Max And The Perfect Follow-Up
Those wanting to get more out of Superman’s corner in DC adaptations will be happy to know that two new Superman universe releases are now streaming, as Alcock’s Supergirl movie was released on HBO Max on September 10, the same day that the animated Krypto Saves the Day! Season 2 premiered on the streaming service. Supergirl was a box office bomb, only grossing $126.4 million worldwide, but that has not stopped it from dominating the streamer. At the time of writing, Supergirl is the 2nd most-watched movie on HBO Max worldwide, according to FlixPatrol. As such, it became an instant streaming sensation.
Supergirl is currently the #1 movie on HBO Max in 23 countries, including Australia, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and many more. While the 2026 DC movie has yet to make it onto HBO Max’s Top 10 Movies chart in the United States, its global streaming success is already helping shift the narrative around the DCU’s second movie.
For anyone who chooses to watch Supergirl on HBO Max, Krypto Saves the Day! Season 2’s premiere acts as the perfect follow-up. The episode is inspired by the DCU movie, featuring the same Krypto-Supergirl dynamic, focusing on a space bus like the one from the Supergirl movie, and including a Lobo cameo — he looks similar to Jason Momoa’s.
DC’s New HBO Max Success Suggests A Strategy Shift For James Gunn’s DCU
David Corenswet as Superman on a video call in Supergirl
Supergirl becoming the 2nd most-watched movie on HBO Max in the world is a clear sign of the potential the film had and how DC still draws a lot of interest even when movies fail in theaters. Perhaps the biggest lesson from Supergirl‘s instant global streaming success is that smaller characters with unproven box office records, as was Supergirl’s case, might fare better as leads in projects meant for streaming, be they live-action or animated TV shows, specials in the vein of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Special Presentations on Disney+, or maybe even as HBO Max original movies, which the scrapped Batgirl was meant to be.
This way, DC Studios would be saving the big screen for its biggest characters, who have more of a chance of delivering successful box office runs. That would include major players like Batman, Wonder Woman, other Justice League members, and teams like the Teen Titans. Supergirl‘s box office failure and streaming success do not mean that smaller characters should miss out on the big screen altogether, but only those who work in movies with more modest budgets, like Clayface at $40 million against Supergirl‘s $170 million, would be safe to bet on the big screen.
As for Supergirl, the successful start to the DC movie’s HBO Max run could be a sign that the franchise might be better off sending Kara to the small screen. She can still show up in supporting roles like her upcoming Man of Tomorrow return, but perhaps a new Supergirl series — Melissa Benoist’s in the Arrowverse ran for six seasons — might be the perfect spot for her long-term. Either way, the two Superman universe releases now on HBO Max give DC a lot to think about.
