James Gunn’s Superman Spinoff Reveals Smallville Character Debuting In DCU Set Video
The DC Universe is honoring one of the most beloved superhero TV shows of all time.
James Gunn’s DCU franchise is continuing to expand, with several films and series currently in different stages of development. With the filmmaker having recently completed filming on Man of Tomorrow, another Superman spinoff is in the works, as more details are emerging about the project.
The People V. Gorilla Grodd, which is currently in production, is looking to tap into the Smallville mythology. A new set video from @AtlantaDCFans shows a mayoral campaign, with signs reading “Ray Sacks For Mayor,” who was a recurring villain in season 9 of The CW drama.
In the video, citizens can be seen showing their support for Ray. According to social media users who were near the set, the DCU’s Ray is supposedly who Arian Moayed is playing in the HBO Max comedy, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe veteran was tapped for a mystery role. As of writing, HBO Max, DC Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery have not confirmed who he is playing, other than that Moayed is in the series.
During Smallville season 9, Dylan Neal made his debut as the foe, an original creation for the Tom Welling-starring series, where he was established as the District Attorney of Metropolis, and was introduced in episode 8, “Idol,” which featured the first time the Wonder Twins appeared in live-action. During “Idol,” the D.A. tried to get The Blur to reveal his identity to the world, as Clark Kent was about to go through with it, until Lois Lane got the city to embrace the idea that their hero shouldn’t step out of the shadows.
This led to Ray’s villainous side being revealed, as he attempted to have Lois murdered, but Clark put a stop to it, and the crooked D.A. was sent to jail for his actions. However, later in Smallville season 9, Neal returned in episode 18, “Charade,” showing that he had formed ties with Checkmate.
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?
Gunn has commented in the past that he is a Smallville fan, as he shared with ComicBook in June 2025 that “I was taking lots of different stuff from comic books, TV shows and movies- and I’m a Smallville fan. It was LuthorCorp in Smallville. But it also let the door..first of all, most people don’t name their corporations after their first name, so I believe it more, in terms of that. Also, it leaves the door open for, was his father, in any way, ever apart of this, or his mother.”
The People V. Gorilla Grodd isn’t the first time that a DCU project has paid homage to the popular TV show. Not only did Lex Luthor’s company get named LuthorCorp, rather than LexCorp, in Gunn’s Superman movie, but it also featured a voice cameo from Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum, who is a good friend of the DC Studios co-CEO, as he played the Man of Steel’s most iconic villain in the DC prequel.
While time will tell who is actually playing Ray in the upcoming DCU show, it also remains to be seen if The People V. Gorilla Grodd will keep the villainous elements or if they are doing a new take on him altogether. It will also be fasicnating to see what other DC players may make it into the HBO Max project, with a lot of details still being kept under wraps.
The People V. Gorilla Grodd is set to premiere on HBO Max, but no launch date has been announced yet, while Smallville is available through home media release and on streaming.
Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Brian Peterson, Kelly Souders, Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer
Directors
Mike Rohl, Jeannot Szwarc, Glen Winter, Terrence O’Hara, Whitney Ransick, Mairzee Almas, Paul Shapiro, Rick Rosenthal, David Carson, James L. Conway, Chris Long, Michael Katleman, Morgan Beggs, Allison Mack, David Barrett, Marita Grabiak, Michael W. Watkins, Philip Sgriccia, Rick Wallace, Thomas J. Wright, Todd Slavkin, Brad Turner, Charles Beeson, Craig Zisk
