As anticipation builds for James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ to kick off the DC Universe’s new era in 2025, fans who’ve been following the franchise’s content are already witnessing a surprisingly grim tone. In ‘Superman: Welcome to Metropolis’, the official prequel released ahead of the film, Clark Kent’s first major battle in the DCU isn’t just thrilling and action-packed.
It ends with a punishment so dark, so deeply unsettling, that it may define how this Superman approaches justice. In a moment that many fans may have overlooked, DC’s newest Superman has already sentenced his first enemy, Metallo, to a fate arguably worse than death.
Superman’s Battle With Metallo Is Brutal, And The Aftermath Is Even Darker
‘Superman: Welcome to Metropolis’ does more than set the stage for Clark’s move to the big city. It gives us our first real look at how this new version of Superman operates and the moral complexity that could lie beneath his bright exterior. The prequel introduces Metallo, aka John Corben, a classic DC villain reimagined for the DCU with a cybernetic twist. Created by Lex Luthor, Metallo is a weaponized brain inside a powerful robotic body.
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He was forged for one purpose: to kill Superman. Superman fights Metallo more than once in the comic, and the battles are intense, destructive, and emotional. With Luthor’s upgrades, including a devastating Kryptonite core, Metallo pushes Superman to his physical limits. Yet in the end, the Man of Steel, with the help of the Justice Gang, prevails.
However, rather than kill Metallo or even imprison him in a traditional sense, what happens is far more disturbing. During the final fight, Metallo’s body is destroyed, leaving only his mechanical head behind. And what does Luthor do? He rescues the head, not out of mercy, but to study and possibly repurpose it later. Metallo survives. That’s the terrifying part.
He remains fully conscious, sentient, aware, a once-living man now reduced to a disembodied machine part, forever stuck in a state of horrifying limbo. His fate is never explicitly called a punishment by Superman or Luthor, but the implication is clear: Metallo is no longer a threat, yet he continues to suffer, voiceless and motionless, trapped in a prison of his own mind.
In a strange twist, Superman’s victory ends with his opponent not dying, not rotting in jail, but existing in an endless purgatory. As more promotional material for James Gunn’s Superman begins to emerge, one thing becomes increasingly clear: Metallo may not even be part of the upcoming film. Despite being the first villain Superman faces in the timeline’s canon, the trailers and cast list focus heavily on newer threats.
David Corenswet On Zack Snyder’s Take On Superman
Amid this grim story beat, fans can rest assured that the man wearing the cape, David Corenswet, has a deep understanding of what Superman represents. In a recent GQ interview, Corenswet opened up about his feelings toward previous versions of Superman. He particularly focused on the darker take portrayed by Henry Cavill in Zack Snyder’s DCEU.
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“I think that’s the least interesting thing I could have said,” Corenswet joked, referencing his old quote about wanting a “brighter” Superman. However, he followed up with something meaningful. “You want great artists, writers, and actors to explore all of the possibilities. The one way they become boring is if you just keep doing the same thing over and over again.”
Corenswet clarified that he wasn’t criticizing Cavill or Snyder. In fact, he praised them. “They’re doing it so well,” he said. “Whenever they’re finished, I’d love to see the next one go the other way… Where’s our funny, campy, fantastical Batman? Let’s see that with Superman, too.” And now, four years after those words, Corenswet is that new Superman.
