11 DC Easter Eggs In Superman’s New Set Photos

Summary

  • New set photos reveal exciting DC Easter eggs in James Gunn’s Superman.
  • The Daily Planet plays a significant role in the film.
  • References to comic book writer Grant Morrison and characters like Jimmy Olsen, Mister Terrific, and more are present.

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With Superman filming outdoors, new set photos have revealed many intriguing DC Easter eggs. James Gunn’s Superman is shaping up to be an exciting affair. The project will include multiple heroes, with characters like the Guy Gardner version of Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and more helping David Corenswet’s Man of Steel fight Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor — the film’s main villain — and any other possible foes.

Superman has been filming for months, but surprisingly, very little about the movie’s story has been leaked since the start of production. However, given how the film is now shooting outdoors, new looks at the first movie in the DCU have started to emerge. Among them are new photos of Corenswet’s version of Superman, as well as other interesting tidbits that connect to a number of DC characters and more from the comics.

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11 Clark Kent Wrote The Daily Planet Story About Superman

The Daily Planet Will Play A Huge Role In The Movie

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New set photos of Corenswet’s Superman give a better look at the hero’s DCU costume. While the actor himself still has to be spotted in the Man of Steel suit on the set of the upcoming movie, the Superman images come from newspapers found in Metropolis. Gunn has talked about The Daily Planet’s importance many times, with Clark Kent’s professional life as a journalist playing an important role in the Superman reboot, and a set photo teases that with an Easter egg.

One of the new looks at Corenswet’s Superman comes from a story reported by The Daily Planet, “Superman Stops MTA Rail From Running Off The Tracks.” Interestingly, Clark Kent was the one reporting on Superman’s feat. The newspaper teases the hero’s dual identity in the DCU movie, with Clark writing about his own exploits as the Man of Steel, maintaining his secret identity.

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10 Jimmy Olsen Is Responsible For One Of The New Superman Photos

A Classic Jimmy Is On The Way

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Corenswet’s Superman will work and befriend many classic DC Comics characters in his DCU debut. Several The Daily Planet workers have been cast for the movie, and one of the most important additions to the cast of Superman is Jimmy Olsen, known to be Clark Kent’s best friend. Skyler Gisondo plays Jimmy in Superman, and the character was the photojournalist responsible for snapping the shot of Superman stopping the train from Clark’s article.

Having a classic Jimmy Olsen in Superman is a major win for the DCU. The character is crucial to Clark Kent’s story, and by going for a comics-accurate approach, DC is correcting a DCEU mistake. Director Zack Snyder cast actor Michael Cassidy as a fake version of Olsen, as the character was really a CIA agent undercover, which was a major departure from the comics.

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9 Morrison Avenue Is Likely A Reference To Comic Book Writer Grant Morrison

A DC Legend

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Grant Morrison is a prolific comic book writer who is responsible for exciting additions to the DC canon. The writer is behind one of the best Superman stories of all time. Morrison wrote “All-Star Superman,” which DCU creative chief James Gunn has revealed is one of the comic book inspirations for the DCU Superman reboot. One of the covers from the comic book run was also used as the reveal image for the movie back when it was called Superman: Legacy.

The new Superman set photos include a reference to the comic book writer in the form of Morrison Avenue, a street named in The Daily Planet article Clark Kent wrote about Superman stopping a train. The nod feels right, as Morrison will be a major influence on the DCU. Besides Superman, the writer’s Batman and Robin run serves as inspiration for the DCU’s Batman reboot movie, The Brave and the Bold.

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8 The Metropolis Eagle Is The Daily Planet’s Direct Competitor

Making Clark Kent’s Human Side Important

The Daily Planet building in Smallville

Clark Kent’s article from The Daily Planet generates a lot of excitement, but the hero’s workplace will not be the only newspaper in town. The DCU Superman movie features a direct competitor for The Daily Planet in the form of The Metropolis Eagle. The name is the original for The Daily Planet’s biggest competitor, as after DC Comics’ Crisis on Infinite Earths, The Metropolis Eagle was renamed, becoming known as the Metro Eagle.

In the Superman set photos, The Metropolis Eagle shows a story about Superman saving citizens from a collapsed building, “Superman Saves 20 After Downtown Building Collapse.” The image used for the article brings Corenswet’s Superman doing an iconic Man of Steel pose, standing tall with his hands on his hips. It is unknown if The Metropolis Eagle will play a role in Superman beyond the Easter egg.

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7 Lex Luthor’s Arcane Award Connects To A DC Comics Character

Nicholas Hoult Plays The Villain

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For months, rumors swirled about who would be the main villain of the Superman reboot. Names like Mongul, Brainiac, and more were thrown around the rumor mill. Ultimately, Gunn cleared up the situation, revealing that the DCU’s Superman would be going up against his nemesis, Lex Luthor, in Corenswet’s first time in the role. Lex’s presence has been teased by Luthorcorp vehicles and crates on the Superman set, but a newspaper brought a new DC Easter egg related to him.

The Metropolis Eagle’s front page features calls for other articles inside the paper, with a headline stating, “Lex Luthor Wins Arcane Genius Award.” The line is a reference to Anton Arcane, a supervillain from DC Comics. The character is a brilliant scientist who becomes a monster after crossing paths with Swamp Thing amid his obsession with Un-Men, deformed creatures created by Arcane.

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6 The Chocos Cookie Brand Is Martian Manhunter’s Favorite

The Hero Has Yet To Be Confirmed For The DCU

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Martian Manhunter was done dirty by the DCEU. The character is one of the most important members of the Justice League. However, J’onn J’onzz was nowhere to be seen in the shared universe’s theatrical releases — a similar fate to other popular Justice League heroes from the comics like the Green Lanterns, Green Arrow, and more. Martian Manhunter would only appear in director Zack Synder’s version of Justice League, with Harry Lennix playing the hero briefly.

As the DCU is said to be more comic book-accurate than the DCEU, there is a big chance Martian Manhunter will have debuted by the time the Justice League assembles. The Metropolis Eagle newspaper includes a tease related to the character. One of the stories in it was about the Chocos cookie brand seeking factory workers. In the comics, Chocos are Martian Manhunter’s favorite snack.

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5 David Corenswet’s Superman Has Used His Freeze Breath

One Of The DCU Superman’s Powers Revealed

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The Metropolis Eagle’s photo for its Superman news is quite interesting. While the key part of it is a good look at Corenswet’s Superman doing the iconic pose of putting his hands on his hips after saving the day, one of the DCU hero’s powers is teased. In the background of the grainy image, frozen structures can be seen.

Superman likely used his freeze breath to put that layer of ice over the structures to save the citizens of Metropolis from the collapsing building. At 30, Corenswet”s Clark Kent will already have been Superman for some time before the movie catches up with the character. After developing his powers as a teen and honing them in his time as Superman, Corenswet’s DCU hero could be skilled in all of the Man of Steel’s arsenal of abilities.

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4 Corenswet’s Man Of Steel Stopping A Train Could Be A Major DC Callback

Part Of James Gunn’s Comic Book Inspirations

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Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman might be perhaps the biggest inspiration behind Gunn’s Superman movie, but it certainly is not the only one. The Daily Planet image of Corenswet’s Superman stopping a train from coming off the tracks was framed like a moment from the Superman For All Seasons comic book. In that story, the Man of Steel was also faced with a runaway train that he had to stop.

The key difference pertains to the damage done to the train. While in the DCU movie’s set photo, Corenswet’s Superman seems to slow the train down to a halt, the Superman For All Seasons comic book panel sees the hero completely destroy the front of the train as he stops it. The comic book series followed Clark becoming Superman from the perspective of Jonathan Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Lana Lang.

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3 Mister Terrific’s T-Ship Seemingly Appears

Superman Gets Help

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Superman set photos of Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific have just come out. The hero was spotted for the first time on the set of the DCU Superman reboot. Gathegi’s version of Mister Terrific sports a comic book-accurate suit with a white, black, and red jacket and pants. Mister Terrific filmed scenes alongside Corenswet’s Superman, whose costume was revealed to be much brighter than the DCU’s first official image made it seem.

While seeing Mister Terrific suited up alongside Superman is exciting, prior set photos had already teased the character’s role in the film and one of his vehicles. As the DCU movie started filming in Cleveland, Ohio, set photos revealed Metropolis covered in rubble. In the middle of the destruction was what appeared to be Mister Terrific’s T-ship — a large T-shaped ship — though just a stand-in, as the actual spacecraft will be built through CGI.

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2 The Daily Planet Will Feature Its Most Iconic Landmark

The DCU Honors DC Comics

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Gunn is making sure Metropolis and The Daily Planet play a key part in shaping up Corenswet’s Man of Steel. Characters like Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Cat Grant, and more will share the newspaper’s offices with Clark Kent. Different from the DCEU’s version of the Daily Planet and Metropolis, the DCU’s take on the city presents a retro style that makes it distinct, perfect for establishing the tone of the iconic city in the new universe.

Superman set photos have revealed that The Daily Planet will have its most important landmark in the DCU. A smaller version of the Daily Planet globe that stands at the top of the building in the comics and other media was spotted at the entrance of the building. That confirms that the bigger version of The Daily Planet globe will also be present when the movie arrives.

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1 Superman’s DCU Costume Includes A Classic Element

DC Brings Back A Beloved Suit Detail

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With the reveal of the first set photos of Corenswet in the Superman costume came the confirmation that the actor will be the first in years to don a major element of the Superman costume in live-action. The new Superman set photos revealed that Corenswet’s Man of Steel has the House of El’s sigil, the iconic “S,” on his cape. The element was last seen in live-action in the Smallville series finale.

Gunn’s Superman reboot seems to be all about bringing back the classics. As such, Corenswet’s Superman cape features the iconic “S” that has been around since the 1940s in the comics and was part of Christopher Reeve’s Superman suit. After years of being left behind, the Superman Easter egg confirms that the new Man of Steel will add another classic element alongside the return of the red trunks.

Superman Legacy Comic Cover

Superman (2025)

Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.’ rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”

Director James Gunn Release Date July 11, 2025 Writers James Gunn Cast David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , María Gabriela De Faría Franchise(s) DCU

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