Superman 2‘s best villain already got set up for the DC Universe four whole years ago, according to one interesting movie theory. With Superman‘s story having placed Lex Luthor as its main antagonist – in a plot that also brought us Ultraman, the Engineer, and a kaiju monster – theories around who could be the sequel film’s villain are already prevalent.
It’s safe to say there’s no shortage of Superman villains – or other DC villains more broadly speaking – who would be perfect candidates for this chapter of the DCU timeline. That said, one unique theory posits that the ideal antagonist in terms of bringing the franchise even closer together was actually already set up years before the franchise was properly underway.
Superman 2’s Best Villain Was Set Up 4 Years Ago According To One DCU Theory
As the first release that’s a part of the DCU timeline – even if not all of it is still strictly canon – The Suicide Squad is a particularly interesting movie. The film’s final villain, Starro, still looks to be a canonical to the DCU, since the team is established as having gone on the mission that revolves around Starro’s story.
While Starro is dramatically killed by the protagonists of the film in its final act – via a staggering number of rats and a well-placed javelin attack from Harley Quinn – it’s worth noting the nature of Starro means this death could easily be far less the end of things than it initially seems.
Notably, in the comics, Starro has died more than once only to come back – both because the creature is able to transfer its consciousness, and because Starro is able to regrow from parts of its body, akin to a real-world starfish. As such, if Project Starfish is DCU canon, there’s plenty of comic lore to establish how Starro can return.
Realistically, The Suicide Squad shows a version of Starro that has far less control over its powers or body, having been kept in confinement for 30 years and experimented on by The Thinker the entire time. A Starro focused more on seeking revenge for these years of torment and then being wiped out by DC’s “heroes” could be more interesting.
Why Starro Could Be The Best DCU Villain For Superman 2
First and foremost, having the events of The Suicide Squad continue to have a knock-on effect would be par for the course given this has repeatedly happened for the DCU already. This would also provide a perfect excuse to have Superman and many other DC figures cross paths, as the hero tries to work out what led to Starro’s grudge.
Conventionally, Starro is a Justice League villain in the comics – meaning Superman alone facing up against him would allow the Man of Steel to be pushed to his absolute limits were he to face a fully-powered on-screen version of the comic character. This would make particular sense if Starro had been building to full comic powers off-screen in the time since The Suicide Squad in-universe.
Starro is a villain that also works well against DCU’s Superman in the sense that Kal-El isn’t going to want to hurt anyone Starro possesses with his mind-controlling powers, which immediately makes him more complicated for the hero to face. This kind of threat would be especially potent coming right after Superman made the hero question his beliefs and purpose.
While “reusing” The Suicide Squad‘s final villain in Superman 2 presents narrative risks, so long as the sequel’s villain was more powerful or potent, this would instead work in the film’s favor instead of to its detriment – allowing it to build on more of the backdrop the franchise had previously set up for its story and world.
Starro Could Be A Perfect Excuse To Start Putting The DCU’s Justice League Together
With Starro usually being a Justice League antagonist, Superman facing off against the villain would provide a perfect prelude to the Justice League. While Kal-El does work with the Justice Gang, it seems at least Guy Gardner doesn’t want him to be a part of the squad, which may thus require him to make other alliances.
Though it’s likely some time before the DC Universe’s Justice League itself gets underway, it would make sense for the franchise to begin hinting at or otherwise narratively setting up the eventual introduction of the iconic DC team. A potentially borderline unkillable and grudge-scarred evil alien starfish would seemingly be perfect for just that.
It’s also worth noting that Starro hasn’t always fought against the Justice League solely throughout the being’s DC history – with Starro fighting alongside the group in the likes of Justice League: No Justice, and the baby “Jarro” becoming an unusual fan of Batman.
As such, bringing Starro back for Superman 2 could also serve to flesh out the wider universe, in terms of giving the DCU an antagonist who is still morally complicated enough to be an ally to the world’s heroes when the need arises. In this way, this theory about the Superman sequel’s villain could pay dividends for the franchise for years to come.
