James Gunn Just Rebooted The Weirdest Bit of Superman Canon

In the newest tease for James Gunn’s new Superman reboot film, we see the eponymous Man of Steel being carried into the Fortress of Solitude by several helpful robots. There’s a lot going on in this scene, but one thing is clear: For the first time since 2006’s Superman Returns, we’re getting a cinematic version of the Fortress of Solitude. But, on top of that, these Kryptonian robots have a murky and fascinating origin within Superman comics.

Here’s why this new Fortress of Solitude is such a big deal and why those robots seem to be inspired by a very formative run of Superman comics from 1987.

Superman (2025) Sneak Peek

In an extended preview scene from Superman, we see Krypto the Superdog haul a wounded Kal-El (David Corenswet) off to the Fortress of Solitude. Although versions of the Fortress of Solitude were depicted in the CW Supergirl, none of the DCEU/Zack Snyder/Henry Cavill Superman films had a Fortress of Solitude. So, in the clip, having Krypto drag Supe to a new crystalline version of the Fortress is the first time there’s been a Fortress of Solitude on the big screen in nearly 20 years, back when Brandon Routh was Superman.

And, unlike the Fortress occupied by Routh or Christopher Reeve, this version has those aforementioned robots helping get Superman back on his feet after some kind of massive fight. But where do these robots come from?

Superman’s Kryptonian Robots, Explained

Because Superman’s home planet, Krypton, had a red sun, Superman derives his powers from the yellow sun of our solar system. The robots in the new clip from the movie give Supe an extra dose of yellow sun energy.

Although Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938, it wasn’t until March 1960 in Action Comics #262 when it was revealed that both Superman and Supergirl got their powers from a yellow sun. But that’s not the weirdest bit of old-school canon here.

Instead, the idea that Superman could have random robot servants is most likely inspired by a different comic series, the 1987-1988 run of The World of Krypton, generally considered “Volume 2” of that series.

Written by comics legend John Byrne, The World of Krypton largely rebooted the science fictional backstory of Superman. Telling tales from Krypton before it was destroyed, the fourth issue culminated with a story called “Family History,” in which Superman reveals to Lois Lane what he knows about his father, Jor-El. In this story (and throughout this series), Jor-El and other Kryptonians are surrounded by “Kryptonian Service Robots.” These robots assist Jor-El in his research and, eventually, are part of his journey that results in him meeting Lara, Superman’s mother. (Note these Service Robots should not be confused with “Superman Robots,” who are robot duplicates of Superman.) The first issue of this series, “Pieces,” also featured a Kryptonian woman named Vara getting seriously injured, but then quickly healed by Service Robots in a way that is very similar to what we see in the new clip.

Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel also depicted Kryptonian Service Robots in its extended flashbacks, but didn’t have them on Earth helping Kal-El in the present day. While the robots in the new movie aren’t a 100 percent match for the ones rendered by artists Mike Mignola, Carlos Garzon, and Peter Scotese in The World of Krypton, their quirkiness and loyalty to Kal-El seem ripped directly from these 1987/1988 comic book pages.

Clearly, with this version of Superman, James Gunn is pulling from various comic book sources, and in doing so, making this cinematic version of Kal-El not just an overpowered guy with a cape but a silly alien with retro robots, too.

Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.