Superman's Dog Is a Big Part of the First Trailer for 'Superman,' but Who Is Krypto the Superdog?

For the holidays this year, DC fans were treated to the first teaser for Superman. The movie will relaunch a new version of the DC Universe, and the first trailer suggests that it will be a pretty major shift in tone from what Zack Snyder was doing through much of the 2010s.

Among the marked differences in this new version is the inclusion of Krypto, Superman's dog. Krypto has popped up in various animated properties in the past, but if you haven't seen him before, you might be wondering what his deal is. Here's everything you need to know about the furry companion to the Man of Steel.

Krypto was first introduced in 1955 in a Superboy comic, and while he was intended as a one-off character, he received a positive response and eventually returned. In the original story of Krypto, he is Superman's dog while he is still on Krypton. He's used as a test subject by Superman's father, who is testing rockets like the one Superman will eventually land in. Jor-El uses Krypto as a test subject, but Krypto's rocket gets thrown off course and wanders through space for years.

It eventually lands on Earth, where Krypto is reunited with a now teenage Superman. The Earth's yellow sun has the same effect on Krypto that it does on his master, endowing him with supernatural strength and other abilities. He is weaker than Superman, though, because of his smaller body. Certain senses that are more acute in a dog, though, like hearing and smell, are also more acute in Krypto than in Superman.

Krypto is usually drawn as a generic white dog, and he has human intelligence. His thoughts are usually represented in the comic via speech bubbles. While he's on Earth, Krypto poses as "Skip," the Kent families pet dog.

At various times in his comic book history, Krypto has been a part of various super-pet leagues, and when he's not with Superman, he is often romping through space on his own.

Over the long history of DC comics, a wide variety of different Kryptos have existed. The most familiar, though, was introduced in the mid-2000s, and features a dog much like the original Krypto, but with canine-level intelligence. This version of Krypto comes from a false Krypton that Braniac builds and Superman eventually destroys. When he destroys it, Krypto follows him back to Earth.

This seems to be the version that the new Superman is most closely riffing on, although this version of Krypto is a terrier instead of something more like a lab. While we only get a relatively brief glimpse of Krypto in the trailer, it doesn't seem like he has the ability to speak, but he does follow Superman's commands well and seems like a very good boy. It's unclear how much of the movie itself Krypto is in, but his prominence in the trailer suggests they aren't hiding him.