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Superman (and DC Studios' James Gunn) fly in to 2025's Puppy Bowl

James Gunn and his own personal Krypto will make an appearance on the annual pet adoption event, and they're bringing new Superman footage with them

Krypto is such a good dog that he’s not just saving Superman — as glimpsed in the first trailer for DC Studios’ first theatrical production this summer — he’s also going to be helping save other dogs in real life, as well. Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that this year’s Puppy Bowl will feature a special Superman tie-in that’ll see James Gunn and his own rescue dog Ozu show up to present a sneak peek at the movie, and more.

The Puppy Bowl promotion is likely to be a big deal in helping push the movie to new audiences; last year’s event brought in 12.6 million viewers, and this year’s show will be simulcast on Animal Planet, TBS, TruTV and Discovery, while also being streamed live on Max and Discovery+. As ever, the event will promote pet adoption, with 142 puppies from 80 shelters appearing on the show and melting hearts.

The pups won’t just be playing for your heart, however; as part of the Superman promotion, one lucky dog will win the ‘Krypto Super Play’ award. (We can only hope it’s a really cute cape. Please can it be a really cute cape?)

In addition to the Krypto award and a new peek at the movie, Gunn and Ozu will present what WBD is calling a “special message” during the event; given what Gunn has already said about his pup, we’d recommend having a tissue or too ready just in case those heartstrings get plucked harder than you expect. (For those who don’t know, Ozu is a direct inspiration for Krypto in the new Superman movie; Gunn has even said, “I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?’”)

Puppy Bowl 2025 — the 21st annual event! — takes place February 9. Superman speeds in theaters accompanied by Krypto July 11.


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Graeme McMillan

Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for close to two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.

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