DC Studios
The trailer for the new "Superman" movie is finally here, and the stakes are high. The entirety of James Gunn's new DC Universe rests entirely on the success of this movie. The film also features a brand-new Superman for a new generation, one who — much like when "The Flash" came out in 2023 — also has to contend with TV audiences having recently gotten to know and love a phenomenal (arguably all-time great) iteration of the titular superhero through the small screen thanks to "Superman & Lois." It doesn't help that said CW show already covered much of the same ground that Gunn's movie will (Superman's relationship with Lois, Superman getting a dog, and his fight with a scarier-than-usual Lex Luthor).
The "Superman" trailer does a lot of things right though, like establishing that Superman and Clark Kent actually look different for reasons that go beyond their respective hairstyles, the fantastic casting, and its general sense of optimism. Seeing Superman actually helping kids is such a small but impactful thing-
Still, there is one particular trailer shot that's been making waves online. No, not Guy Gardner's ridiculous haircut, nor Krypto being the goodest boy. Instead, it's the very first visual in the trailer, with a defeated Superman lying in the snow curled up. It's an unremarkable image on its own and simply serves to show that Superman has only just faced something powerful enough to temporarily beat him (to the point where he has to ask Krypto to fly him back home). What makes the shot so curious, however, is that it's clearly reminiscent of an iconic death pose from arguably the biggest anime show of all time.
Indeed, the visual of Superman lying half-dead in a snow ditch bears a distinct resemblance to Yamcha's iconic death pose in "Dragon Ball Z." In case you need a reminder, Yamcha is one of legendary "Dragon Ball" protagonist Goku's earliest allies and friends in that series. Despite starting out as a bandit trying to rob Goku, Yamcha turns his life around and becomes one of the strongest and most skilled martial artists on the entire planet.
The Yamcha pose is a historic moment for anime
Toei Animation
Unfortunately, as we move from the original "Dragon Ball" show to "Dragon Ball Z," the stakes get ever higher, and being a brilliant martial artist is not enough. Hell, even learning to literally fly isn't enough.
During the first arc of "Dragon Ball Z," Yamcha and the the series' other leads face up against Saiyan Vegeta and his army of Saibamen. The Saiyan hopes to arrange a little game to see which race is superior. In an attempt to make time for Goku's arrival, Yamcha volunteers to fight in place of his friend Krillin, knowing the latter could not be brought back to life with the Dragon Balls again. But despite seemingly being stronger than the Saibaman, the alien creature blows itself up, and Yamcha with it.
This is actually a point of contention between fans of the franchise. For those who watched the original "Dragon Ball," seeing Yamcha, who was genuinely one of the strongest characters on the series (outside of Goku and Piccolo) die was a shock. It not only signified that the stakes were higher than ever, but also that Vegeta and the others were to be taken seriously and the fights were now on an interplanetary scale. It was a very emotional death as well, with Krillin breaking down due to his friend sacrificing himself for him. Although, for many American fans who only watched "Dragon Ball Z" when it aired on Toonami, Yamcha's death may've come across as pretty humorous (in the sense that he's a guy who talked a big game yet immediately got owned in combat).
Regardless of the fractions when the episode aired, Yamcha's pose lying dead in a crater became one of the most iconic images in "Dragon Ball" and all of anime. It has been referenced and homaged to death, as much if not moreso than the bike slide in "Akira." There's even a 60-foot-long statue of dead Yamcha in a Chinese art museum, in addition to his various action figures. Everything from "Naruto" to "Deadpool" and even video games like "Valorant" have already referenced Yamcha's demise death; now, in a moment of things coming full circle, it's the Man of Steel's turn.
The shared history between Goku and Superman
Toei Animation
"Dragon Ball" and Superman have a long shared history. Akira Toriyama, creator of Goku, was a huge fan of the Man of Steel. In the precursor to "Dragon Ball," "Dr. Slump," Toriyama included a parody of the character called Sourman (or Suppaman in Japanese), whose secret identity is the reporter Kuraaku Kenta. He has no powers of his own and does not really have a sense of justice, but he does change his clothes in a phone booth like Superman did back in the day.
Even Goku is kind of an homage to Superman. Though the original "Dragon Ball" was very much inspired by "Journey to the West" and Sun Wukong the Monkey King, the second part, "Dragon Ball Z" pivoted and retconned Goku's origin into basically being Kal-El. Rather than just a quirky boy with a monkey tail, Goku (birth name Kakarot) became an alien belonging to a race of superbeings hailing from a planet that got destroyed. Goku was sent away to Earth by his parents as an infant, much like Kal-El, and raised by humans. The first time Goku encounters other members of his race, they wind up being very much General Zod-coded too (i.e. they're evil beings set on conquering Earth).
This changed "Dragon Ball" forever, and started a cycle of one franchise influencing the other that continues to this day. You see, Goku wasn't sent away from his planet because his parents loved him and wanted him to have a better life. Instead, he was sent to Earth to become its conqueror because, it turns out, Saiyan culture is all about taking over other planets and bending them to their will. The only reason this failed was because Goku hit his head upon arrival and lost his memories.
This idea of a superbeing's race being evil and violent has since become much more prevalent in pop culture, from the Viltrumites in "Invincible" to "My Adventures With Superman" bringing it full circle with Supergirl acting as the Raditz to Clark's Goku and her explaining that the Kryptonian Empire was all about conquering the universe. Just as Superman inspired "Dragon Ball" 40 years ago, now the iconic anime franchise is influencing the Man of Steel, and that is very cool to see.
"Superman" flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.
English (US) ·