DC Studios
Look up! It's not a bird or a plane, but a brand-new "Superman" trailer absolutely jam-packed with details and Easter eggs that fans will be spending the rest of 2024 (and beyond) obsessing over. Make no mistake, the footage still managed to strike a fresh tone that establishes our main trio of David Corenswet's Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult's downright James Bondian Lex Luthor. But there's no way to miss the implication that this movie seems to be a true ensemble piece, with the appearance of several major and minor DC heroes proving that James Gunn is clearly setting up his larger DC Universe.
While that includes all the obvious side characters who may or may not end up in this new Justice League sometime down the line, one significant name was almost completely absent from the teaser: Angela Spica/The Engineer, played by María Gabriela de Faría. Eagle-eyed viewers could spot a glimpse of the mysterious villain in a mere handful of shots, battling Superman in a baseball stadium or smashing through a wall with nothing but brute force. There's one particularly easy-to-miss moment, however, where she can be seen in her entirety. You might just need a magnifying glass to actually notice. One fan account on Twitter (Lex Luthor most definitely calls it "X") got to the bottom of this, posting a screenshot of the scene showing off Luthor's gaudy-looking skyscrapers connected by a bridge — with the tiny figure of The Engineer highlighted right on top of the massive structure. Check it out below!
The Superman trailer hides The Engineer -- and a potential villainous alliance -- in plain sight
DC Studios
What are we, some kind of Suicide Squad? Okay, apologies for bringing back any bad memories from the previous regime of the DC franchise, but that's just what happens whenever I see a villainous team-up in the works these days. The "Superman" trailer doesn't reveal much of anything about the actual plot of the blockbuster, focusing instead on selling audiences on the look and feel of this reboot. Luckily, all we need is a little investigative elbow grease to start connecting the dots ourselves, with one particular DC Universe fan account having already done the legwork for us by posting the following screenshot:
The Engineer in #Superman pic.twitter.com/hOEpoixDRM
— Everything_DCU (@EverythingDCU_) December 19, 2024
It all has to do with the mysterious figure known as The Engineer. Going by the name of Dr. Angela Spica, the character has always straddled the line between antihero and all-out villain since her introduction in DC Comics in 1999. In the source material, The Engineer is associated with a renegade group of likeminded individuals called The Authority (which Gunn has actually described as a passion project of his previously). In the "Superman" footage, you can spot The Engineer in her distinctive outfit walking atop Lex Luthor's "LuthorCorp" building (or make that buildings, as it appears to be two towering skyscrapers connected by the aforementioned bridge) on her way to what will likely be a face-to-face meeting with Superman's archvillain. Although their interactions in the comics are few and far between, the two certainly share quite a lot in common in terms of brain power and ambition — two things that could easily result in them joining forces against the Man of Steel.
We'll find out for sure where all this is going when "Superman" hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
English (US) ·