James Gunn’s DC Reboot Just Unveiled Its 3rd Masked Supervillain

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It looks like masks might become a recurring theme in James Gunn’s new DC Universe. From the start with Creature Commandos, many of the biggest villains revealed have had their faces covered. The marketing for Superman heavily focused on a mysterious figure wearing a black suit, and Peacemaker Season 2 brought back a previously defeated villain wearing a new helmet, alongside another masked villain from the first season.

The DC Universe’s first movie of 2026 will feature a new villain named Krem of the Yellow Hills. The recent Supergirl trailer offered the best look yet at the character, who appears heavily armored with metal and bone. Actor Matthias Schoenaerts plays Krem, a pirate and assassin who starts Kara Zor-El (Supergirl) on a dangerous, interdimensional pursuit by poisoning her dog, Krypto, with a poisoned arrow. This act is the catalyst for the entire story in Supergirl.

Before its release on June 26th, Milly Alcock’s character, Kara, and Eve Ridley’s character, Ruthye – a girl whose father, Krem, committed murder – will chase him across space.

Krem of the Yellow Hills was first introduced in the 2021 DC Comics miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, written by Tom King and illustrated by Bilquis Evely. In the comic books, he appears as a normal human being.

He’s a pirate with red hair and a red beard, skilled with a sword, who killed Ruthye’s father for the cruel reason that the man didn’t find his joke funny.

DC Studios completely changed the character’s appearance from the comic books. Instead of looking like an ordinary man who could fit in anywhere, the movie version of Krem, played by Schoenaerts, is covered in metal and scars, making him appear more monstrous and less human. He looks like he’s emerged from a disaster rather than simply being a man who frequents taverns.

He’s the leader of the Brigands, a dangerous group of space pirates and smugglers, and his arrows are coated in poison. While he isn’t physically strong or gifted with any special abilities, he’s still a serious threat.

Other Masked Villains That Have Appeared in James Gunn’s DCU 

Ultraman

Even before people knew who he was, Ultraman played a key role in promoting James Gunn’s Superman movie. Trailers showed a mysterious figure in a black suit with a “U” on the chest fighting Superman, played by David Corenswet. Officially licensed products revealed the character’s name, Ultraman, several months before the film’s release date of July 11, 2025.

During the film’s climax, a shocking reveal occurred: Ultraman ripped off his opponent’s mask to discover it was actually Superman. Lex Luthor, portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, explained he’d spent years collecting DNA from Superman’s past battles, eventually finding a single strand of hair. He used this to create a clone of Superman – a physically powerful being, but with very limited intelligence, and completely controlled by Luthor.

In DC Comics, Ultraman is a villainous counterpart to Superman, originating from an alternate Earth called Earth-3 and leading a team called the Crime Syndicate of America. James Gunn used the name and the idea of a dark reflection of Superman, but created a new backstory for the character. At the conclusion of the film Superman, Ultraman is sucked into a black hole, and fans of the DC Universe are eagerly anticipating whether he’ll reappear and how.

White Dragon

White Dragon is a deeply personal antagonist within James Gunn’s DC Universe. In Season 1 of Peacemaker, he’s Auggie Smith, played by Robert Patrick—a domestic terrorist and white supremacist who is also Peacemaker’s father. His intimidating red and white armor, complete with a horned helmet, visually represents the hateful ideology he embodies. By the end of the season, Peacemaker ultimately kills him.

In Season 2, the White Dragon returns, but with a new look – blue and white armor, keeping the horned helmet. The show’s story explores different universes, and we learn about Earth-2, a parallel world controlled by Nazis. There, Patrick appears as a good version of his father, Auggie Smith, now known as Blue Dragon. While the Auggie from Season 1 was a villain, this alternate version is the loving father Chris always wanted.

Bonus: Judomaster

I have to say, Judomaster was one of the coolest parts of Peacemaker Season 1! Nhut Le totally nailed the role. He shows up as Senator Goff’s bodyguard, and even though he’s small and wears this awesome all-green suit and mask, he’s a total beast in a fight. Seriously, he kept beating up Peacemaker! The guy even took a gunshot and, according to Peacemaker, just swapped his heart for a kidney – it’s a weird show, okay? And he was always escaping! Eventually, though, he ended up going against Peacemaker and the rest of the 11th Street Kids.

The new Judomaster costume is intentionally different from the original comic book version. In the DC Comics, the first Judomaster, Rip Jagger, had a suit inspired by the Japanese flag. However, the show’s creator, James Gunn, decided it wouldn’t be appropriate to put a Vietnamese actor in a costume based on the Japanese flag.

Bonus: White Rabbit 

Brey Noelle played White Rabbit in the first episode of Peacemaker Season 2. She was only on screen for a short time, appearing distraught after being rejected from Maxwell Lord’s audition for his Justice Gang. Lord publicly embarrassed her when the microphone failed during her tryout. Her costume, true to the comic books, featured a white and pink design complete with bunny ears.

White Rabbit, appearing in DC Comics’ Batman: The Dark Knight #1, is Jaina Hudson, a wealthy Gotham socialite who once dated Bruce Wayne. She has the unique ability to split herself into two separate people: Jaina Hudson and the White Rabbit. When transformed, her skin becomes pale, her hair turns white, and she gains increased speed. She’s teamed up with villains like Bane, Scarecrow, and the Wonderland Gang.

While she hasn’t been a major character before, this recent appearance in the DCU brings her into the larger universe. Being rejected by the Justice League is a significant moment for her character, essentially starting her down a new path. It’s unlikely we’ll see her again, but if she does return, it might be as a villain, fueled by the disappointment of not being accepted as a hero.

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2026-04-17 10:39