All 5 Cameos in Superman, Ranked by Importance to the DCU’s Future

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The DC Universe (DCU) is officially underway with the first season of *Creature Commandos*, *Superman*, and the second season of *Peacemaker*. Looking ahead to the first chapter, “Gods and Monsters,” we can expect *Supergirl*, *Lanterns*, and *Clayface* in 2026, followed by *Man of Tomorrow* in 2027. Several other movies and series are also in development, though their release dates haven’t been announced yet. Regarding *Superman*, many well-known actors are slated to appear in future DCU projects – but for now, we’re only focusing on cameo appearances featured in the DCU’s initial film releases. This means we won’t be discussing characters with significant supporting roles, like Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, or Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific.

We didn’t include brief voice appearances, such as those by Pom Klementieff, Michael Rooker, and Alan Tudyk as the Superman Robots. However, Michael Rooker did appear in one episode of *Creature Commandos* and later in Season 2 of *Peacemaker*, though playing a significantly different character who hunts eagles. Alan Tudyk also had multiple roles in *Creature Commandos*, most notably as Dr. Phosphorus and Clayface.

5) Jor-El & Lara

The message from Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara (Angela Sarafyan) to Superman is notably different in James Gunn’s *Superman* compared to previous films like the Christopher Reeve movies or *Man of Steel*. While Jor-El was traditionally a guiding and supportive father figure, in the new film, their advice comes across as instructing their son to govern Earth as a king with multiple partners.

It looks like these characters have finished their run in the DC Universe. They played a key role in developing Superman’s story in his first movie, and they’ve fulfilled that purpose.

4) Maxwell Lord

Sean Gunn, much like Frank Grillo, has been in all three films and shows released so far in the DC Universe. He provided voice work for multiple characters in *Creature Commandos* – GI Robot, Weasel, and a Pokolistan Guard – and appeared briefly as Maxwell Lord in both *Superman* and *Peacemaker*. Fortunately, this version of Maxwell Lord is quite different from the one portrayed in *Wonder Woman 1984* (though Pedro Pascal did a great job with that role).

Honestly, predicting where Lord will show up next is tricky. He’s the one who brought the Justice Gang together, so I’m betting we’ll see him whenever *they* reconvene. As for the other players, Hawkgirl’s headed to *Man of Tomorrow*, and Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner is slated for *Lanterns*. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Lord involved in one, or even both, of those upcoming stories.

3) Rick Flag, Sr.

So far, Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag, Sr. has been the key link connecting the DC Universe’s movies and TV shows. He starred in *Creature Commandos*, made a brief appearance in *Superman*, and is currently pursuing Peacemaker – the man responsible for his son’s death – in Season 2 of *Peacemaker*.

In the movie *Superman*, we learn that Rick Flag has taken over as the head of A.R.G.U.S. from Amanda Waller. He then meets with military officials and Lex Luthor to talk about the threat Superman presents, eventually arresting Superman himself. He also has a discussion with the Secretary of Defense about how people with superpowers might be involved in politics. While his part in *Superman* is relatively small, Flag has a much bigger role in Season 2 of *Peacemaker*. There’s also talk of him appearing in the *Waller* series if it gets made.

2) Peacemaker

James Gunn often collaborates with the same actors, including John Cena. While Cena had an uncredited role in *Superman*, he isn’t currently planned to appear in future DC Universe projects beyond Season 2 of *Peacemaker*. However, it seems unlikely that will be the last we see of his character.

We discovered Lex Luthor’s massive plan involving the multiverse thanks to the show *Peacemaker*, and it was through *Peacemaker* that we first saw a parallel dimension. With a few episodes left in Season 2, Peacemaker has already proven he’s a character who can broaden the scope of the DC universe, and he’ll likely keep doing so.

1) Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl

While John Cena’s Peacemaker has his own series, Supergirl – played by Milly Alcock (though not officially listed in the credits) – is getting her own film. Everyone anticipated Alcock would make an appearance, and she delivered!

Milicent Alcock’s portrayal of Supergirl is much more outgoing and fun-loving than previous versions, like Helen Slater’s in the 1984 film or Sasha Calle’s more serious take in *The Flash*. And this is just the start – Alcock is set to appear in both the *Supergirl* series next year and the *Man of Tomorrow* project.

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2025-09-21 20:41