James Gunn Teases Fan-Favorite Villain For Superman, The DCU Starting With Multiverse?

We do have confirmation that James Gunn’s Superman will feature Lex Luthor as the main villain, but that doesn’t mean other villainous figures couldn’t make an appearance. It’s also possible that Mister Mxyzptlk could be a way to set up the DC multiverse, given his near-omnipotent and fifth-dimensional powers. Though it’s possible the imp could have a much smaller role or even just a cameo.

Mister Mxyzptlk first appeared in 1944’s Superman #30 and has incredible powers to warp reality, essentially being able to do whatever he wants. The only real way to defeat Mister Mxyzptlk is to abide by his self-imposed rule of saying his name backward, which sends him back to the Fifth Dimension for a period of time. Fortunately for the DC heroes, Mister Mxyzptlk is often more of a mischievous prankster than someone who is straight-up evil.

It would definitely be cool if James Gunn’s Superman gives us Mister Mxyzptlk this early in the DCU, though it seems likely that the character wouldn’t be the main focus. Then again, Gunn is clearly not opposed to using esoteric characters, like Starro in The Suicide Squad, so it’s very possible the imp could have a decent role to play. It’s also possible that Gunn likes the character as much as fans do and that he has no immediate plans to introduce Mister Mxyzptlk to the DCU.

While Mister Mxyzptlk was introduced in Superman and is mostly associated with the Man of Steel, there’s another possibility that James Gunn’s Instagram post suggests. The second season of Peacemaker just started production, and that show would definitely be a good place to introduce Mister Mxyzptlk. It would be hilarious to see John Cena’s Peacemaker having to deal with something as insane as a fifth-dimensional, reality-warping imp, and could very well top the insanity of the Butterflies from the first season.

Whether James Gunn introduces Mister Mxyzptlk in Superman or not, it certainly seems like the character has a future in the DCU at some point. Gunn is clearly a fan of the character, and he would be a perfect character for Gunn’s directorial and writing style. The only question that remains is how soon we will get to see him introduced.

Whenever Mister Mxyzptlk pops up, it will undoubtedly be worth the wait. In the meantime, we can look forward to James Gunn officially kicking off the DCU with Superman when it hits the big screen in July 2025. The film stars David Corenswet as the titular hero along with Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.