So… James Gunn, David Corenswet, and probably the whole world are geared up for the release of DCU’s upcoming iconic flick, Superman. Starring Corenswet in the leading role of Superman, the movie will feature villains such as Lex Luthor alongside allies such as Green Lantern, and much more.
However, in the trailer for Gunn’s Superman, there is one villain that no one seems to recognize. Calling himself the Hammer of Boravia, he isn’t from the comic books after all, and has even the toughest fans scratching their heads in confusion. Well, we know who he might be.
Who is the Hammer of Boravia in James Gunn’s Superman?
In the action-packed trailer, one enemy seemed to have fought Superman really intensely. Wearing heavy metal armor and a helmet that literally shoots lasers, we are introduced to the Hammer of Boravia.
Well, although there are claims that the villain is a complete original, and although it is true that he doesn’t exist in the comic books, that doesn’t mean that James Gunn might not have had certain influences from the DC comic books!
While mysteries around this laser-shooting, helmet-wearing villain remain on the internet, it seems that we may have found who this character was clearly inspired by. Fighting Superman in mid-air in the trailer, the irony is that although the Hammer of Boravia is an antagonist in the James Gunn movie, his alleged influence was actually one of the good guys.
The character that seems to be the inspiration for the Hammer of Boravia is Rocket Red. He was once a member of the Justice League in the comics and has even already made an appearance in the iconic animated show Justice League Unlimited!
Who is Rocket Red? The alleged inspiration for the Hammer of Boravia
According to Justice League Unlimited, Rocket Red was one of the heroes who were picked up for the ever-expanding team of the Justice League. While they were trying to slow down Amazo’s advances on their planet, the villain easily ripped off Rocket Red’s arm-mounted mini-gun weapon and punched him away.
Although he had a short role in Justice League Unlimited, the character’s fictional biography is quite interesting. You see, Kilowog created Rocket Red for the Soviet Union. The Rocket Reds (there have been multiple) were normal human beings enhanced with a suit who defended the USSR.
Some of the abilities included the ability to fly, project powerful energy blasts, and be strong and invulnerable. Well, that does ring a bell to a certain someone we saw in a recent trailer.
Although Gunn hasn’t explicitly stated that the Hammer of Boravia was a direct inspiration from Rocket Red, the similarities are pretty much visible. Even the suit seems similar somehow, except the Hammer is gold and Rocket Red is… red.
Despite the potential influence that James Gunn might have taken from the comic books, it is a good way of bringing something new to the theater screens. People have seen the story of Superman countless times, but the inclusion of villains like the Hammer of Boravia and allies like Green Lantern might just serve as a breath of fresh air to a character who has been revived and rebooted more than most.
Superman is slated to release theatrically on July 11, 2025 (USA).
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
