James Gunn Has Been Candid That Krypto The Super-Dog Is Based On His Own Pet, But I Just Found Out There’s Way More To That Story

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Last month’s encounter with David Corenswet’s Superman in the DC Universe was indeed exciting, but it seems fair to say that Krypto, the charming Kryptonian canine, stole the show in James Gunn’s 2025 movie. In fact, Krypto had already won many hearts when the initial Superman trailer dropped last December, and the first DCU film only solidified his status as a good boy… or rather, the “world’s worst dog with superpowers.”

Fans of Superman news will recall that this iteration of Krypto was based on Gunn’s personal dog. However, TopMob uncovered some additional details about this story.

James Gunn has been open about the fact that Krypto’s appearance and character were inspired by Ozu, a dog who lived in a hoarding situation with 60 other dogs and had never encountered humans before. This caused quite a bit of damage to the filmmaker’s home, shoes, furniture, and even laptop. However, along with discussing the impressive superhero mural for Superman, production designer Beth Mickle also shared that another dog played a significant role in creating Krypto. To begin with, she mentioned:

In simpler, more conversational terms:

James’ dog Ozu is his model and inspiration, with amazing visual effects enhancing him. We had another lovely dog named Jolene, known for her perfect fur color. Every time she appeared, she’d twirl adorably and sport her beautiful, curly white hair. Our sound and playback team would always play Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ when she made an entrance, making it the funniest little spectacle!

Indeed, while Ozu primarily inspired Superman’s pet Krypto, his fur color is actually a blend of black and a lighter shade of brown. Enter Jolene, whose pure white fur served as an excellent reference during filming. Beth Mickle later explained the process in detail, as one of Dolly Parton’s iconic songs played in the background.

During filming, there is a routine we refer to as a ‘ball-and-chart check.’ After capturing a scene, we step out and each team member carries a ball with reflective properties and a color chart. For fun, they often dance around while playing Dolly Parton’s song “Jolene.” It was a delightful moment that made us laugh every day and added joy to our work routine.

I’m pleased that Jolene is receiving the recognition she deserves, and it’s great that people know what an exceptional girl she is. Now, I’m curious if she was part of the cast during the filming of Supergirl, scheduled for 2026. Since Krypto will be with Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El in the upcoming DC movie after she rescued him at the end of Superman, it seems logical that a white dog would have been needed on set as well, especially during the “balls and charts” test.

Perhaps the topic will come up during the upcoming press tour for Supergirl. In the meantime, not only is Superman still showing in cinemas, but it’s also now available digitally. The physical media version will be released on September 23.

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2025-08-16 21:15