The New Era of the DC Universe Begins
The newest full-length trailer for the eagerly anticipated Superman movie from James Gunn provides some exhilarating insight into what’s set to be a game-changer in the DC Universe. The trailer reveals plenty of the iconic characters from DC and guarantees that fans are in for a wild ride. But one new and returning face has captured more attention than the rest: the Engineer, played by María Gabriela De Faría.
The Engineer Demonstrates What She Can Do at Last
While much of the promotion has spotlighted the film’s main villain, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), the new trailer takes fans deeper into the world of the Engineer. And María Gabriela De Faría’s Engineer isn’t just a bit player in the villainous cosmos, “played with sinister perfection” (as earlier teased by Gunn on social media). Instead, she stands tall as a practically invincible force who complicates the hurdles Superman has to overcome.
Origin and Powers: A Fusion of Comic Book Incarnations
A hybrid of several character incarnations, Gunn’s Engineer takes some elements from her previous DC Comics mandates. The Engineer was a man who employed nanotechnology to upgrade his body, and his successor in the comics, Angela Spica, solidified machinery inside herself, transforming her limbs into weapons. This film combines elements of both stories. 
Though María Gabriela De Faría’s Engineer doesn’t have the gooey quality from the comics, she is depicted whipping up all manner of lethal devices in a key fight with Superman (David Corenswet) in a baseball stadium. Her black, all-buttoned-over ensemble accomplishment showcases her robot-yet-creepy attitude most effectively.
Lex Luthor Partnership and Assault on the Fortress of Solitude
If the new trailer is any indication, then the Engineer is essentially Luthor’s right-hand man in this film. Their team-up suggests that a more unified, higher-power threat to Superman may be underway. A later scene in the trailer shows the villains uniting to assault the Man of Steel’s (Henry Cavill) legendary frozen hideout, suggesting a major plot point that will likely test the resolve of the red-caped hero.
The Engineer’s weapon-controlling powers and her apparent affiliation with Luthor, suggest she’s not just the henchwoman. Her part could be significant, and it’s possible she’s more of a physical threat to Superman than Luthor, who is more likely to use the law and crafty innuendo to bring the Kryptonian down.
A More In-Depth Analysis of the DC Universe’s Heroes
Apart from the baddies, however, the trailer also teases an impressive line-up of DC heroes:
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Nathan Fillion voices Earth Green Lantern Guy Gardner with his familiar combination of comedy and gravel.
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Isabela Merced plays Hawkgirl and we see her wielding the character’s signature mace.
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Mister Terrific (Michael Holt) is portrayed by Edi Gathegi, bringing his super-genius intellect and high-tech gadgets.
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Anthony Carrigan becomes the shape-shifting Metamorpho, and
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Frank Grillo brings the first incarnation of the character Rick Flag Sr.
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Wendell Pierce appears as Perry White, the go-getting editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet.
All these appearances are hints that the DC cinematic universe is going to grow. But while Gunn has said the film — strewn with superhero cameos and an array of spectacular action set-pieces — is “very much, first and foremost, Superman’s story,” as both of them have made clear throughout the press run, it remains a very singular entry in the Superman franchise.
Superman’s Quest, Loves, and Human Dilemmas
The film takes place with Clark Kent several years into his career as Superman — his rainbow kite strapped on his back — and a world beginning to challenge his place in it as mankind’s protector. The trailer highlights how in some instances — like when he was in Metropolis, or elsewhere — not all have seen him as a hero. It’s an interesting wrinkle to Superman’s development as he considers his own self-image and what that self-image should be for.
A central element: The romance between Superman and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). The two characters are dating at this point, and their dynamic helps bring a grounded, human perspective to the larger-than-life tale. One scene banters Lois bantering Clark about having a “Superman” interview, playfully inquiring how he is perceived by the public and what being a “Man of Steel” is.
Walking the Line Between Cosmic Wonder and Human Connection
James Gunn is a master at juggling epic story lines with real, hard-core character development, in a way that seems effortless. Superman is no exception. The trailer suggests exciting visuals of robots beating on kaiju, and kaiju punching monster babies, but the emotional center of the movie is an exploration of the early relationship between Superman and Lois Lane.
Gunn views the story as a means to debunk Superman’s ideals and virtues, imperfections which in his portrayal of the superhero, “humanizes him for a contemporary audience”.
Mark Your Calendars
Superman, which has a packed cast of stars and introduces new compelling heroes and villains, will burst into theaters on July 11. It looks like we’re in for a dynamic blockbuster with everything from intergalactic showdowns to deeply human relationships, helping to kick off the next era of DC movies. Fans of Superman and the extended DC Universe will not want to miss this.
Get ready for exciting battles, morally grey villains like the Engineer, and lots of heart. This is the dawn of the new DC age.
