"It needed more depth" — Matthew Lawrence shares his take on the Krypto-superhero bond in James Gunn's Superman

Matthew Lawrence sparks debate over Krypto-superhero (Image via Instagram/matthewlawrence)
Matthew Lawrence (Image via Instagram/@matthewlawrence)

Actor Matthew Lawrence recently voiced a critique about Superman (2025), James Gunn’s newest DC film. During his appearance at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, Lawrence unexpectedly turned the spotlight onto the emotional dynamic between Superman and Krypto the Superdog while talking to The Hollywood Reporter.

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The media outlet shared a clip of the interview on their X, formerly Twitter, platform on July 28, 2025.

"I think it needed more heart. It needed more depth," he said.
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Matthew Lawrence elaborated that he felt the film was unable to capture the emotional loyalty often observed between humans and their pets, explaining that the relationship shown in the film fell short of what he believed could have been a powerful narrative thread.

As James Gunn launches the new DC Universe (DCU) with Superman as the first feature film in the franchise, the relationship between Krypto and Superman is an arc that plays out throughout the movie.

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Matthew Lawrence questions the emotional depth of the Superman–Krypto bond

Appearing on a press panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, actor Matthew Lawrence, known for his roles in Boy Meets World and Mrs. Doubtfire, made comments questioning the emotional resonance of the friendship between Superman and Krypto in James Gunn's Superman.

Lawrence was promoting The Lawrence Brothers Detective Agency, a project he had worked on with his brothers, Joey and Andrew. The interview briefly changed directions when the host inquired whether he had watched Superman.

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Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Matthew Lawrence shared an honest review centered on the emotional relationship with Krypto and the titular hero.

"This got me. This really got me. I'm a huge animal lover. I work in conservation. I have more pets than I can count, most of them reptiles and amphibians. But I've had some amazing connections with dogs over the years. And that is not the relationship that I wanted to see," he said.
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Matthew Lawrence added that he would have liked to see "more heart" and "more depth."

"[Supermaan] was kind of like, 'Eh, this dog. I don't really care about this dog.' And then the dog leaves him at the end of the movie. That connection, if you've had a dog, and you had a real connection with your dog, that is not it. And I wish I would have seen that because that always needs to be highlighted in the right way," he said.
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Matthew Lawrence's brother and fellow actor, Andrew Lawrence, who was with him during the interview, corrected him during the conversation. He tried to set the record straight a couple of times by highlighting that Krypto wasn't Superman's dog.


James Gunn's intent with Krypto's role

Krypto the Superdog is not just a companion in Superman (2025), but also a symbol of loyalty and emotional resilience. Notably, Krypto is inspired by director James Gunn's own rescue dog, Ozu, whose troubled history influenced his character and inner depth.

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Right from the beginning of the movie, Clark shared that he was fostering Krypto. Later, it was revealed that Krypto was Superman's cousin, Supergirl's dog. This underscores the compassion of Superman putting his life on the line to save Krypto, regardless of him being his. Gunn underlined that this decision was meant to reflect Clark's compassion rather than ownership.

The saga of Krypto will be continued in upcoming DCU endeavours such as Supergirl (2026) and a series of animated shorts beginning late 2025. These cameos ensure that the character of Krypto is a core part of Gunn's long-term narrative in the DCU.

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Superman is currently running in theaters worldwide.

Edited by Ankita Barat
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