Who is that dying blue robot in the new Superman trailer?

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In many ways, the deeper levels of the Superman mythology have barely been touched upon in Hollywood’s many cinematic iterations and permutations of the character, be it on the big screen or on television.

In the new trailer for director James Gunn’s summer 2025 Superman project, starring David Corenswet in the title role, it appears that more members of the Man of Steel universe will be explored, including Krypto, Mister Terrific and Metamorpho.

But one brief scene that leaves many non-geeks guessing about the identity of a particular character is an emotional shot of Superman kneeling in pain next to a dying, broken robot, clutching his metallic hand.

We believe this android is likely Kelex, a cut-out from the Superman comics who was also briefly seen in Zack Snyder’s 2013 Man of Steel. There, in a cameo with Jor-El, Lara and his fellow robot, Kelor, we see the benevolent machine as Kal-El is born before Krypton dies, and a version aboard the Kryptonian Scout Ship in the Arctic.

Who is Kelex?

Comic fans and certified Superman story experts will know that Kelex is the robotic guardian of the Fortress of Solitude and an artificial being who served the House of El before Krypton was destroyed when baby Supes was brought to Earth.

This floating helper bot was first introduced in John Bryne’s six-part miniseries “The Man of Steel” in 1986 and can also be seen in a modified form in eleven episodes of the CW series “Arrowverse” and “Supergirl” from 2015-2021.

Looking inside the new teaser footage, one can easily see the architecture of a colossal ice structure that is certain to be the Fortress of Solitude, Superman’s crystalline fortress that the Kryptonian service robot protects.

Other theories

Alan Tudyk could also voice Kelex, which would end speculation about his undefined role in Superman, but that remains to be seen (or heard) at this point. Since he’s already voicing Clayface in James Gunn’s Creature Commandos, there’s a good chance our rumors are correct. The exact continuity of this brief scene within the larger Superman narrative is unclear, but we assume it involves an enemy attack or a Lutheran invasion.

Some fans out there have suggested that this robot could be Amazo or Metallo, but that’s far-fetched and we doubt Supes would suffer the downfall of these supervillains.

It’s encouraging that Kelex is making the grade and being included in this big-budget rebooted “Superman” saga as a link to Kal-El’s Kryptonian legacy, as it appears that James Gunn absolutely nails it with the detailed lore of his script serious.

“Superman” hits theaters on July 11, 2025.