The following article contains mentions of substance abuse, harassment, and child murder.
James Gunn’s Superman introduced an exciting new take on the Man of Steel that was heavily inspired by the character’s Silver Age. However, it also pulled elements from other iconic stories like Kingdom Come and All-Star Superman, while also peppering in modern takes on some of Superman’s oldest allies. The Daily Planet news team specifically highlighted an era of the bullpen that the character’s Triangle Era heavily influenced. It was one of those bullpen members who quietly teased a potentially dark chapter for the DCU’s Superman in the 2025 film.
Frequent Gunn collaborator Mikaela Hoover was the first to bring comic character Cat Grant to life on the big screen, though the character has a long history on the small screen. Tracy Scoggins first portrayed the gossip columnist in the ’90s on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, the same decade in which one of Cat Grant’s most tragic storylines occurred. The unadapted storyline also marks one of the Man of Steel’s greatest personal failures that could take the DCU’s Superman in an entirely different direction.
The DCU’s Cat Grant Confirmed An Important Detail
Hoover’s Cat Grant is also a gossip columnist at the DCU’s Daily Planet, though the role has shifted in modern times to become more of a celebrity/entertainment reporter. While her presence in the DCU newsroom isn’t as big as Lois or Jimmy, her relationship with the ‘scoop troop’ (as the bullpen is known on the animated My Adventures with Superman) is clear through her numerous interactions with the rest of the Daily Planet staff. This is highlighted by her celebration of Clark Kent’s front-page news story, as well as her friendship with past rival Lois Lane.
It was during one of those friendly conversations between Cat Grant and Lois Lane at the Daily Planet that fans learned a very important detail of this version of the character. However, given what was happening at the same time, it’s very possible many in the audience missed it. During Superman’s battle with Luthor’s kaiju misdirection, Lois Lane and Cat Grant are chatting at the Daily Planet while watching the fight on the television screens displayed around the office. Lois is distractedly thumbing through papers while she watches the fight and half-heartedly listens to Cat.
If Lois were listening a little closer, she would have heard Cat talking about her ex splurging on expensive concert tickets for his new gf but failing to keep up with child support payments. While it seems like an offhand comment with little weight, it actually confirms that this version of Cat Grant is a single mother. This ties in with the comic version of the character, though it also sets up a tragic storyline that shattered the Daily Planet staff and made Superman face the reality of what can happen when he takes a simple day off from his duties in Metropolis.
Everything Changed When Toyman Took His Darkest Path
Image via DC Comics
In the comics, Cat Grant’s popularity in the news led to her eventual career shift to on-air host of her own show at the WGBS TV station. This came after a few hard years dealing with substance abuse issues. During that time, she spent time away from her son, Adam, until she overcame her problems.
So when Cat Grant came back into young Adam’s life, everything changed for her. She found a new strength to move forward and create a better life for her son, despite dealing with harassment from her boss at WGBS, Vincent Edge. It was just another normal day when Cat Grant took her son to a Halloween party dressed as his hero, the Metropolis Kid, Superboy. Unfortunately, that would be the last time that Cat Grant saw her son alive.
Winslow Schott/The Toyman was always a troubling criminal, though he reached his darkest lows during the Triangle Era. He had already kidnapped several children when he saw Adam at the Halloween party, wearing the insignia of his long-time enemy. Toyman, dressed as a dinosaur mascot, kidnapped young Adam while his mother wasn’t looking and held him captive with the other children in a demented playland. Inspired by his hero, Adam almost succeeded in freeing the other children and leading them to safety. Unfortunately, Toyman caught them and brutally murdered them, discarding their bodies in an alley.
Jimmy Olsen was by Cat Grant’s side throughout the whole ordeal, though they were surprised to find they couldn’t contact Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Unbeknownst to them, Superman had surprised Lois Lane that morning with a romantic day trip to Paris to celebrate his recent return to life. It was a spontaneous decision to celebrate the day with the love of his life after a near-death experience, and hardly one he could be blamed for. However, when Clark and Lois returned home later that evening, they quickly learned the random consequences that can come from taking a day off.
Superman’s presence in Metropolis after Toyman’s kidnapping of Adam certainly isn’t guaranteed to have changed the terrible outcome. However, Superman pretty quickly determined that it was Toyman, found him, and apprehended him once he had a moment to dedicate himself to the case. So he knew that it was something he could have helped with if he had been around. This made it even more personal for Superman, who had previously become involved in the tense custody battle between Cat Grant and her ex-husband, which led to a friendship between him and Adam as well.
Superman took one well-deserved day off with the woman he loved, but it turned into a nightmare for the people closest to him. Cat Grant almost succumbed to her pain and returned to her former addiction. She even contemplated taking Toyman out herself by shooting him while visiting him in prison. Thankfully, she ultimately decided against her fatal revenge and found the strength to carry on. Toyman later blamed these horrible actions on a malfunctioning robot duplicate, claiming he would never murder children, though it was unconfirmed and no comfort, at any rate.
How This Dark Storyline Could Impact the DCU’s Superman
In James Gunn’s Superman, the titular hero struggled to find acceptance among humanity and faced some real difficulties, though some fans felt he didn’t face any true stakes in the film. Superman is DC’s most powerful metahuman, so it either takes something really powerful, like the threat of Darkseid, or something really personal, to truly challenge Superman. The death of a close friend’s son, one that was potentially preventable had he been around, is more than personal enough to impact Superman in ways that attacking his public image just can’t compete with.
It would also drive a wedge between Superman and the Daily Planet’s Scoop Troop, which is friendly and growing in James Gunn’s film. When Clark and Lois finally returned to the iDaily Planet to learn the troubling news, Jimmy Olsen lashes out at both Clark and Superman for not being around when they were needed. Cat Grant lost her faith in Superman after he initially failed to catch Toyman for her son’s murder as well. The first film may have cemented his public persona, but a dark storyline like this could make those closest to him rethink their positions on the Man of Steel.
Superman’s own faith in his incredible abilities could also be shattered, again in ways that Lex Luthor couldn’t accomplish with his well-orchestrated hit machine on the Man of Steel. It was only through the shocking murder of Superman’s civilian ally, Malik Ali, during Luthor’s interrogation of the Man of Steel that the villain finally struck a blow that counted. Fans saw how much the senseless death that he could have avoided impacted Superman.
It’s that raw humanity on display by David Corenswet during those scenes in James Gunn’s Superman that further highlight how a seemingly throwaway line between coworkers could tease one of the Man of Steel’s darkest comic storylines. While potentially unimportant beyond character development, Superman’s weakness to those personal losses could make an adaptation of Cat Grant’s darkest storyline an interesting direction for James Gunn’s DCU to take in the future.
Release Date
July 11, 2025
Runtime
130 minutes
Rachel Brosnahan
Lois Lane