The DC Universe already appears to have two heroes that can beat Superman just 10 months after its first release. Superman is one of the most powerful major superheroes of all time, with his name often being synonymous with both someone who is truly heroic and good, and someone who is capable of truly superhuman feats.

However, having a hero who simply cannot be beat would risk taking their story in some repetitive angles, which means that we’ve instead seen Superman be bested on-screen and on comic pages alike many times. The DCU timeline has followed suit in this regard, with two other heroes already seeming capable of taking Superman down.

Two Major DC Heroes Have Already Been Confirmed To Be Able To Beat DCU’s Superman

Superman went to lengths to depict a more fallible version of the Kryptonian hero, in order to underscore the message that Superman is a very human figure at his core, and to provide audiences with an engaging story through kicking things off via Kal-El getting beaten down by a villain that’s eventually revealed to be his clone.

Later in the film’s story, Superman finds himself facing off against a fellow hero who reluctantly demonstrates how his powers make him uniquely capable of beating the Man of Steel. Metamorpho’s ability to change the genetic makeup of his body into different substances means he’s able to make himself into Kryptonite, which has a devastating effect on Superman.

While Metamorpho goes on to team up with Superman afterward to escape Lex Luthor’s prison, these prior scenes strongly suggest that, if Metamorpho had so wished to, he could have sealed Kal-El’s fate well before the Superman ending thanks to his powers. Interestingly, Metamorpho isn’t the only DCU hero who’s seemingly capable of beating Superman.

On The Howard Stern Show (via Deadline), DC Studios co-CEO – and Superman writer and director – James Gunn responded to Stern’s comments about the host always believing Green Lantern could beat up Superman by stating: “Absolutely, he’s pretty powerful.“

This appears to suggest that at least one of the Green Lanterns could defeat the DCU’s Superman – most likely Hal Jordan, who is often considered DC’s “main” Green Lantern, and who we already know will be introduced in the DCU’s Lanterns as a veteran of the faction, suggesting he would have the powerset and experience to theoretically take Superman down.

Given how much Superman is often depicted as the zenith of DC’s heroes in terms of power levels, the idea more than one of the DCU’s current heroes could already reasonably defeat the Man of Steel may seem surreal. However, the nature of the abilities Metamorpho and the Green Lanterns possess does place this in more grounded territory.

First and foremost, Metamorpho’s transformative abilities are immensely strong, and the fact he can make himself into Kryptonite means a match-up between him and the Man of Steel naturally favors Metamorpho, unless Kal-El has some trick up his sleeve to deal with one of his biggest weaknesses.

While the Green Lantern skillset isn’t as uniquely useful against Superman, it is one that can be easily employed against him. The Green Lantern constructs that can be made from their rings and their willpower are theoretically only limited by the user’s creativity and drive, meaning the user can employ whatever methods to stop Superman they dream up.

If Gunn’s comments were about Hal Jordan, this could make particular sense, as the concept of a Superman who has been operating as a hero for three years facing a version of Jordan who’s potentially been an active hero for far longer – and has gained a repertoire of ways to handle powerful opponents – would seem to lean in Jordan’s favor.

Why Other DC Heroes Being Able To Defeat Superman Is Huge For The DCU

Superman being one of DC’s most powerful heroes is a concept so well-known that even people who have never accidentally glimpsed a comic or comicbook movie out of the corner of their eyes are still aware of the idea. Since Superman is also one of DC’s most popular figures, this means how his powers relate to other characters is key.

Having other heroes who can contend with Superman and be on his level helps undo the idea that Superman is uninteresting because he’s too powerful or overpowered – as has sometimes been a criticism leveled at him – and keeps the playing field for DC’s heroes and villains more engaging, by establishing that even heavy-hitters like Kal-El can certainly be defeated.

With Superman clearly being the heart of the DCU – and with Superman‘s positive reviews speaking to the success of its story – showing the hero as less invulnerable does seem to have paid off already. Given plenty more characters are on the way, it should be interesting to see if other figures emerge who can compete with the Man of Steel.