Krypton is set to start shooting in Montreal this summer, and now the first character details have been revealed (expect some casting news to follow soon enough). As well as shedding some light on the Syfy show’s leads, the descriptions which accompany them also reveal a few minor details about their appearances and personalities.
Set two generations before the destruction of the legendary Man of Steel’s home planet, Krypton follows Superman’s grandfather — whose House of El was ostracized and shamed — as he fights to redeem his family’s honour and save his beloved world from chaos.
He’s among the many lead characters listed below, as are those with links to General Zod and even a member of the Legion of Superheroes.
SEG-EL – described as athletic, quietly confident, and in his 20s, an older version of this character appeared in Starman #51 alongside his son Jor-El (Superman’s father).
LYTA ZOD – a beautiful twentysomething, Lyta is a reluctant warrior and has a familial tie to eventual Superman villain General Zod.
VAL-EL – The genius grandfather of Seg, he defied death by entering the Phantom Zone and believes in space exploration.
ALURA ZOD – Lyta’s mother, she too is obviously related to General Zod in some way.
DEVE-EM – A “bad boy” in his twenties, this chisele character was a reluctant ally to the Legion of Superheroes once upon a time, but has clashed with Superboy and Superman on a handful of occasions as a villain.
TER-EL – Seg’s father.
That’s an interesting group of characters, but is the show really necessary? The Krypton set scenes in Man of Steel were certainly well received, and Gotham has been a hit for Fox, so it is easy to see why Syfy think they have something special on their hands with this prequel.
Of course, we all know it ends with Superman being rocketed off to Earth as the planet blows up in the background, but with the show set so far in the past, there’s a lot of story to tell before we reach that point. Now it just remains to be seen if Krypton has a story worth telling.
