SUPERMAN Script Confirms Cut Krypto Scene With Fortress of Solitude’s Abominable Snowmen
The officially released script for James Gunn’s Superman reveals a scene fans have have heard was cut from the movie.
It confirms that Krypto the Superdog was once part of a wild sequence involving the Fortress of Solitude and its mysterious abominable snowmen. The moment was actually filmed with VFX, and merchandise even made it to stores. It just didn’t survive the final cut.
In the lead-up to Superman’s release, merchandise started popping up that showed hulking white creatures wandering around the Fortress of Solitude.
The abominable snowmen weren’t just background flavor either. Toys featuring the creatures landed on shelves, hinting they played a bigger role at some point in development. That kind of thing happens more often than fans might realize.
It’s been known for a while that Superman originally included scenes of Krypto attacking those same snowmen, but the newly released script offers details on how the scene plays out.
“Krypto cheerily drags Superman past the corpses of gigantic white kaijus covered in fur, spattered over a few hundred yard radius around the fortress.”
That’s followed by Clark Kent trying to rein in his overenthusiastic dog:
“Krypto... You need to stop killing... abominable [snowmen].”
So why did the scene get cut? There’s no official explanation, but pacing feels like the most likely reason. It also would’ve raised questions later in the film, especially when Lex Luthor storms the Fortress with Ultraman and The Engineer. Audiences probably would’ve wondered why those snowmen weren’t still around when things went sideways.
What we do know is that the sequence was absolutely shot. VFX artist Matthew Eberle confirmed it last year, sharing firsthand insight into what was lost along the way.
“Originally, when Krypto is dragging Superman, they pass by several dead abominable snowmen,” he explained. “Superman says, ‘Krypto, you have to stop killing abominable snowmen.’ Hit the cutting room floor. I was there.”
The decision ultimately came down to James Gunn, who had to balance tone, momentum, and runtime while launching a brand-new DC universe. Even without the snowmen chaos, the Fortress of Solitude still plays a key role in the film, and there’s a strong chance fans will revisit it again soon.
The Fortress is expected to return in Man of Tomorrow, and I imagine we won’t see any abominable snowmen when it does.
Superman marked DC Studios’ first feature film release and flew into theaters worldwide last summer courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Gunn’s take on the Man of Steel leaned into heart, humor, and big superhero spectacle, reintroducing the character as a symbol of compassion and optimism.
The film stars David Corenswet as Superman and Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
Even with a few snowman casualties left on the cutting room floor, Superman still delivered the goods.