What was clearly intended to win over the hearts and minds of cinema-goers, keen to see what Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn would do with the beleaguered superhero in his new summer blockbuster,

The very good boy dates back many decades, and his inclusion in the new Superman movie adds more than just a dose of cuteness.

For the furry sidekick, Krypto, in “Superman,” the director James Gunn found inspiration — and a physical model — in his own unruly pet.

Superman's lack of weakness is actually his biggest weakness. Indeed, that god-like skillset makes him so across-the-board powerful that writers require Brainiac-level intellect to imagine enemies capable of defeating him.

“ Superman ” production designer Beth Mickle spent six months designing Superman’s home, the Fortress of Solitude, and a further 16 weeks building the set.

The cast and crew of “Superman” opened up to CNN about their personal kryptonite, the key weakness for the iconic superhero, at the film’s premiere in Los Angeles. The film is distributed by Warner Bros.

That’s what Krypto has always represented — a vision of Rockwellian Americana where a good man has a good dog and an embrace of the outlandish science fiction inherent in watching a canine in a little cape display superpowers.

While, yes, Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ Superman is all about the super and man elements of the iconic hero, the movie is also about Supes’ bond with his best friend Krypto, the super-powered canine set to make his DC Universe debut. However, Krypto’s first big-screen outing wasn’t without some challenges.

An A-lister makes an appearance in the new "Superman" movie, in reference to the hero's origin story.

The ending of James Gunn's "Superman," including the post-credit scenes, liberate the DC Universe from taking superhero storytelling too seriously.