Was the Krypton TV Show Meant Be a DCEU Prequel?

Syfy's Krypton takes viewers to the home planet of Superman, two generations before the hero's birth. But which version of Superman is that? Since it was first announced, there has been some confusion over whether or not the show has connections to the DC Extended Universe's Krypton as seen in Man of Steel. Though it's become clear that Krypton is its own thing, it appears that early in the show's development there were plans to link it to the DCEU.Developed by David S. Goyer and Damien Kindler, the series takes place at a time where Krypton has been thrust into chaos and its leadership is in disarray. At the center of it all is Superman's grandfather, Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe). The show will follow Seg-El as he struggles to redeem the honor of his family, the House of El while also engaging in a forbidden romance with Lyta Zod (Georgina Campbell). After meeting a time-traveler from Earth named Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos), Seg-El learns of a conspiracy to prevent the birth of his future grandson, who is fated to become the "greatest hero in the universe."Related: Adam Strange May Be Krypton's Secret WeaponSeg-El will be faced with a difficult decision. He can save his world, or he can save the life of his grandson, a person who isn't even born yet. Through all this, he'll be up against Brainiac (Blake Ritson), one of Superman's oldest villains. Evidently, the show's deep ties to the legacy of Superman have been on full display with the inclusion of Superman's iconic red cape, the Fortress of Solitude, and the House of Zod, who has a reputation for showing no mercy. But this isn't linking to any one version.This Page: Krypton Is Definitely Not In The DCEU...

Krypton Is Definitely Not In The DCEU

The opening sequence of Man of Steel introduced the DCEU's Krypton. Fans saw Superman's father, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) as he dealt with the planet's impending doom. Meanwhile, General Zod (Michael Shannon) was exiled to the Phantom Zone. The scenes on Krypton gave fans a brief look at the planet's culture minutes before its destruction. Fans had wondered if Krypton would serve as a prequel to Man of Steel, mainly due to the involvement of that film's screenwriter, Goyer. However, this is not the case.

Straight up, the emblem of the House of El in Krypton is the same one that's used in the comics. The DCEU version of the "S" has a broader line in the center and has more rounded edges. There's also a noticeable difference between the capes used in the two shows. Krypton's Superman cape is based on the one worn by Superman in the comic books. It's a brighter red and has a yellow logo on the back, while in the DCEU, Superman's cape is a darker shade of red and has no logo on the back. Costume design is another clue that Krypton isn't in the DCEU; the clothes and armor worn by Man of Steel's Kryptonians don't match what we've seen in trailers of Krypton. In Man of Steel, Zod and other Kryptonian soldiers are dressed in heavy armor while the warrior class on Krypton wear much sleeker outfits and less armor.

Related: How To Watch Krypton Online

More distinctions are sure to come from the show itself, but in a teaser trailer for Krypton, Seg-El can be seen accessing the Fortress of Solitude by cutting himself and allowing his blood to light up the emblem of the House of El in Superman's classic color scheme, red and yellow. On the other hand, in Man of Steel, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) uses a long, metallic key with the House of El symbol to activate a console on the Kryptonian spaceship.

But just because Krypton isn't in the DCEU, that doesn't mean it was always the case...

Evidence Krypton Was Originally In The DCEU

There have been indications that at some point in the show's development, Krypton was intended to take place within the DCEU. As already stated, the co-creator of Krypton, David S. Goyer, previously wrote the script of Man of Steel. It stands to reason that he was hired to write Krypton in order to continue expanding on the mythology that was established in the film.

In an interview in October of 2015, Goyer seemed to indicate that the series was supposed to connect to Man of Steel. According to Goyer, there were a lot of scenes on Superman's home planet that had to be condensed for the film. Some of Goyer's ideas were cut, but he had hoped to make use of them later. He said that he wanted the series to "dig deeper" into the characters and the culture. Fans inferred from his remarks that Goyer wanted to build off what was created in Man of Steel.

The marketing reflected this. The DCEU version of the House of El emblem was also used in the show's early marketing stages, and at SDCC 2017, the first trailer of Krypton showed Seg-El holding a metallic key with the same symbol. What's so curious is that in newer footage, Seg-El is holding a crystal key; it appears that this relatively minor detail was altered in the months leading up to the show's release. Does this represent a bigger shift?

Why Could This Have Been Changed?

Cameron Cuffe in Krypton SYFY standing on an S symbol on the ground

If Krypton was supposed to take place within the DCEU, what happened? It may have been more stylistic inference, although there are a number of reasons why it could have been decided for Krypton to exist in a separate universe.

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe encompasses five Netflix shows, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and more, the DCEU has no connections to any TV series - and that may be for a reason. Unfortunately, films in the DCEU have not been able to share the same level of success as the MCU. The best-reviewed and highest-grossing film in the franchise so far is Wonder Woman; the others have not been the huge hits they were expected to be, despite being supported by A-list superheroes such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and The Flash. The latest film, Justice League, has been considered a disaster for Warner Bros. So while shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. benefit from being connected to a movie franchise, the same may not hold true for Krypton.

Not being part of the DCEU does have its share of advantages besides. Divorced from Man of Steel, Krypton doesn't have to be a just a prequel; it can be its own story. Without being tied to an established universe, Krypton can create a new set of rules. This gives the writers a sense of freedom when it comes to storytelling, which is very important when you're dealing with multiple season of stories. The time travel aspect of the series is an important factor as well, as it allows even more flexibility with the characters and the fate of Krypton. The addition of Brainiac and a modern-day conspiracy to prevent the birth of Superman makes it possible for Krypton to go in a direction that's separate from the films and the comic books.

When making a show that's tied directly to the legacy of Superman, one thing that the creators must take into consideration is which version of the Man of Steel they want to evoke. Using Henry Cavill's Superman would appeal to fans of the DCEU, but there are others versions that would please a broader audience, such as the comic book version of Superman or the character played by Christopher Reeve. Reeve's portrayal of Superman is universally loved and well known by both fans and casual viewers: that legacy is something audiences may be more willing to invest in.

More: Krypton Video Explores The Beginnings Of The Superman Legacy

The season premiere of Krypton airs Wednesday, March 21 on Syfy.