“Krypto was the real MVP”: Director James Gunn reacts to reports that Superman movie is increating dog adoptions, calling it a “blessing”

James Gunn’s Superman hasn’t just inspired fans with its message of hope; it may also be boosting rescue dog adoption across the country.

Krypto’s real-world impact on rescue dogs

Audiences seem to be smitten with Superman‘s superpowered sidekick, Krypto. In the new film, Krypto is a scrappy, loyal, and somewhat chaotic foster dog who assists the Man of Steel in battle, often with hilarious and heartwarming results.

Now, according to dog training app Woofz, the canine character may be causing ripples far beyond the movie theater. Google searches for “adopt a dog near me” reportedly surged by 513% after the movie’s opening weekend, while “rescue dog adoption near me” climbed 163%.

Even more specific queries, like “adopt a schnauzer,” saw a spike of 299%, likely because Krypto, while entirely CGI, was modeled after a mix of terrier and Schnauzer.

Woofz credited the dog’s charm with this spike in interest, although they noted that their sample size had not been verified. CEO Natalia Shahmetova shared with The Wrap, “The hype will fade, but your dog will stay,” reminding fans that pet adoption is a lifelong responsibility.

Ozu: the real-life dog behind Krypto

Interestingly, Krypto isn’t just fiction. He’s based on Gunn’s real-life rescue dog, Ozu, whom the director adopted during the writing of Superman. Ozu’s struggles with training reportedly sparked the idea of what it might be like if a superdog also had behavioral issues. From there, Krypto was born.

James Gunn reacted warmly to reports that the film caused a spike in dog adoptions. Sharing the news of the spike in dog adoptions, Gunn tweeted, “This film has been a barrage of blessings for me: this one may be the greatest.” He also talked about how Krypto is the “secret star” of the film on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

This isn’t the first time James Gunn’s work has drawn attention to animal welfare. Back in 2023, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 received praise from animal welfare organizations and research scientists for its sensitive portrayal of animal testing. It seems animal advocacy is becoming a quiet theme in his storytelling.

To further encourage responsible pet adoption, Warner Bros. partnered with Best Friends Animal Society. The studio covered dog adoption fees from July 1 to 10, ahead of the film’s release. During that timespan, 454 pets found homes in the United States, a heartwarming companion campaign to the film’s premiere.

Fan reactions to Krypto

Online, fans celebrated the dog-centric subplot. “Krypto was the real MVP,” one person wrote on X. Others shared their own adoption stories using hashtags like #AdoptDontShop.

“I might’ve cried a little,” @SolaceSays tweeted. “I love this so much.”

Podcast @SceneNNerd shared that part of their group owns a rescue dog, “and this story just warms his heart. Think it demonstrates how relevant #Superman is today when his story is told correctly.”

The Daily Dot was unable to verify the Google data provided by Woofz.