Superman director James Gunn shares a twisted new look at one of the film’s most mysterious characters

Director James Gunn‘s Superman reboot movie has its share of mystery characters, but perhaps the most enigmatic so far is Ultraman, the black-clad villain seen taking on Superman in fleeting glimpses throughout the film’s trailers. Now, Gunn has shared a new look at Ultraman – and it’s definitely different from what we’ve seen so far.

Gunn posted an image of Ultraman in a shredded, burnt version of the costume we’ve previously seen, this time showing a bare, flesh-toned neck and what appears to be wispy blonde hair poking out the back of his mask. The caption only confirms the character’s identity.

Check it out:

There have been questions about who’s really under Ultraman’s mask since the character was first seen, with theories ranging from a version of Superman’s twisted clone Bizarro to Milly Alcock’s Supergirl (who has also been rumored as the person under the helmet of one of the film’s other villains, the Hammer of Boravia).

But this image has me convinced it’s someone else entirely. While the blonde hair might suggest Supergirl, It’s now my personal theory that the true identity of Ultraman is none other than Apollo of the Authority, the much meaner version of the Justice League’s Superman equivalent who has essentially the same powers, and a blonde mane of hair.

Maybe it sounds like a stretch, but consider that another member of the Authority, the Engineer (played by María Gabriela De Faría), is already confirmed to appear in the film as one of Lex Luthor’s henchmen. Gunn also announced an Authority film in the first round of projects for the ‘Gods and Monsters’ phase of his new DC Universe, though it may be one of the film’s he’s admitted have been tough nuts to crack in the scripting phase.

All of that said, it does have to be noted how much the shredded version of Ultraman’s costume looks like the containment suit worn by Doomsday, the villain who killed Superman in comics, which may hint at some of the film’s plot – especially since the non-Justice League of the film strongly resembles the one that appeared in The Death of Superman story.

We’ll find out soon, as Superman releases on July 11. For more, check out our list of all the upcoming DC movies and shows you need to know about.