DC League of Super-Pets is a 2022 American animated superhero film based on DC Comics characters. It was directed by Jared Stern, who co-wrote it with John Whittington. Dwayne Johnson stars as the voice of Krypto, alongside a supporting ensemble voice cast that includes Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Marc Maron, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, and Keanu Reeves. It tells the story of Superman's pet dog Krypto and shelter dog Ace who work with other animals to save captured superheroes from Lex Luthor and Lulu.
During the early days of Warner Animation Group, Stern pitched the film in 2012, after working in an animal shelter, where he noticed how older animals were less likely to be adopted and wondered about the idea of those pets having superpowers. He was hired to write and direct a film about DC's Legion of Super-Pets in July 2018. Sam J. Levine and Patricia Hicks joined the project in January 2019 as co-director and producer, respectively. Johnson was signed on to voice Krypto in May 2021, while other main cast members were confirmed to join the voice roles by June 2021, including Hart, McKinnon, Krasinski, Bayer, Lyonne, Luna, Maron, and Reeves. The inspiration for the film's animation style came from Art Deco architecture and illustrator J.C. Leyendecker. The animation was provided by Animal Logic.
DC League of Super-Pets premiered at the AMC The Grove in Los Angeles, California on July 13, 2022, and was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 29. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $207 million worldwide on a $90 million budget. DC League of Super-Pets was the last fully animated film to be released under the Warner Animation Group label before being renamed Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in 2023.
Plot Superman, who grows up with a Kryptonian Labrador Retriever named Krypto, goes by the name Clark Kent in everyday life. Krypto feels jealous when Superman starts dating Lois Lane, so Superman goes to an animal shelter to find Krypto a friend. A Boxer named Ace tries to escape the shelter, but Krypto stops him. Later, Superman and Krypto spot their archenemy, LexCorp CEO Lex Luthor, reeling in a meteor strapped with orange kryptonite with a tractor beam, intending to gain superpowers. He is easily defeated as the two are aided by the Justice League, formed by Superman himself, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg, and Aquaman.
Meanwhile, Lulu, a guinea pig test subject from LexCorp sent to the shelter who is blindly loyal to Luthor, reels in a piece of orange kryptonite with her own tractor beam, which gives her telekinesis and allows her to escape the shelter, setting it ablaze while doing so. Unbeknownst to her, everyone else in the shelter also gains superpowers: Ace is now super-strong and nigh-invulnerable; PB, a potbellied pig, can change size; Merton, a nearsighted turtle, becomes super-fast; and Chip, a paranoid squirrel, gains electrokinesis. Using their new powers, they escape the burning shelter. While at home, Superman and Krypto have an argument when the former plans to propose marriage to Lois. However, Clark is captured by Lulu when she weakens him with kryptonite. Krypto tries to save him, but loses his powers after unknowingly eating a tiny shard of a green kryptonite hidden inside a piece of Jarlsberg cheese. Later, Krypto comes across the shelter pets, who agree to help him.
Meanwhile, Lulu gives powers to and recruits a group of guinea pigs, captures the Justice League, and heads to Stryker's Island to free Luthor. The shelter pets try to stop her, but fail miserably; in the process, Lulu taunts Krypto about Clark's engagement plans and even shows him the engagement ring. They regroup in the Hall of Justice, where Ace reveals to a distraught Krypto that he used to have owners as a puppy: a family with a toddler. One day, when the wandering toddler was about to fall down a flight of steps, Ace accidentally bit her arm too roughly to pull her to safety. Upon seeing the bite-marks, the parents assumed Ace attacked her and sent him to the shelter, though Ace stands by his actions and ideals. Encouraged, Krypto leads the pets to LexCorp. While there, a kitten named Whiskers, (who Lulu rescued from the shelter after she set it ablaze the night she and the others gained their powers) who can now create weapons at will, attacks them, but the team traps her. At Stryker's Island, the shelter pets confront Lulu, but put themselves in prison cells when she threatens to kill Krypto. Lulu frees Luthor, who then betrays her and locks her in his cell while freeing Mercy Graves. Lulu breaks out easily and decides to destroy the Justice League and Luthor herself.
The Kryptonite shard passes through Krypto's system, restoring his powers. He breaks himself and the other super pets out of prison, and attempts to free the Justice League, but Lulu launches them into space along with Luthor, betraying her remaining henchmen while doing so. In order to stall Krypto, she attempts to kill Lois. However, the other super pets rescue the Justice League while Krypto saves Lois and defeats Lulu, but she absorbs the orange kryptonite, becoming a mutated kaiju-sized version of herself. The League and the pets team up to stop her, but she gains the upper-hand. Realizing Lulu has become too powerful, Krypto decides to use the "Solar Paw Punch", a move that can defeat any supervillain, but will kill the user. The attack causes a massive explosion that knocks the kryptonite out of Lulu's system, causing her to lose her powers and return to normal size while Krypto accepts his fate. Ace uses his invulnerability to save him. Shortly after, Lulu's redeemed henchmen, Mark and Keith, trap her in a hot dog stand for her crimes and betrayal.
In the aftermath, Krypto allows Clark to marry Lois. The shelter pets, Mark, and Keith get adopted by the rest of the Justice League: Ace by Batman, PB by Wonder Woman, Merton by The Flash, Chip by Green Lantern, Mark by Cyborg and Keith by Aquaman. Sometime later, the pets have formed their own superhero team called the "League of Super-Pets".
In a mid-credits scene, Luthor is still trapped in his prison asking any passing super-animals to free him, without success. Meanwhile, Lulu is freed by Mercy, who adopts her. In a post-credits scene, Krypto and Superman encounter Black Adam and his dog, Anubis, but Krypto tricks them into flying to Pluto.
Voice cast Dwayne Johnson as Krypto, a Kryptonian Labrador Retriever and Superman's pet dog. Johnson also voices Anubis, Black Adam's pet dog who hates when people refer to his owner as a villain instead of an antihero. Johnson also voices Black Adam, an anti-hero that appears in the post-credits ending, teasing his then-upcoming role in the DC Extended Universe. Kevin Hart as Ace, a Boxer mix who gains super strength and nigh-invulnerability after coming in contact with orange Kryptonite. He later becomes Batman's pet dog. According to Krypto, in sarcastic terms; he is 7/8 Chihuahua. Kate McKinnon as Lulu, an evil skinny pig who gains flight and telekinesis through orange Kryptonite. Originally had a blind allegiance towards Lex Luthor, she later becomes Mercy Graves' pet. John Krasinski as Clark Kent / Superman, a superhero from Krypton who protects Metropolis and Krypto's owner. Vanessa Bayer as PB, a potbellied pig who gains the ability to change her size in scale after coming in contact with the orange Kryptonite and is a major superhero fan, but mostly idolizes Wonder Woman, whose pet she becomes later. Natasha Lyonne as Merton, a red-eared terrapin with poor eyesight who gains super speed after coming in contact with orange Kryptonite. She later becomes Flash's pet. Diego Luna as Chip, a paranoid red squirrel who gains electrokinesis after coming in contact with orange Kryptonite and speaks with a strong Spanish accent. He later becomes the Green Lantern (Jessica Cruz)'s pet. Marc Maron as Lex Luthor, the CEO of LexCorp and Superman's arch-nemesis. Keanu Reeves as Bruce Wayne / Batman, a vigilante superhero who protects Gotham City. He later becomes Ace's owner. Thomas Middleditch as Keith, a white guinea pig who was recruited by Lulu who was empowered by orange Kryptonite where he possesses cryokinesis (later hydrokinesis after Lulu smashes him against Mark). He later becomes Aquaman's pet and joins the team. Julia Morris portrays Keith in the Australian version. Ben Schwartz as Mark, a brown guinea pig who also was recruited by Lulu who was empowered by orange Kryptonite where he possesses pyrokinesis. He later becomes Cyborg's pet and joins the team. Chris Brown portrays Mark in the Australian release. Olivia Wilde as Lois Lane, a reporter of the Daily Planet and Clark's girlfriend. Jameela Jamil as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, an Amazon princess and superheroine from Themyscira. She later becomes PB's owner. Jemaine Clement as Arthur Curry / Aquaman, an Atlantean demigod, superhero, and the king of Atlantis. He later becomes Keith's owner. John Early as Barry Allen / The Flash, a police forensic scientist and superhero who protects Central City with his immense superspeed. He later becomes Merton's owner. Daveed Diggs as Victor Stone / Cyborg, a former football player and superhero who gained cybernetics after an accident. He later becomes Mark's owner. Dascha Polanco as Jessica Cruz / Green Lantern, a superheroine and member of the Green Lantern Corps. She later becomes Chip's owner. Keith David as Dog-El, Krypto's father. Sam J. Levine as the Robot Guards at Stryker's Island. Levine also voices Waffles, a Boston Terrier that interacts with Krypto in the park. Richard Arnold portrays Waffles in the UK version. Sean Lee portrays Waffles in the Malaysian English version. Maya Erskine as Mercy Graves, Lex Luthor's henchwoman and bodyguard. She later becomes Lulu's owner. Yvette Nicole Brown as Patty, the owner of an animal shelter. Alfred Molina as Jor-El, Superman's biological father. Lena Headey as Lara, Superman's biological mother. Busy Philipps as Foofy Dog, a dog that interacts with Krypto in the park. Dan Fogler as Carl, Patty's assistant who constantly tries to hit on her. Fogler also plays Pilot Fogler also voices Racer Winona Bradshaw as Whiskers, a kitten with weapon abilities who tries to kill the Super-Pets for Lulu as a thank you for rescuing her. She appears later in a mid-credits scene where Luthor is still trapped in the park as she passes by him. David Pressman as a Welsh Corgi waiting outside the shelter with Krypto, who later gains size manipulation and a Doctor Manhattan inspired appearance. Munya Chawawa portrays the corgi in the UK version. Jared Stern as a guy in a bathtub whose bath keeps getting disrupted by the animals. Stern also voices JLA Hotline Michelle Morgan as the A.I. for Lex Luthor's Mech Suit Amanda Ames as Guinea-Pigasus, a guinea pig who was recruited by Lulu and empowered by Orange Kryptonite, which gave her the wings and hindquarters of a bird. Gavin McCrillis as Black Kitten Andre Hyland as Storm Mark Walton as Topo
Production Development In July 2018, Jared Stern was hired to write and direct an animated film about DC's Legion of Super-Pets. In January 2019, it was announced that Sam J. Levine would serve as co-director with Stern, and that Patricia Hicks had signed on as producer. The film was pitched by Stern in 2012, during the early days of the Warner Animation Group.
In May 2021, it was announced that Dwayne Johnson would star as the voice of Krypto the Superdog. In addition to starring in the film, he, alongside Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Stern would be joining Hicks as producers; while John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, and Nicholas Stoller were set to executive produce.