DC League of Super-Pets

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. 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 had its premiere in Los Angeles on July 27, 2022, and was released in the United States 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 is the last film to be produced under the Warner Animation Group name before the animation studio label became Warner Bros. Pictures Animation on June 9, 2023.

Meanwhile, Lulu, a guinea pig test subject from LexCorp sent to the shelter, reels in a piece of orange kryptonite with her own tractor beam, which gives her flight and telekinesis. Unbeknownst to her, everyone else in the shelter also gains superpowers. Ace is now super-strong and indestructible; PB, a potbellied pig, can change size; Merton, a nearsighted turtle, becomes super-fast; and Chip, a paranoid squirrel, gains electrokinesis. While at home, Superman and Krypto have an argument when the former plans to propose marriage to Lois. However, Clark is captured by Lulu. Krypto tries to save him, but loses his powers after eating some green kryptonite hidden inside a piece of Jarlsberg cheese. Later, Krypto comes across the shelter pets, who agree to help him.

Meanwhile, Lulu 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 tells a distraught Krypto he used to be the puppy of a family with a toddler. One day, the toddler nearly fell down the stairs when Ace bit her arm and pulled her to safety. Upon seeing the bite-marks, the parents assumed Ace attacked her and sent him to the shelter. However, 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 and 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 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 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. 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. Realizing she has become too powerful, Krypto decides to use the “Solar Paw Punch”, a move that can defeat any supervillain, but will likely kill the user. The attack causes a massive explosion that removes the kryptonite from Lulu’s brain and, shortly thereafter, her redeemed henchmen, Mark and Keith, trap her in a hot dog stand. Krypto accepts his fate, but Ace uses his invulnerability to save him.

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. Krypto tricks them into flying to Pluto.