The trailer for the new Superman movie is finally here, and the stakes are high. The entirety of James Gunn's new DC Universe rests entirely on the success of this film. The film also presents a brand new Superman for a new generation, one who - much like when The Flash came out in 2023 - also has to contend with a TV audience that has only recently come to know and love the phenomenal (arguably all-time great) iteration of the titular superhero across the small screen thanks to Superman and Lois. It doesn't help that said CW show has already covered much of the same ground that the Gunn movie will (Superman's relationship with Lois, Superman gets a dogand his fight with a more formidable than usual Lex Luthor).

The Superman trailer. does a lot of things right, like establishing that Superman and Clark Kent actually look different for reasons that go beyond their matching hairstyles, fantastic casting, and its general sense of optimism. Seeing Superman actually help kids is such a small but impactful thing -

However, there is one particular footage from the trailer that is making waves online. No, no Guy Gardner's funny haircutnor is Krypto the best boy. Instead, it's the first visual in the trailer, with a defeated Superman lying in the snow wrapped up. It's an unremarkable image on its own and simply serves to show that Superman has just faced something powerful enough to temporarily defeat him (to the point where he has to ask Krypto to take him home). What makes the shot so curious, however, is that it's clearly reminiscent of the iconic death pose from arguably the greatest anime show of all time.

Indeed, the visual of Superman lying half-dead in a snowy ditch bears a distinct resemblance to Yamcha's iconic death pose in "Dragon Ball Z." In case you need a reminder, Yamcha is one of the earliest allies and friends of the legendary "Dragon Ball" protagonist Goku in that series. Despite starting out as a bandit trying to rob Goku, Yamcha turns his life around and becomes one of the strongest and most skilled martial artists on the planet.

Unfortunately, as we move from the original Dragon Ball show to Dragon Ball Z, the stakes get higher, and being a brilliant martial artist isn't enough. Heck, even learning to literally fly isn't enough.

During the first arc of "Dragon Ball Z", Yamcha and the other leads of the series face off against Saiyan Vegeta and his Saibamen army. The Saiyan hopes to organize a little game to see which race is superior. In an attempt to bide time for Goku's arrival, Yamcha volunteers to fight in place of his friend Krillin, knowing that the latter cannot be brought back to life by the Dragon Balls. But despite seemingly being stronger than Saibaman, the alien blows itself up, and Yamcha with it.

This is actually a point of contention among fans of the franchise. For those who watched the original Dragon Ball, seeing the death of Yamcha, who was truly one of the strongest characters in the series (outside of Goku and Piccolo), was a shock. This not only meant that the stakes were higher than ever, but that Vegeta and the others had to be taken seriously and that the fighting was now on an interplanetary scale. It was also a very emotional death, with Krillin torn apart by his friend sacrificing himself for him. Although, for many American fans who were just watching "Dragon Ball Z" when it aired on ToonamiYamcha's death may have seemed rather humorous (in the sense that he was a man who talked a big game but immediately became the owner in a fight).

Regardless of the factions when the episode aired, Yamcha's pose lying dead in a crater has become one of the most iconic images in Dragon Ball and all of anime. It was also referenced as a tribute to Death, if not more so than the bike slide in Akira. There is even a 60-meter-long statue of the dead Yamcha in a Chinese art museum, in addition to his various action figures. Everything from "Naruto" to "Deadpool" and even video games like "Valorant" have already addressed Yamcha's death; now, as things come full circle, it's Man of Steel's turn.

Dragon Ball and Superman have a long history together. Akira Toriyama, the creator of Goku, was a huge fan of the Man of Steel. In the "Dragon Ball" prequel, "Dr. Slump," Toriyama included a parody of a character called Sourman (or Supaman in Japanese), whose secret identity is reporter Kuraaku Kenta. He has no powers of his own and really no sense of justice, but he disguises himself in a phone booth like Superman did in the past.

Even Goku is a Superman tribute of sorts. Although the original "Dragon Ball" was heavily inspired by "Journey to the West" and Sun Wukong the Monkey King, the second part, "Dragon Ball Z" flipped and morphed Goku's origin to basically be Kal-El. Instead of just being a strange boy with a monkey tail, Goku (born Kakarot) has become an alien who belongs to a race of super-beings that hail from a planet that has been destroyed. Goku was sent to Earth by his parents as an infant, much like Kal-El, and raised by humans. The first time Goku meets other members of his race, they end up also being heavily coded with General Zod (ie they are evil beings set on conquering Earth).

This changed Dragon Ball forever and started a cycle of one franchise influencing another that continues to this day. You see, Goku wasn't kicked out of his planet because his parents loved him and wanted him to have a better life. Instead, he was sent to Earth to become its conqueror, because, it turns out, Saiyan culture is all about taking over other planets and bending them to their will. The only reason this failed was because Goku hit his head upon arrival and lost his memories.

This idea of ​​a superbeing race being evil and violent has since become much more prevalent in pop culture, from the Viltrumites in Invincible to My Adventures With Superman bringing it full circle with Supergirl plays Raditz to Clarke's Goku and her explanation that the Kryptonian Empire was all about conquering the universe. Just as Superman inspired Dragon Ball 40 years ago, the now iconic anime franchise is influencing Man of Steel, and it's pretty cool to see.

Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.