Sure, the movie is called Superman, but the clear star of the show is (or will be) Krypto, Kal-El’s canine companion.

In the teaser, Superman (David Corenswet) hits the Earth hard, from an altitude of say, 100,000 miles (give or take a few), somewhere near the North Pole. Broken and bloodied, all he can do is whistle. But the Caped Crusader is in luck, because that pathetic tone summons the best of boys: his dog Krypto, sporting a red cape of his own.

Superman hands Krypto, who appears to be a snowy-white terrier mix, the end of his cape, and whispers “take me home.” The obedient furry friend starts running, dragging his big old master across the frozen tundra as if he were a child’s sled. Good boy!

Oh sure, James Gunn wants us to believe that Krypto isn’t all that. He told reporters at the teaser premiere event in Los Angeles that “he’s not nearly the best dog as he seems. There’s a lot more to Krypto than what you see in this trailer.”

I’m not buying that, however. Who has purer motives than a dog? After all, they know where their next meal is coming from, so its in their best interests to keep their owners in good condition. Plus they usually love their humans, in their doggy way.

The Superman trailer, it should go without saying, also gives fans of the illegal space alien a good look at his blue suit, his Clark Kent drag, and the other characters that will be peopling the film, including Rachel Brosnahan as Lois, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen, and Pruitt Taylor Vince as Clark Kent’s pa, Jonathan.

And there are brief glimpses of other DC heroes, like Nathan Fillion as the Earth-based Green Lantern Guy Gardner, sporting the comic-accurate (but butt-ugly) bowl-cut hairdo and using his power ring in one shot, along with Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as the pale, bald Metamorpho, a giant fire-breathing monster, and what appears to be the remains of Kelex the robot being cradled by a grieving Superman.

We also get to see the Hall of Justice (Cincinnati’s Union Terminal, Metropolis (Cleveland) and in the best of many nods to the 1978 classic starring Christopher Reeve, a slowed-down version of John Williams’ superlative Superman theme.

Sure, it’s not Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel /s, but the presence of Krypto in this movie more than makes up for that. Take us home, little doggie.

Superman (and Krypto) swoop in to rescue the summer box office on July 11th.