Marvel Comics writer Dan Slott, notorious for his controversial runs on Spider-Man and Fantastic Four, is now set to take over DC's Man of Steel with "Superman Unlimited" launching this May. Based on his recent WonderCon 2025 panel comments, fans of the iconic character have reason to be concerned about what's in store for Clark Kent.
Slott, who infamously killed off Peter Parker to replace him with Doctor Octopus in "Superior Spider-Man," seems poised to make similarly dramatic changes to Superman's world. According to DC's announcement, the series will introduce "a massive extinction-level Kryptonite asteroid" that showers "Superman's greatest weakness down upon the earth," fundamentally altering the power balance in Metropolis.
"Imagine a world where Superman is stopping a bank robbery, but every weapon is packed with Kryptonite ammunition and every petty criminal carries a Kryptonite shiv," explained DC group editor Paul Kaminski. "This is a world of unlimited danger on a level that Superman, and DC's Superman family of characters, has never faced before."
At WonderCon, Slott revealed plans to transform the Daily Planet into what he calls the "Capra version," where journalists will "battle other journalists for scoops." More concerning is his introduction of Jack Ryder, aka The Creeper – Steve Ditko's psychologically fractured vigilante character created in 1968 – as "another journalist — a podcaster — going after the same stories."
"Right now, Slott's name for The Creeper podcast is 'No Laughing Matter,' and it's taking all he's got not to turn this into a Creeper book," according to the Comic Book Club panel recap. This suggests Slott may already be struggling to maintain focus on Superman himself.
Slott's track record with long-running characters should give Superman fans pause. At his WonderCon panel, he openly admitted to dramatically altering Franklin Richards' powers in Fantastic Four because "I don't want to write a book with a boy in the book with the powers of god." This willingness to fundamentally change established characters to suit his personal preferences has been a hallmark of his Marvel work.
The writer also confessed during the panel that "he can't write real scientists," claiming he can write Hank Pym who "can do fake science — but not DC's The Atom, who talks about real science." This admission raises serious questions about his ability to handle a character whose Kryptonian heritage and powers are deeply rooted in scientific concepts.
DC's press release touts Slott as "known for his expansive world-building," but his panel comments reveal a writer who often struggles when his long-term plans conflict with other creators or editorial mandates. He admitted his "Reckoning War" storyline "wasn't what I wanted it to be" and "it hurt," blaming pandemic-era Zoom pitches for Marvel's lack of faith in the event.
With Superman Unlimited #1 hitting stores on May 21st and a free "Zero Issue" prelude arriving on Free Comic Book Day (May 3rd), readers will soon see if Dan Slott will upset DC fans as much as he has Marvel Comics fans with his past work.
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Not that awful TDS weirdo. He defended One More Day. That's all you need to know about him.
Overrated.