What can DC films do with Superman?

nivek

As Above So Below
DC Films Still Doesn’t Know What To Do With Superman

960x0.jpg

What happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)


A recent piece in Variety delved into the future of Warners’ DC films, the studio having long learned their lesson from the failure of Justice League, emboldened by the success of Joker, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman.

Suicide Squad is being rebooted, Harley Quinn is starring in her own supervillain spin-off, a new Batman is on the horizon and the Joker is more popular than ever; the studio is even giving Green Lantern another shot.

But the future of Superman is murky, the studio reportedly unsure how to make the character “relevant to modern audiences.”

Michael B. Jordan has pitched a fresh take on Superman, and the master of franchise reboots, J.J. Abrams, has had multiple discussions with the studio regarding the character, his solar-powered abilities no doubt providing exciting new opportunities for lens flares. But with no script or director attached, insiders believe that a new Superman film is unlikely to appear before 2023.

It’s interesting that Superman, a character instinctively associated with the word “superhero,” is proving difficult to adapt to film in the age of superhero saturation. Is the character’s godlike powers and righteous attitude really too alienating for modern audiences?

That’s usually the argument against Superman, but it doesn’t really explain his sudden absence from the big screen. After all, Wonder Woman, Shazam, and Captain America are incredibly popular, and all share that childlike earnestness, the boundless optimism that defines Superman. So, why isn’t the Man of Steel thriving among his fellow do-gooders?

Part of the problem might be his feverishly absurd mythology, one that is difficult to fully embrace without shifting the tone to comedy. I can easily imagine Bizzaro or Krypto the Superdog appearing in a sequel to Shazam!, but not a Superman film; Superman’s lore might be ridiculous, but he’s not meant to be a joke.

In contrast, Man of Steel took Superman very seriously indeed, the character navigating the complexities of the modern world, but the film didn’t feel true to Superman’s personality. Zack Snyder’s sombre vision of Krypton, with its phallic spaceships and scaly outfits, was, unintentionally, even sillier than Shazam!; this stuff should be rendered in bright colors, and the costumes should be as outlandish as they are in the comics.

Snyder genuinely tried to redesign Superman’s costume into something more sleek and intimidating, but there’s not much you can do with an outfit that looks like pajamas, especially when it’s as iconic as Superman’s suit. You can’t make too many changes, and you certainly can’t make it look “cool.”

And that’s the thing about Superman; he’s not cool. He’s not funny. He’s not edgy. Unlike Captain America, he was never one of us. Like Wonder Woman, he is meant to be a beacon of hope in a dreary world. But he’s significantly sillier than Wonder Woman, just as silly as Thor and Shazam, but unable to pull off the irony.

Obviously, this is a generalization, as Superman means different things to different people. And any character, no matter how quaintly optimistic, should be able to thrive, given the right story.

But Superman occupies a very specific niche, a serious symbol of hope dwelling inside a bizarre universe. He doesn’t seem to share Batman’s malleability; the Dark Knight can switch between deadly serious and absurd to suit the times, while Superman remains stubbornly consistent.

And in this crowded superhero landscape, Superman doesn’t offer anything unique. He preceded and inspired many of these characters, but nowadays, he feels like a relic from a bygone age, a time when a pair of glasses could be considered a disguise.

Funnily enough, Aquaman was in a similar situation, weighed down by the baggage of a much-mocked mythology. But Aquaman’s brand was rebooted with the help of the beardy, tattooed Jason Momoa, who seems like he’d be a blast to grab a beer with.

Superman, however, will never be that guy; he can’t be changed into a party animal. Superman has endured through the decades as an unchanging icon of hope, but that simplicity is proving an obstacle to cinematic success.

Christopher Reeve’s Superman, released in the late seventies, was a faithful depiction of the character that proved immensely popular with audiences; arguably, the film was the first step toward today’s crowded superhero landscape.

And standing amongst the diverse, interesting superheroes that fill the cinema, Superman feels more like an archetype than a fleshed-out character. Perhaps the Man of Tomorrow needs to take a decade away from the screen; the audience needs to miss him again.

.
 

Shadowprophet

Truthiness
I think Superman needs those things that have been taken away from him, See for decades now people have been trying to find a way to modernize superman, And some were successful. But, Ultimately, supermans story is about a man from another world with boundless power trying to fit into society. A lot of people don't get that part, because they just see superman kicking ass all the time, But, Clark kent is literally That part of superman that is trying to be human, and why? Because Ultimately, Superman loves people. The tragedy in this tale is, He will never be fully accepted because of the vast difference between what he is and what humans are, Keep in mind, Lois didn't really latch on to the idea of marriage until she found out Kent was superman, Her excuse was she loved them both, But the reality was, marriage to Kent wasn't on her plate until she found out Kent was superman. And even though, People can love him from afar, people don't love him in the ways he deserves, They love superman, Not the human Clark Kent, who is often thrown to side and overlooked undervalued, , Up close, Sometimes people have prejudices, Like Lex Luthor, And there are at least two Canon instances where Lois lane herself was afraid of him or had suspicions that lead to fear.

His story is a tragedy and people don't get that, They love the limitless power and the boundless strength, But, Not the real qualities that make him Human, And this, Is the Tragedy that is Superman.

He is Different, And that pains him Because He loves humans so much. That is the real superman. The superman that is only explored in exposition.
 
Last edited:
Maybe it's time for Clark to get invited to a party in Vegas, get talked into drinking (I dunno if alcohol affects Superman. It's been a long time since I bought the comic book every week). Anyway, he gets really drunk and wakes up the next morning with a hell of a headache and a new bride from Dallas. Trixie is a former Cowboys cheerleader, now working in a car wash. She has a son who is a brat, living with his father who is between jobs at the moment. Clark decides he has no choice but to Do the Right Thing and try to stabilize his new family.

He takes a night job at a liquor store to bring in some extra cash and get away from the TV, which is on 24-7 in Trixie's apartment. Trixie's best friend, Sheila, is always hanging around, trying to put the moves on Clark. For some reason, this greatly amuses Trixie. Clark just wishes Lois had not left him for the Tick, but makes the best of it.

I think Seth MacFarlane could make it work.
 

Standingstones

Celestial
The obvious thing to do is to leave the Superman franchise on the back burner for awhile and let it rest. Unfortunately, that will never happen. If there is a dime to be made, the owners will squeeze it for as long as they can.
 

wwkirk

Divine
I'm deep into Smallville right now. I never watched before. I really like the way Clark Kent and Lex Luthor are handled in that series.

But I admit that what works on the small may not go over well in a movie.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
I'm deep into Smallville right now. I never watched before. I really like the way Clark Kent and Lex Luthor are handled in that series.

But I admit that what works on the small may not go over well in a movie.

I like Smallville, I've never watched it from start to finish but I've seen many of the episodes randomly in various seasons, judging by the few episodes I've seen, it's very entertaining...

...
 

wwkirk

Divine
I like Smallville, I've never watched it from start to finish but I've seen many of the episodes randomly in various seasons, judging by the few episodes I've seen, it's very entertaining...

...
I believe you said you have Hulu now. Well, it's there.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
I believe you said you have Hulu now. Well, it's there.

Thanks, I see it here now, Hulu has a lot of content, more than I assumed...I watched a movie called Odd Thomas on Hulu a couple nights ago...I like that they have all the Star Trek series and all the Stargate series, both in enjoy watching random episodes from time to time...lol

...
 

nivek

As Above So Below
I'm deep into Smallville right now. I never watched before. I really like the way Clark Kent and Lex Luthor are handled in that series.

But I admit that what works on the small may not go over well in a movie.

Last night I watched a couple episodes of Smallville with Bizarro, good ones!...

...
 

wwkirk

Divine
I'm watching the 100th episode of Smallville, Reckoning. It's very intense. Among other things, a longstanding on and off relationship finally comes to an end.
Also, a major character dies. If you want to find out who, click the next spoiler button.

Clark's adoptive father, Jonathan Kent, dies.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
I'm watching the 100th episode of Smallville, Reckoning. It's very intense. Among other things, a longstanding on and off relationship finally comes to an end.
Also, a major character dies. If you want to find out who, click the next spoiler button.

Clark's adoptive father, Jonathan Kent, dies.

I think I've seen that one before, not sure though, I'll watch it again...I finished off a two-parter over the past weekend with General Zod, that was a good storyline...

...
 

Captain Tinkle

Honorable
I much perfer DC films to Marvel.

I find DC films to be a lot darker and more for adults than Marvel.

Maybe I'm in the minority, as I thought Justice League, Suicide Squad, Aquaman and Wonder Women were pretty good. New Harley Quinn film though was not my cup of tea.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
I much perfer DC films to Marvel.

I find DC films to be a lot darker and more for adults than Marvel.

Maybe I'm in the minority, as I thought Justice League, Suicide Squad, Aquaman and Wonder Women were pretty good. New Harley Quinn film though was not my cup of tea.

I liked Aquaman, it was a good one I watched trice now but haven't seen wonder woman...Justice League was ok, could have been better but it was ok, same with suicide squad...I couldn't finish watching Harley Quinn, a little too bizarre for my tastes lol...

...
 

wwkirk

Divine
As a kid, I started out with DC, but switched to Marvel once I encountered them. Upon reaching adulthood, I had little contact with comics or superheroes for a long time, but at some point got into The Punisher. In the past decade, I became reacquainted with DC through the CW network and Gotham on Fox. And in the last year, I subscribed to the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ package deal, giving me access to a large quantity of Marvel animation, as well as Smallville (DC).

So, at this point, I consider myself equally a DC and a Marvel fan.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
As a kid, I started out with DC, but switched to Marvel once I encountered them. Upon reaching adulthood, I had little contact with comics or superheroes for a long time, but at some point got into The Punisher. In the past decade, I became reacquainted with DC through the CW network and Gotham on Fox. And in the last year, I subscribed to the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ package deal, giving me access to a large quantity of Marvel animation, as well as Smallville (DC).

So, at this point, I consider myself equally a DC and a Marvel fan.

What about the Marvel cinematic movies, did you watch those from the start as they came out or watch them later on?...

...
 

nivek

As Above So Below
Pretty much after the fact.

Have you seen the DC animation movie Reign of the Supermen?...I liked it, a continuation of the Death of Superman animation movie...

...
 

Standingstones

Celestial
I have to say that I am not a fan of the superhero movies, either Marvel or DC Comics. The two movies I saw in the theater were Iron Man 1 and Thor 1 in 3D. Wearing those stupid glasses for Thor gave me major headache. I stopped right there. I don’t feel as if I have missed anything. Is anyone else put off by all the special effects movies these days?
 

wwkirk

Divine
Have you seen the DC animation movie Reign of the Supermen?...I liked it, a continuation of the Death of Superman animation movie...

...
Thanks for bringing these to my attention. I'll be watching both over the next week.
 
Top