What’s the consensus here on the direction a Superman movie
should have? From what I can gather, the Snyder thing was a disappointment but now it seems like they’ve overcorrected and we’re heading into Silverado-ass, aw-shucks, lunchpail Superman. I don’t really have a dog (lol)
in this fight, I just find it fascinating watching this character get culturally assblasted every decade.
Already sort of posted prior, but we already have great Superman adaptations that should work as a functional base for the character without needing to do a comics deep dive. STAS and JL are the most obvious candidates for the exact type of Superman people look for in current year. Superman is kind, but not a pushover, he is prone to being hot headed and playing by a “my way or the highway” mindset. Clark Kent is actually very competent and has a tendency to fuck with people, be it Lois or Luthor.
Other Superman adaptations to follow would be stuff like All-Star Superman, The Batman & Superman duology, vs The Elite, and LEGO (unironically he is pretty entertaining). A lot of these ones have very similar masculine traits as the DCAU, maybe giving Superman just a touch more humor in the cases of The Batman & Superman films. When doing humor, it should be Superman/Clark having a good amount of quick wit, something like below where he always feels on top, even if he is literally dying.
Controversial section - and long posting a film idea.
Now if I were to have to write a first Superman film and the base of a wider DC universe, the goal would be to portray these traits in a way that is digestible and likable to an audience. Superman needs some bases to where the average moviegoer can relate to him, which is where Synder constantly having a foot up his ass to show any levity killed him, and Gunn making him into a perpetual punchline will kill him. In the case of Synder, this scene of Superman being charming was really the only “human” moment we truly got, hence why people couldn’t get into Man of Steel despite it having the structure of a decent Superman origin:
Personally, and probably controversially, I would suggest making Kara the focus of the first film. The reasoning for this is that I believe she could be a good launching point to provide a Superman the means to really display his personality, and because in the context of wider DC, she is one of the most important characters next to Superman, Batman and Robin if her numerous adaptations and importance in major stories (Crisis on Infinite Earths) is anything to go by.
Make the story one of identity, playing up the themes of the American migrant story that form the basis of Superman. Superman can be a form of second generation migrant given he has known Earth his whole life and fully sees himself as a Kent. At best Clark has curiosity regarding his heritage as a Kryptonian, but it does not overpower his Earth identity. Kara is a first generation migrant/refugee trying to adjust to a new home and carve out an identity for herself. She is Clark’s tether to his heritage and can work as a guide to both him and the audience regarding what Krypton was like. Through Kara, Clark has a choice in how much of his heritage he wants to make parts of his identity.
With Kara around, you can build up the traits of Superman, who in this adaptation should already be a few years in. We can get Clark training her to avoid damages to civilians, fixing her reckless behavior. Given she is his cousin, he’d probably f’ with her just a bit, while also being very protective, giving the audience a family bond they can use as an attachment point to Superman. We can also see Clark’s people skills as Kara is a troubled teen in a world she doesn’t understand that needs the guidance only someone like Superman can give. If Kara is Clark’s outlet for Krypton, then Clark is Kara’s for humanity.
As for villains, would argue Bizarro would be great obstacle for a first movie. Bizarro is a confused clone of Superman where Superman’s kindness and brains are a much better means of defeating him than strength. Bizarro can be trying to figure out his creation and purpose, tying him into the Krypton identity portion of the film as Superman educates him into being a hero. I think Metallo would also be a good villain for this film. He is a man who had his identity stripped to be a weapon for Lex and his, let’s say, anti-immigrant stance when it comes to the aliens. The man is a sadist who embodies the opposite ideals of Clark making him a perfect final boss when Bizarro is obviously shown to be incompetent. Would given Bizarro the final blow on Corben giving him an Iron Giant style “I’m Superman moment” saving the two Kryptonians by suiciding himself. I choose these two villains fit given they fit the theme, introduce Lex, and avoid doing the millionth Zod film.
Other characters like Lois can be incorporated as needed, but I feel the family relationship between Clark and Kara should be the focal point to give this Superman film a little bit of its own identity. Lois and Clark should already be in a relationship and maybe they can give Kara a crush on Jimmy.
Ending should have Kara taking up the new identity of Powergirl to separate herself a bit from her cousin and begin her own narrative.
