David S. Goyer: "We're Approaching MAN OF STEEL As If It Weren't A Comic Book Movie..."

David S. Goyer: "We're Approaching MAN OF STEEL As If It Weren't A Comic Book Movie..."

Man of Steel scribe David S. Goyer talks in detail here about this realistic take on Superman, making it clear that the fact that he is an alien will play a pivotal role in how the world views him. He also dismisses using a tone similar to that on Richard Donner's take on the iconic DC superhero.

By JoshWilding - Jan 28, 2013 04:01 PM EST
Filed Under: Superman
Source: Empire Magazine


"We're approaching Superman as if it weren't a comic book movie, as if it were real," writer David Goyer told Empire in the latest issue of the magazine. As you should already know, Goyer played a key role in helping craft Christopher Nolan's realistic take on Batman, so it perhaps should come as no surprise that he decided to bring this same aesthetic to Man of Steel (and if nothing else, that means we probably shouldn't expect another Superman Returns). "I adore the Donner films. Absolutely adore them. It just struck me that there was an idealist quality to them that may or may not work with today's audience. It just struck me that if Superman really existed in the world, first of all this story would be a story about first contact."

"He's an alien. You can easily imagine a scenario in which we'd be doing a film like E.T., as opposed to him running around in tights. If the world found out he existed, it would be the biggest thing that ever happened in human history," he added when talk turned to how exactly you bring a character like Superman into a world similar to our own. "It falls into that idea of trying to humanise the inhuman. He's made out of steel, he's not made out of flesh, metaphorically speaking. We are portraying him as a man, yet he's not a man." So, Goyer clearly has a clear vision when it comes to this realistic and grounded take on arguably the world's most iconic superhero.

However, just how challenging is it to take a near indestructible superhero who can fly and fire blasts of heat from his eyes, and make him both relatable and a believable addition to our world? "It is obviously a much longer process with a character like Superman. It is much easier to do a realistic take on Batman. You know nothing can hurt Superman, presumably other than Kryptonite. The challenge was simply: can we figure out a way to make those elements work, quote unquote, in the real world? It's very much a story of a man with two fathers." How do you feel about this interpretation of Superman? Be sure to sound off with your thoughts on these comments in the usual place and pick up the latest issue of Empire for more on Man of Steel.







In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time. Clark Kent/Kal-El (Henry Cavill) is a young twenty-something journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond his imagination. Transported years ago to Earth from Krypton, a highly advanced, distant planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question 'Why am I here?' Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Diane Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), Clark discovers having extraordinary abilities means making difficult decisions. When the world is in dire need of stability, an even greater threat emerges. Clark must become a Man of Steel, to protect the people he loves and shine as the world’s beacon of hope – Superman.


STARRING:

Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman
Amy Adams as Lois Lane
Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent
Diane Lane as Martha Kent
Michael Shannon as Zod

RELEASE DATE: June 14th, 2013.


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superotherside
superotherside - 1/28/2013, 4:51 PM
Interesting idea, I like it. Hopefully it'll work.
TonyChu
TonyChu - 1/28/2013, 4:54 PM
Can't wait for this film!
jaewest215
jaewest215 - 1/28/2013, 4:54 PM
They got a track record of success. We, or I, can only wait and see.
Mendenhall12
Mendenhall12 - 1/28/2013, 4:55 PM
137 more days!
staypuffed
staypuffed - 1/28/2013, 4:58 PM
I've got high hopes in the ideas Goyer and Nolan have produced and I believe that Snyder will do a fantastic job on the film. I got a sneak peek at Man of Steel a few months ago and I was pretty blown away.
GuardianAngel
GuardianAngel - 1/28/2013, 5:07 PM
That quote's gonna get some shit.
BIGBMH
BIGBMH - 1/28/2013, 5:07 PM
Isn't the point of comic book movies already to put the unreal in a somewhat real context?
Bread
Bread - 1/28/2013, 5:07 PM
I really hope they don't do it like they did Batman, so realistic and grounded. There needs to be a JL film built off of this!
TheAcuario
TheAcuario - 1/28/2013, 5:07 PM
@mrBatman pretty blown away as in avengers blown away? or better?
ManofSteel23
ManofSteel23 - 1/28/2013, 5:08 PM
I have nothing more to say about this film,other than my excitement for it,until the next trailer comes out...
ManofSteel23
ManofSteel23 - 1/28/2013, 5:09 PM
I think all comicbook films lately have had a sense of reality some what
Durf
Durf - 1/28/2013, 5:12 PM
So, aren't you supposed to treat the movie like it's actually happening anyway? That's kind of a stupid thing to say
VictorHugo
VictorHugo - 1/28/2013, 5:13 PM
Donner didn´t approached as a "comic book" either. :P that´s why he hired writer Mario Puzo!

CPIXLEY
CPIXLEY - 1/28/2013, 5:13 PM
I don't like that he said only kryptonite can hurt Superman, when there are at least two other ways.
hipnosis
hipnosis - 1/28/2013, 5:21 PM
What a lost cause. Approach it like it was real???????????
Are you f@4cking kidding me? He's an alien from another planet who files, shoots eye beams and is a member of the Justice League. Stop, please stop giving super hero movies to people who don't want to make super hero movies. WTF????????? This movie is going to be worse than the last Superman movie. That hack Nolan has ruined the Super Hero movies for DC. All of this trying to make super heroes real and not like the comics....did they not learn 1 freaking thing from Avengers????? Nope, live under a rock DC....let Marvel make the good movies....you guys make art film about people who are afraid to be superheroes so they spend the whole movie in hiding and the get their back broken 5 minutes in the cape...sad, freaking crap that Batman movie was....yeah, make more like that. Oh man, WB should just fire everyone in their movie division and start over.
RichardHedski
RichardHedski - 1/28/2013, 5:22 PM
"We're Approaching MAN OF STEEL As If It Were A Brett Ratner Movie..."

...AWESOME!!!
Chris1988
Chris1988 - 1/28/2013, 5:23 PM
I just wish WB would hire David S. Goyer as the writer for JUSTICE LEAGUE. WB already have one strike against them. Havin the same writer that did Gangster Squad, and lets real people the script of that movie was mediocre at best.
CrimsonReign
CrimsonReign - 1/28/2013, 5:23 PM
This is just what I and so many others have been waiting for...a real Superman!! Cannot wait!
hipnosis
hipnosis - 1/28/2013, 5:24 PM
CBM, I ask a favor of you....stop covering this movie. If they want to make super hero movies that aren't about the comic version, stop supporting these films. We are the geeks who read the comics and want them to make comicbook movies like the comics.....the more we support the crap they keep putting out, the less we will ever see the comics make into movies. Watch crap like Smallville and see what we are going to get on the big screen.
JatevinM
JatevinM - 1/28/2013, 5:24 PM
I like that approach. Handle it as if it could and would actually happen in the real world. I honestly think that is why Nolan's Batman movies were so well recieved, because for the first time Batman felt like he could actually be real.
FilmsFan
FilmsFan - 1/28/2013, 5:29 PM
Aside from all that Goyer said that told me that he's got his shit locked-up well in his mind on what kind of tone, Style & environment this Superman will be in & his film!
The last line is where I wanted them to go... & holy shit they're going there... "A Man (GOD) with 2 fathers" & both telling him different things & then it comes down to HIS own decision on what to do!
So glad to hear this dynamic is there & he knows that he's an Indestructible Alien & yet he'll be Relatable!!!

I'm going crazy for this film!!
thespiderkat
thespiderkat - 1/28/2013, 5:30 PM
great. antoher “The source material is irrelevant"....
MJPETTY7
MJPETTY7 - 1/28/2013, 5:32 PM
Just like how they did Batman... Can't wait. This should be good.
SageMode
SageMode - 1/28/2013, 5:35 PM
Oh boy..... ..........
FilmsFan
FilmsFan - 1/28/2013, 5:35 PM
All NOLAN-hater are having a gathering again!!

So tell me idiots; why wouldn't WB/DC want Nolan to be involved; he's the ONLY one who's given WB successful superhero films in last 15-20 years!
WB earned the last decade from HARRY POTTER & NOLAN ... So u idiots better shut up!

REALISTIC REALISTIC REALISTIC ... Ya, take that!!
& burn!
Empowerman
Empowerman - 1/28/2013, 5:37 PM
I hope they approach a lot of the DC universe like this. Asking questions. What would happen to the world if in a very few years had all these "Meta Humans" appear and how the "Real World" would adapt and react. The Real world aspect to it is how the planet would react to these individuals not how "real world " these Metas would be.
Eventually people like Luthor would appear. Ultimate intellect = ultimate power = ultimate corruption. This time they needed an equal antithese to Superman like Zod so you could build on the human reaction having both a good alien and bad alien in front of them. I feel Nolan started this way with the first two Batman movies but lost his message in TDKR (he also seemed to be concerned on only the reaction of a city (gotham)other than the reaction of the world.
Its what comic books are about. Its turning into this generations Mythos. Cool to see. Hope they can pull it off.
HulkinOut
HulkinOut - 1/28/2013, 5:39 PM
As long as they stay prettty close to source material then I'm all for the realism. Some things will have to differ from the comics so it can adapt well on the big screen. My only concern is that they will go overboard with the realistic veiw and automatically rule out some major villlians for the next movie.
CaptainObvious
CaptainObvious - 1/28/2013, 5:42 PM
Apparently, people think that being realistic means throwing away any kind of fantastical elements in favor of things that are ordinary instead of thinking it means characters dealing with realistic drama and having realistic emotions with some suspension of disbelief thrown in.

That is just hilarious since that is how Marvel approaches their characters. Making them relatable to real people and inducing suspension of disbelief to allow the audience to accept the idea of men with spider powers or superpowers brought on by evolution. So why would anybody be so pissy about this approach being taken with Superman? Because he is a DC character? Because he is an alien? Because people don't want realism sprinkled on their stories?

I'm sorry. I forgot that writers and directors should not dare to try to push the boundaries of what a superhero movie is. They should all just play it safe and never attempt to branch out and try something new. If everybody had this mindset, CMBs would have died a long time ago.
MJPETTY7
MJPETTY7 - 1/28/2013, 5:43 PM
@KamenRiderJ22 I completely understand what you're saying, but answer this, when reading those comics, have you never once stopped to think "what if [fill in the blank] was real?". Because if you have, your argument is invalid. If you haven't, then your probably lying because you wouldn't be wasting your time arguing about it. It's not that they want to make every superhero/comic book movie like "Batman Begins", it's that they want the audience to relate to their heroes and want to show them how they would be treated in our world. You may read the comics and watch the movies to escape the "real-world" (I do as well), but if you make a film about a character like Superman, you have to give him real world obstacles to over-come and show the audience WHY you should care about him. Not just because he's Superman, but because inside, he's just like the rest of us. Again, I understand your point, but Superman is still going to have come from Krypton, still going to have powers, still going to fight someone else with powers, and is still going to be the same person he's always been, but now he's going to be put in a more relatable setting and be a more interesting and relatable character. I never invested in Superman because of the powers or the suit, I invested in Clark Kent because of who he was and who he inspires me to be.
Knightrider
Knightrider - 1/28/2013, 5:43 PM
People seem to be jumping out the pram with the term realistic. For me he is merely referring to the world we live in today, and how to connect that to this character.

Fact is this Superman movie isn't set twenty years from now or in the past it is set in the present, where a super-powered being would be treated as a threat. A 'Superman' appearing in our world today would trigger a biology evouloutionary arms race as nations race to have their own 'Superman'

I hope we see people not so accepting of him as we are not accepting of many of our own kind let alone an alien.

So, bring it on. Sadly we live in a post 9/11 world and it changed the way society thinks, a way that when Superman's creators couldn't have predicted, so hoping we get a modern, realistic Superman.
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