I have to admit, when they first announced that they would finally be getting rid of Superman’s red undies for the new film I was definitely in the “Its about time!” group. That said, it is really starting to get every time I hear people involved in with the film constantly talk about making Superman relevant again. I’m a huge Supes fan. Though I barely remember any of the original franchise films coming out in theatres, I have seen in my lifetime Superman have 2 long-running live-action TV shows (Lois and Clark 4 seasons and Smallville 10 seasons), 3 successful cartoon series and a ton of animated straight to video releases. Not to mention all of the spin-offs (Young Justice) and imitations (Dragonball Z). How many Superheroes can boast anything close to that? IMHO, Superman Returns was a horrible movie. It is widely regarded as a failure but it still made $391 million in 2006(Wikipedia) with no 3D upcharge. That means it sold more tickets than Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Batman Begins.
So, where in the hell do they get off calling Superman irrelevant??? I was really pissed off for a minute. He’s easily one of the most popular characters in comics, if not in all modern fiction. I told myself that I shouldn’t get so worked up over a fictional character, and then it hit me. Superman, and most superheroes for that matter, is more than just a fictional character, but a whole work of fiction. He has a whole mythos that has to be taken into account. Especially when adapting his world from one form of media to another. Comic books to cartoons is one thing, but I can see how comics to movies could be a lot harder. I mean filmmakers only have 2+ hours to tell a huge story. Also, movies rely on the general public to be successful, not just established fans of the character. So, I got to thinking. Does Superman as a mythos really need to be updated to make to make it resonate better with a modern movie audience? Thinking of all the things we’ve seen as an audience since the original movie franchise, or even since Superman Returns, I think so. Mind you, I haven’t seen Man of Steel, obviously, though I’m sure they’ve covered some of this. Either way, here are a few things that I thought of.
Clark/Kal-El/Superman – Even After 75 years, I think Supes works great as the main protagonist just the way he is. Yes, he is a boy scout, but he isn’t one-dimensional. The Clark Kent persona/disguise is still effective. Its more than just wearing glasses, its his posture, demeanor, voice, hair, etc. It’s not like Clark will ever sport primary colors. I could actually see someone pulling that off in real life. The super suit needed a little work to look like something someone would actually wear in this millennium, MoS looks like it has handled that well. One thing I would change is how Kal-El’s story unfolds in the movies. One thing has to stop…
Instant Omnipotence – In Superman Returns we see young Clark running super fast. Then jumping super high. Then discovering he can fly. Next, he’s in the suit bouncing bullets off of his eye and lifting continents. Granted, it would be crappy if they “nerfed” Superman. But, they can say that he’s not that powerful, yet. That was the most, maybe the only, really appealing thing about Smallville. We all knew where Clark would end up, but it was cool to watch the struggles, stumbles and discovery along the way. I also think it’d be awesome to see him really push past the limits of what even he thinks he can do. Speaking of limits…
Kryptonite (Green) – Personally, I’m not a fan of the stuff, but I’ll give credit where it is due. It is has become universally famous for describing someone’s weakness. It’s almost as famous as “Achilles Heel”. It’s even in the dictionary (in your face Adamantium and Vibranium). So, there has to be kryptonite at some point seeing as it is one of the most famous parts of Superman’s story. Use it ONCE, in one movie, and that is it. Imagine there is a crystal, rock or whatever that can take away a Jedi’s power or stop Harry Potter’s magic. Now, imagine it being used in every single Star Wars or Harry Potter film. It would get old and boring VERY fast. Its bad enough that Kryptonite was featured in about 65-70% of the episodes of Smallville. If the only way you can keep your Superman story interesting is to continually strip him of his powers then you need to take a second look at your villains! If I have to see another scene of Lex Luthor beating up a Kryptonite stricken Supes, I swear...
Lex Luthor – I don’t think he should be Superman’s nemesis on the big screen. At least he should not be his only nemesis. Thematically, however, there is definitely room for Lex. Just like the Joker was chaos to Batman’s order, Lex should represent corruption to Superman’s hope. They should have more a battle of influence instead of brawn or wit and it should be handled more like a sub-plot in the films. Lex should never directly confront Superman. Rather, he should be more like a snake in the grass. And, no more petty real estate schemes, etc., Lex should be evil purely out of ego. He’s one of, if not the richest man alive and more powerful that the President. What motivates Lex Luthor??? The Joker “just wanted to see the world burn”. Lex wants to see the world crumble and rebuilt in his image. He wants to be the most significant person to ever walk the earth. To practically be worshiped like a god. Superman is our first alien contact and is know worldwide as a savior. It kills Lex for Superman to be seen that way. Superman has what Lex wants! Enter Lex’s obsession with the downfall of superman.
Rogues – Darkseid should be Superman’s physical nemesis. Superman represents hope and Lex is corruption, Darkseid should represent absolute despair. The day Darkseid sets foot on earth should be one of the darkest days in human history. Then end should be in sight. I mean like zero hour. Supes should have to reach new heights to defeat him. Superman should have a villain to challenge him physically in every film and they should all be world-enders. Zod is a good start in Man of Steel. Braniac, Mongol, New Gods, Doomsday, etc would also be good, either way, the villains should all follow the same alien theme. Just like the Iron Man series stuck with the tech theme for its villains. Of course, that rule goes out the window for Justice League.
Lois Lane – Why wouldn’t Superman go after Wonder Woman, or any other woman for that matter. Don’t get me wrong, I like Lois well enough, but Its about time for us to be shown WHY Supes loves her above all other women. We need to see Clark fall in love with her and we need to fall for her with him. This is one of the most famous love stories in American literature. Show us why! At least give us more than a damsel in distress (Superman Returns). Don’t expect us to care about their relationship just because he’s a man and she’s a woman (Green Lantern).
Location, Location, Location! – Metropolis, like Kryptonite, is synonymous with Superman, so it has to be in the movie, the same with Batman and Gotham. These iconic cities cannot and should not be changed to actual cities. Though it is safe to assume that Metropolis, Gotham, Star city, etc. are all in the United States, just give us an idea where the hell they are already! That would make the world feel a little more real. We know that Smallville is in Kansas. Where that is in relation to the rest of the DCU, I have no idea. In the Smallville show, Metropolis was in Kansas, I think, but in Superman Returns It looked like it was where New York City is. Have a map on the wall in the Daily Planet or reference the state that they are in or something, especially if there is going to be a shared universe.
These are just a few things I think should be touched on by Superman on the big screen. Sorry if it’s a little long-winded. I look forward to reading what you guys think. Thanks for reading!