After months of fan casting, rumour reporting and plain old wishful thinking, we finally have our Superman in Henry Cavill. Rather than wiping the foam from the fanboys rabid mouths, this has increased our hunger for knowledge regarding this movie which looks set to make or break the man of steel's future on the big screen. High on our hit list is the casting of Lois Lane along with confirmed plot details. An official plot synopsis will give us the greatest prize we long for...the villain(s).
The fan base is largely divided between two villains, Brainiac and Doomsday. There are some who long to see Superman finally throw down the way we know he can. The deflation the last movie outing left us with along with the advancement in modern FX demands this and Doomsday seems the obvious choice to deliver. But then there's the other side of the coin. Do we want a straight out slug fest for two hours? Brainiac can provide Superman with a physical threat whilst delivering a more cerebral movie experience. But would Doomsday on his own be such a mindless movie? I think not.
Before I get too much further into this I think it's important to say a Doomsday movie doesn't have to mean the death of Superman. Nolan, Snyder and WB are hardly going to reboot a franchise with killing Superman. There are also the "other" people to think about. The movie goers who like Superman but don't have the inside knowledge on the character. The last time they saw the man of steel on screen what happened? He died. He was on a hospital bed with no life signs, leaving the world wondering, "is he gone?" The general public don't want another movie with the same scenario, no matter how well it is done. Do we want them thinking "another Superman movie, wonder how he's going to die in this one?". No, we don't want Superman to die and just because he's up against Doomsday doesn't mean he has to.
So how can a movie focusing on a walking tank give us a thought provoking cinematic experience worthy of Christopher Nolan's previous work? To answer that question, we need to look at all the information we have heard regarding this movie so far. All the rumours suggest a story close to the Bithright novel so I'm assuming this is accurate.
Before people start moaning, this is NOT an origin story as such. Kal-El's origin can be told in the opening credits or in one simple scene. What Birthright shows us is why Clark Kent decides to wear a colourful suit and become Superman. This is something that has never been seen in cinema.
I believe this personal journey of Clark's is almost enough for a great movie. Exploring how he is trying to find his place in the world, seeing the needless suffering people are subject to and deciding to declare himself to the world. There is a lot of action that can be enjoyed as Clark travels through war torn countries and a great internal conflict to display on screen as he struggles with his identity. After his choice to become Superman he is met with fear and scepticism by the world. Something needs to happen for Superman to prove his loyalty, something big. Throughout the movie we have been witness to a certain multinational company headed by a bald man uncovering something deep in the earths crust. It is now awake and causing a small inconvenience, to put it mildly.
Doomsday, locked in a suspended state crashed into the earth after Krypton exploded just like Kal-El. But Clark was sent in a craft able to guide and land itself on Earths surface, Doomsday's capsule was thrown, unguided with nothing but gaining momentum and buried itself deep underground.
Superman must now put an end to the creature that represents all that is evil from his home planet. Fighting the toughest test he has faced to win the publics trust. During the fight he learns who uncovered Doomsday and flies off to talk to the man responsible. Expecting an apology from a businessman who made an honest mistake, he is met by a ruthless man angry at the loss of his greatest discovery and even more livid over Superman's survival.
You see, I think there is more than enough there to give the most hardened fanboy a movie that satisfies him in every way, barring the sort of satisfaction one gets from one of Teabags private collection.
Sure, there are other villains who can easily fit into this story arc. But they can all hold an entire movie by themselves where as Doomsday can't. This is the only chance I can see for Doomsday to go solo, as much of the story is Clark's self discovery.
Yes, we will more than likely get Brainiac, and we all know that will be epic. But to avoid future overcrowding of a movie, let's see Doomsday do his thing!!
Please excuse the basic layout and any mistakes. My computer has died on it's arse and I've done this article using my phone! Thanks for reading
Stay classy!