KINGSMAN's Matthew Vaughn Sheds Some Light On What The SUPERMAN Trilogy He Pitched Would Have Entailed

KINGSMAN's Matthew Vaughn Sheds Some Light On What The SUPERMAN Trilogy He Pitched Would Have Entailed

Back in 2008, Matthew Vaughn and Mark Millar pitched a Superman trilogy to Warner Bros., and some of those ideas would have been included in Man of Steel 2, a movie he's sadly no longer attached to...

By JoshWilding - May 31, 2019 03:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Man of Steel
Source: Polygon
After Superman Returns proved to be something of a disappointment, Warner Bros. went back to the drawing board with the Superman franchise and after working on Kick-Ass together, Matthew Vaughn and Mark Millar pitched a trilogy featuring the iconic DC Comics character to Warner Bros. way back in 2008. 

They ultimately passed, of course, and it was five years later that we got Zack Snyder's Man of Steel.

Now, Vaughn has shed some light on what they had planned, and reveals that he would have used many of those same ideas in the Man of Steel sequel he was attached to for a while (sadly, he confirms that's no longer the case). According to Polygon, the first instalment in the trilogy would have taken place almost entirely on Krypton, with the focus on Jor-El and the planet's impending explosion. 

Superman was actually going to grow up on his home planet before it was destroyed and that would have meant we'd see him "maturing into an adult before having to reckon with his loyalty to both planets."

Vaughn reportedly told the site that he won't rule out the possibility of returning to the DC Extended Universe despite talks with them breaking down on a couple of occasions. "It’d be hard to say no," he said regarding the possibility of being offered the chance to work on Superman again. 

What do you guys think? 

Who do we think could be the next Superman? Click the "View List" button to find out!

John Krasinski



John Krasinski made a name for himself in The Office before narrowly missing out on the role of Captain America. Since then, he's transformed himself for roles in 13 Hours and Amazon Prime's Jack Ryan, both of which proved that he has no problems taking on the role of classic American heroes. 

At 38 years of age, Krasinski would obviously be playing an older, more experienced Superman and with Warner Bros. reportedly not looking to start production on the movie for several years, he could be aged out of the role by then. That's a shame, though, especially as he's a great fit for the hero.

 

Alden Ehrenreich



I'm sure many of you are recoiling in your seats at the prospect of seeing the Solo: A Star Wars Story star play another iconic character but he did a lot of great work before heading to a Galaxy Far, Far Away and playing Harrison Ford playing Han Solo was never going to be a particularly easy task.

Providing he bulks up and distances himself from Star Wars (where there's no denying he did a great job), Ehrenreich could make a great Superman and he definitely has the right look and acting chops to pull it off. It just depends whether or not Warner Bros. will be able to see past him playing Han Solo!

 

Tye Sheridan



One of the biggest problems with Man of Steel in the eyes of many fans is that Clark Kent became Superman too late. It wasn't until he was almost thirty that he donned those iconic glasses and his cape so the focus now being shifted to a version who has only just become Superman would work.

After his impressive work in Ready Player One (not to mention a number of other movies), Sheridan would definitely be a solid pick for a younger Superman and with Cyclops soon set to land in his rearview mirror when Marvel reboots the X-Men, there's nothing stopping him from jumping to DC.

 

Ansel Elgort



Ansel Elgort made a name for himself starring in The Divergent Series and The Fault in Our Stars but he really rose to prominence after starring in Edgar Wright's Baby Driver. Another actor who is on the younger side, he would definitely be a solid choice for a Clark Kent gaining control of his powers. 

Now, it's fair to say that we don't need another origin story but a movie focusing on an inexperienced Superman who isn't perfect and doesn't necessarily know how to be a superhero yet would obviously be something different and I think Elgort would be a strong contender for that version of the hero.

 

Dan Stevens



Dan Stevens rose to fame for his impressive performance in The Guest and later took on memorable starring roles in the likes of Beauty and the Beast and FX's Legion. A superb actor, Stevens will need to bulk up considerably to play Superman but I don't find it at all hard to imagine him in the iconic suit. 

Stevens would be a good choice if Warner Bros. essentially wanted to continue telling Superman stories without rebooting the franchise or delving back into the character's origin story and while some might find it hard to separate him from that X-Men TV series, there's a lot more to him than that.

 

Liam Hemsworth



Liam Hemsworth missed out on the role of Thor to his older brother Chris and while he later made an impact in The Hunger Games franchise, it's fair to say he's never received the lead role he deserves. That doesn't mean he should just be handed the role of Superman, of course, but I think he'd nail it.

He has the right look and physique to play the Man of Steel and is the right age to bring a new version of the hero to life on screen. Throw in the fact that he's a known quantity but not a big enough name that he brings expectations to the role and I think Warner Bros. would be foolish to overlook him. 

 

Jamie Dornan



If you're only familiar with Dornan because of the Fifty Shades movies, you're probably recoiling in horror right now and wondering whether or not I've lost my mind. Well, it just so happens that the Irish actor has delivered a lot of incredible performances, with his role in BBC's The Fall a highlight.

If it wasn't for the stigma surrounding that sexy, R-Rated franchise, I think Dornan would have been cast as a superhero by now but with Warner Bros. holding off on making another Superman movie, enough time should pass for that to be a distant memory and for the actor to surprise us all here.

 

Richard Madden



I always thought that Richard Madden was one of Game of Thrones' most underrated stars and while he later landed a lead role in Cinderella, it wasn't until recently with BBC's Bodyguard that he was once again given the opportunity to show what a fantastic performer he is and he deserves a superhero role.

I think he has the right qualities to play the Man of Steel (providing he can pull off a convincing American accent) and so long as he bulks up and has a good shave, I don't think him taking over from Henry Cavill would be a bad thing by any means. There's room for him to put his stamp on the hero. 

 

Oscar Isaac



Oscar Isaac's name has recently been linked to Batman and while I would definitely love to see him suit up as the next Caped Crusader, I think Superman is a role the Star Wars actor could also do some amazing things with. Plus, he definitely has the right look for both of the iconic superheroes!

The signs are pointing to Episode IX drawing a close to this current trilogy and the cast who have helped bring the Skywalker Saga to an end, so Isaac's schedule will be looking a lot lighter in the years to come. Plus, let's face it: he desperately needs to redeem himself for 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse

 

Michael B. Jordan



Michael B. Jordan is an incredible actor who delivered a stellar performance in Chronicle and later made a name for himself with Creed and Black Panther. Now one of the hottest commodities in Hollywood, it's no wonder that his name has already been linked to the role of Superman after Cavill.

If you're wondering why he's the only non-white actor in this list, it's because changing Superman's race would fundamentally alter the character and it's hard to say whether that's the right move. With Jordan in the role, though, we'd have to give it a shot and I definitely think it has some potential. 

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TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 5/31/2019, 3:31 AM
Ugh.

emeraldtaurus
emeraldtaurus - 5/31/2019, 3:36 AM
If Cavill does indeed bail...Armie Hammer would be a shoe-in.
AC1
AC1 - 5/31/2019, 3:45 AM
I don't hate the idea, but I don't necessarily think it was the right call for a movie. As an Elseworlds graphic novel? I'd definitely pick that up. I feel the same way about Darren Aronofsky's Batman Year One pitch from the early 2000s. I'd love to read it, wouldn't wanna see it as a movie.
RageDriver2401
RageDriver2401 - 5/31/2019, 4:05 AM
I guess right now anything sounds better than what Snyder ended up doing, right?
Highflyer
Highflyer - 5/31/2019, 4:58 AM
@RageDriver2401 - Say what you will about Snyder but at least he recognised having Clark grow up on earth was important to the superman story.
Victorg1983
Victorg1983 - 5/31/2019, 7:51 AM
@Highflyer - and having supes open a can on zod was important to show this aint your daddys superman
Highflyer
Highflyer - 5/31/2019, 4:12 AM
"Superman was actually going to grow up on his home planet before it was destroyed and that would have meant we'd see him "maturing into an adult before having to reckon with his loyalty to both planets."



So he would have been an ALIEN alien.
dracula
dracula - 5/31/2019, 4:34 AM
@Highflyer - I guess making him more like Martian manhunter
giannis
giannis - 5/31/2019, 4:13 AM
I'd love to see a Superman movie from Matthew Vaughn. Also, we should have news about Ezra Miller soon. If I remember correctly his contract as Flash is about to end this month and if it doesn' renew it that means we are going to have a new actor taking the role.
RageDriver2401
RageDriver2401 - 5/31/2019, 4:17 AM
@giannis - "we are going to have a new actor taking the role."

God I hope so.
dracula
dracula - 5/31/2019, 4:35 AM
@giannis - hopefully the new guy is more like comic barry
Battabing
Battabing - 5/31/2019, 11:08 AM
@giannis - I'm pretty sure Ezra is out.
RageDriver2401
RageDriver2401 - 5/31/2019, 4:15 AM
Anyone seen this?

https://comicbook.com/dc/2019/05/30/the-batman-movie-production-start-date-fall-2019/

I'm not sure, whoever they cast, I hope they give them enough time to get into Batman shape, or else we'll end up with another case of Paddingtitis.
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 5/31/2019, 4:37 AM
This would pretty much reduce Superman entirely to the old White Savior trope (minus any visible racial differences of course.) Avatar, Dances with Wolves, The Last Samurai... the old “I’ve fallen in love with a new culture (and woman from it) and now must fight my own people to protect it” and the tired “torn loyalties” that come from it.
DVonShakari
DVonShakari - 5/31/2019, 4:41 AM
I'm glad this idea never came to fruition....
nikgrid
nikgrid - 5/31/2019, 5:10 AM
"because changing Superman's race would fundamentally alter the character and it's hard to say whether that's the right move."

Let me help you with that....It's not.
Ragnarocknroll
Ragnarocknroll - 5/31/2019, 9:45 AM
@nikgrid - It is though.
nikgrid
nikgrid - 6/1/2019, 5:23 PM
@Ragnarocknroll - Is it? Cool. I can't wait to see Marvel's new take on Blade played by Woody Harrelson.
Ragnarocknroll
Ragnarocknroll - 6/24/2019, 7:50 AM
@nikgrid - Oh crap. I didn't read your comment properly. I agree with you. It's not the right move.
nikgrid
nikgrid - 6/24/2019, 7:15 PM
@Ragnarocknroll - Yeah...but Woody Harrelson can play anything ;)
Darkknight23
Darkknight23 - 5/31/2019, 5:28 AM
You do realize that Clark was about 30 when he became Superman in Donner’s first film too.
docgl
docgl - 6/1/2019, 6:47 AM
@Darkknight23 - that has pretty much always been considered the age he first came into the open
Darkknight23
Darkknight23 - 6/1/2019, 9:21 AM
@docgl - exactly. What’s this dude talking about one of the biggest problems was Clark was too old when he became Superman
Highflyer
Highflyer - 5/31/2019, 5:33 AM
I think what bothers me about this take is that it essentially makes Superman thor.
Solarkalel85
Solarkalel85 - 5/31/2019, 5:33 AM
I hope they keep cavill as kal el
Hawknaba
Hawknaba - 5/31/2019, 5:47 AM
Hmm i mean i'm not as in to the idea but i'd defo wanna see what he'd do with it now.

He probably wouldn't bother with Krypton as much, but i can understand maybe not having a baby but rather a 6-8 yo Kal-El coming to earth and having vague memories of another family and life (also the destruction of his home), while not being sure if those were just childhood fantasies when he reaches adulthood maybe.

I can see a filmmaker wanting to draw abit more heavily on the refugee element of Superman's mythos, a baby that isn't away of his identity doesn't have the same impact in this day and age.
QuietStorm
QuietStorm - 5/31/2019, 6:42 AM
We had the perfect Superman...



Yeah you buddy. And the studio let us down.
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