Superman is one of the world's most iconic superheroes, but we haven't seen the Man of Steel on the big screen since 2017 (and no, we're not counting Shazam!'s faceless cameo). It's unbelievable, but Warner Bros. has clearly struggled to find an approach to this character that works.
Superman Returns relied too heavily on nostalgia, and while Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice delivered the action fans wanted, they also took Kal-El down a dark path that wasn't a good fit for the character.
With Discovery now calling the shots at the studio, CEO David Zaslav reportedly has a 10-year plan in place for the DC Extended Universe. We have to believe that includes Superman, but how can the Man of Tomorrow now be saved and put front and centre in whatever that supposed approach to this shared world will be? We have some suggestions.
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5. A Whole New Approach To Superman
It was interesting to follow the Man of Steel down that darker path, but Clark Kent isn't Bruce Wayne, and Superman sure as hell isn't Batman.
Joss Whedon's Justice League was not a great movie, but its lighter take on this character was welcomed. While far from perfect, it showed what Superman could be on screen, and with all due respect to Zack Snyder, this take was vastly better than anything he delivered in his DC movies. We need a hopeful, inspirational Kal-El, not one at odds with his place on Earth.
With a new writer and director, Superman should be taken down a vastly different route. Whether it be a fun sci-fi adventure pitting the hero against Brainiac in outer space, a quirky team-up with the Legion of Super-Heroes, or a brawl in Metropolis with Lex Luthor in his robotic suit, it's time to have fun with this character.
4. Redeem Him With Cameos
Netflix's Daredevil series wasn't bad, but it made some big creative blunders (with Elektra and The Hand, for example) and declined in quality by the time we reached that third season. Now, though, Marvel Studios is redeeming and reintroducing the Man Without Fear with cameos in the likes of Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Echo.
Eventually, he'll take centre stage in Disney+'s Daredevil: Born Again, and Warner Bros. taking a similar approach to Superman would make perfect sense.
Making the Man of Steel a recurring presence in various upcoming DC projects would help reintroduce this character to moviegoers in a way that, uh, makes Superman great again. He could even embark on a team-up with heroes like Shazam or Wonder Woman before returning for an eventual solo outing.
3. Give Henry Cavill Whatever He Needs To Return
Henry Cavill appears to be on the fence about returning as Superman, but after Justice League, who can blame him? That CGI jawline made the British actor a joke, while starring in a series of poorly reviewed big budget movies isn't good for any performer's career.
Previously, we've heard that Cavill is holding out for more money than Warner Bros. is willing to give him, but now is a pretty good time to offer the actor anything he wants. The DCEU needs Superman (fans aren't going to take kindly to him being replaced by Supergirl in The Flash), and Cavill has always been a great choice to play the Man of Tomorrow.
Yes, he brings some baggage from the past with him, but that's no reason to move on just yet. Cavill deserves another shot at playing this character, and announcing his return across multiple projects would buy the studio a lot of goodwill.
2. Alternatively, It's Time For A Reboot (Not That One, Though)
J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates are developing a Superman movie with a Black lead that's likely to also feature a period setting. That take on Kal-El is one we're definitely interested to see, but the main DCEU still needs a Superman, and it sounds like this story would be best off being told in a separate reality similar to The Batman.
If Warner Bros. wants to introduce this Superman in the present day, that's fine, but either way, we're not 100% against a full-blown reboot.
It would be a shame to say goodbye to Cavill, but if he's holding out on Warner Bros., it could be time for them to move on. That's not a bad idea, anyway, especially with his ties to that "SnyderVerse" era of storytelling, and there are lots of amazing actors out there who could do the Man of Steel justice on screen.
1. The Inevitable Black Adam Crossover
Fans have made it clear that, as much as they want another Superman movie, they also want to see the Man of Steel, Shazam, and Black Adam share the screen.
While the upcoming Black Adam movie looks extremely generic, Dwayne Johnson is a huge star, and having him battle Zachary Levi and Henry Cavill in a massive DC crossover event has all the makings of a $1 billion hit. An argument could be made that this wouldn't be the best use of Superman, but it would be one heckuva way to reintroduce him.
It's always fun seeing Kal-El face off against those who wield magic and we'd probably even throw Task Force X into the mix here. There's a chance this is already being planned, but Warner Bros. would be wise to get the ball rolling on this crossover sooner rather than later.