We've been hearing mixed reports about James Gunn's Superman since the first internal/test-screenings took place, so it didn't really come as a surprise when the most recent showing - which was reportedly held this past Wednesday - resulted in similar reactions.
One aspect of the movie that seems to have proven to be most divisive among those who have seen it is its story structure. The DCU reboot is said to have an "episodic" feel, and has been compared to Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's acclaimed 2005 All-Star Superman, which focused on a dying Man of Steel accomplishing a series of heroic feats (The Twelve Labors of Superman) as he attempts to make peace with the world before the end.
Here's what scooper MTTSH has heard:
"The Superman movie is very much like All-Star Superman — no real central plot, just Lex scheming in different ways to kill Superman or get him locked up. A kaiju, a black hole in the sky, a conflict between nations, a clone — he throws everything at him. He also turns the public against Superman and gets him arrested."
By and large, superhero movies don't tend to have very complex plots. There's a central conflict between the hero and the villain, a love-interest, maybe a MacGuffin (or two), etc. What usually makes a great CBM stand out from the pack is a solid script and compelling characters, so Gunn taking the above approach wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.
All of these screening details should be treated as rumors for the time being, but let us know what you make of this latest report in the comment section below.
Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabel Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
Sara Sampaio is on board as Lex's assistant/lover Eve Teschmacher, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell will play "Ma" and "Pa" Kent, and Milly Alcock's Supergirl has been confirmed to make her debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie.
"And that’s a wrap," Gunn posted earlier this year when filming concluded. "God bless our cast and crew whose commitment, creativity, and hard work have brought this project to life. I set out to make a movie about a good man in a world that isn’t always so much. And the goodness and kindness and love I’ve encountered on a daily basis on the set has inspired me and thrust me forward when I felt too spent to move on my own.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It has been an honor. The destination has been Superman, but the journey has been the toil and the laughter and the emotions and ideas and magic we’ve shared together on set - and for that I am forever grateful."
You can check out an updated synopsis for the movie below.
"In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind."