Why can't Warner Brothers make a new Superman movie? My solution to the problem!

Why can't Warner Brothers make a new Superman movie? My solution to the problem!

Superman is the most iconic superhero of all time and they want to side line him? What? So the "geniuses" at Warner Brothers can't figure out the big blue boy scout back in movies, so I did it for them.

By aresww3 - Jun 12, 2020 10:06 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman
Source: ComicBookMovie.com

So, clearly I am a alot smarter than I have given myself credit. Because I seem to have figured out what the ingenious professionals of the multibillion dollar studio Warner Brothers can´t. How the f do we make a Superman movie?  

Rule 1 of Fight club -   Don´t tell anyone... Sorry... Wrong meeting. 

I think the fundemental issue WB´s and fans are having, is letting go of something that seems on the surface so organically perfect. That is the square jawed, stripped straight from the pages, comic accurate looking Henry hunk  Cavill.

However this asymetry between Cavill and the big blue boy scout has been somewhat overstated. 

Many beloved modern versions of the character have  strayed away from the square jawed muscle man depiction.

The advantage of this approach is furnishing Superman and Clark Kent with a much greater senses of humanity,  he already has all the best powers in the world, must he also have the worlds best looks? Instead of making a hero that is already viewed in the eyes of the public as perfect, even more perfect and therefore boring, why not really show case his  human side. 

HUMANIZING SUPERMAN and the problem with Snyder and Whedon´s vision. 

Both versions of Cavill´s Superman have major issues.  With Snyder, his Superman had tons of potential if cerain elements had been retconned. 

The two biggest issues being that he seemed far more alien than he should have. It was as if Snyder forgot that Superman was raised on Earth. and took the whole alien aspect of his persona far too seriously. This in turn alienated him from the audience. 

The second thing, which grew out of the initial problem was Clarks relationship to the Kent´s. It wasn´t just that Pa Kent taught awful lessons to Clark, but it was that he essentially turned Superman´s ethics into Batman´s ethics. Superman was made into a Utilitarian. Something Superman should absolutely never be. Someone who thinks an immoral act can be justified if it is for the greater good.  This has been the single biggest principle that seperates Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. 

Batman is the guy who would consider doing what would otherwise be an evil act for the greater good of all humanity. Superman on the other hand philosophically was always against that. He is the duty based Superhero who believed that no immoral act, especially an evil one, is ever justified under any scenario, and therefore is always another way. In this way Superman was Kantian, Batman a desciple of John Stuart Mill and Heremy Betham, and Wonder Woman true to her greek roots an Aristotelian in the school of virtue ethics.  Much like Kant who had a moral code that was absolute and could not be strayed from that was formed from the teaching of Christianity and Enlightenment philosophy, so did Clark, accept, his moral compas was the teachings of the Kent´s and their simple mid west all Americana understanding of wrong and right. 

 If Lex Luthor was either going to kill Lois, or blow up Metropolis, Superman would always find that impossible third  way to resolve the situation. I think this is the fundemental misunderstanding that Zack Snyder had of the character. When Pa Kent told Superman there are greater things at risk in the world so he maybe should consider letting a bus full of kids die, he fundementally altered an unshakeable tenet of Superman´s mythos and that is his incorruptability. 

Then came Whedon. As a huge Superman fan I never understood why people found Superman boring, overpowered and impossible to write. Then I saw Justice League and suddenly it dawned on me. if this is how people see Superman then he is boring, overpowered and impossible to write for.  In my honest opionion the worst ever depiction of Superman I have seen. Some weird cartoon character, capable of anything, nothing could harm him, slow him down or cause him pain. He was a bad, slavish, impression of Chris Reeves that even made Brandon Routh´s take  look startalingly innovative in comparrison. 

None of this has been Cavill´s fault, but the cold hard truth is he has split audiences, and has not garned any box office success in either version of his Superman. We still are yet to see if he can pull off a good Clark Kent. 

SUPPORTING CAST

I will always love the idea of Kevin Costner as Pa Kent. Wonderful casting, but what a waste. However apart from that a huge problem with the logistics of bringing back Cavill is Superman is not a character who exists in a vacuum like Thor or Captain America. Superman´s supporting cast of characters in Smallville and Metropolis are integral to his world. 

Here lyes the problem. Are we going to bring back Amy Adams as Lois Lane? Does anyone really want to see Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor again. Plus the ship has sailed on Cavill´s Superman taking on Braniac since his last movie was an alien invasion movie. Things have become such a cluster (mind my french) with Cavill´s Superman that they are thinking of developing a movie where he fights Shazam´s main bad guy. A terrible idea. Superman has one of the greatest rogues Gallery´s ever and

we´re going to waste that because Dwayne Johnson has some silly idea he is too big for Shazam. Noooo! And as fans we should not support it. We want Shazam facing off against Black Adam, not Black Adam trying to revive one of his wives clients careers. Superman should face Braniac and if you can´t do that straight away we need to start building to that. 

GIVE US OUR GENERATIONS SUPERMAN 

The biggest point I want to hammer down is we still have not got our generations Superman. Doing an impression of Chris Reeves is not going to cut it like was done in Brandon Rouths verion or going 180 degrees in the opposite direction and taking those things that are core to the character away in hope to make him "cool" is not an option either vis a vis Snyder.  All thart does is split your audience, between purists and people who don´t mind dramatic changes. Bottom line it is not good for box office. 

So lets look to what people have been liking about DC and what they are excited about and replecate that in a Superman movie. 

1. Lets cast a new actor as the titular character. One that does not resemble a previous live action iteration. However someone that can build a modern Clark Kent that makes sense in our world. Perhaps a sci fi geek, who loves alien movies, but still has no idea where he came from. 

2. Less powerful than Cavill´s Superman. To me Superman´s powers have never been core to his character in the sense that I can´t accept Superman unless he moves 5 billion time the speed of time and speed combined,  can blow out whole Suns, sneeze galaxies and juggle moons. Etc. I don´t know about you but that is never why I found the character interesting.   In recent times I feel like Warners and film makers adapting Superman have been too concerned about getting his powers right, and lost themselves in that because they are always so concerned with what can challenge him. 

I think a more reasonable strength level is fine. Super fast but sound speed. Even his invulnerability when fighting equally strong opponents I think should be lessoned. A Superman who can bruise when punched by Lobo or Parasite i find far more interesting. I also think modern audiences would find him more compelling. So my version of Superman would be one who is still motabolizing sun light. 

3. A pure origin is out, but we still do have to start from scratch and introduce this Superman to the world. So a Year One movie to match what Matt Reeves is doing. My pitch would be a film that truly explores Superman´s humanity. This is a superman who was literally found in a field, No ship. Nothing. So he has no idea what he is, other than he has these strange abilities. So we are put in his place of discovering Krypton with him. And yes the classical Crystal Krypton is what he will eventually discover. A planet much like Earth, with water and land, but also mysterious crystal formations that make continents.   

4. Make sure we appease the old fans while making it relevant for the new. That means the Donner fans, Snyder fans, comic fans and new fans. Meaning have nods to Superman 78 and Snyders 2013. And make this a film really celebrating the legend of Superman, his many iterations while not being a slave to them either. 

5. Once I´ve established the new more vulnerable Superman, I would do an injustice movie where our new Superman has to take on Cavills evil Superman, turned insane by the death of Lois Lane. That way we can finally give Cavill much deserved curtain call and his last chance to say goodbye to the character and his legions of loyal fans.

6. I would cast a mostly young cast who really reflect our times, I want a Lois and Clark, just starting… Clark just a mere intern. I think this will relate to younger audiences much more. Also a younger Superman is far more vulnerable and relateable to modern audiences without having to betray the character. 

I see someone like Nick Robinson or Dan Stevens in the role.

However, honestly, what is most important is someone who can pull off a duel identity without having to be Chris Reeves. 

Since corona I have had alot of time on my hands and thought... Well... I think Brando said it best... "They can be a good people Jean Paul... At least they wish to me... for this reason, above all, I give them you ... my script for Superman Year One American Alien..."  

This is my pitch. 

https://www.simplyscripts.com/scripts/SUPERMANYEARONEAMERICANALIEN.pdf
 

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