Why is it so freaking hard for us to get a Superman movie? Better question, why is it so hard for Hollywood to make a good movie about the world’s first actual superhero? I mean, this is the character who literally started the whole superhero trend, going all the way back to 1938. There have been many attempts to change this character, some for the better and others for the worst. For instance, Ed Boon and NetherRealm Studios made their mark on DC when they gave us the Injustice: Gods Among Us video games. For those of you who have played those games and read the comics, you may not see your big blue boy scout the same ever again. But you know what? They did it right.
It’s always fun to see a different take on a popular character and a Superman gone bad was something we didn’t know we needed. The problem is, it looks like everyone wants to copy that now and it feels like an old and recycled idea. For example, let’s talk about how he has been portrayed in the DC Cinematic Universe. Back when Man of Steel came out in 2013, fans were excited to see the alien hero return to the big-screen. And what we saw was an action fest that actually divided many fans. Some enjoyed it and others felt like it was overkill. Personally, I thought it was exactly what we needed to see. However, what fans criticized the most about Man of Steel was the fact that Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent didn’t really feel like our traditional Superman.
The thing is, that was Zack Snyder‘s goal. He didn’t want to tell the same old story about this blue-eyed perfect hero being instantly idolized after saving a few people. His goal was to make his Kal-El earn the respect of the people of Earth. When you think about it, that is a far more realistic approach to the Superman story. If a nearly omnipotent alien came to Earth and started showing his powers, would you be so quick to trust him? Probably not. That’s at least how I viewed it, but others apparently viewed it differently. Hey, that’s the beauty of movies and subjective opinions. But if you ask me, Henry Cavill has to be the best live-action Superman. Fight me if you want, but I’ll argue all day about it.
Since we’re on the subject of Henry Cavill’s Superman, are you all still curious about his future as the hero? Oh, I certainly am. After those reports of 2018 seemingly confirmed he will no longer be Superman, it spoke volumes. He never personally confirmed that he would be permanently hanging up the cape. And on top of that, there was no news of a Man of Steel 2 being in the works. And in 2020, other curious reports came out, which seemingly confirmed that he would be returning to the role. But once again, Cavill himself didn’t really confirm or deny any return. He did, however, express much interest in returning to the role.
I really hope he does, because I enjoyed him in every DCEU movie he has been in. The last time he put on the cape, it was in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. That gave us a glimmer of hope that he would be returning. Then again, it could be the end of the Snyderverse for all we know. Hey, the future for this cinematic universe is rocky and that’s putting it lightly. However, due to the merger of Discovery and Warner Bros., the latter is under new management. And thanks to David Zaslav, it looks like DC will be turning a new leaf. Aside from axing some already-failing shows and questionable movie decisions, Zaslav is showing no signs of slowing down. And I think it’s time he makes a decision on some Superman movies.
In a recent interview that The Wrap conducted with an anonymous Warner Bros. employee, there seems to be some talks over at the office about Superman. According to the anonymous employee, DC’s new direction should involve a new string of Superman movies. And in his own words, they should involve Henry Cavill. Reboot or not, the man should be the one to put on the suit and cape once again. Now there seems to be some confusion about the information the anonymous employee gave to The Wrap. Some people interpreted his words as Warner Bros. scrapping all other plans for a Superman movie. The thing is, that’s not quite what was said. The exact words were Warner Bros. should scrap any other plans for a Superman movie.
So what should we take from this? Let’s just keep in mind, J.J. Abrams still wants to do his Superman movie. If the reports surrounding that are true, then we’ll be seeing the first black Superman in a live-action movie. Sounds like an interesting idea, only we haven’t heard any progress on it. This could be frustrating for David Zaslav and his new plan for DC going forward. I have a feeling the lack of momentum for this separate Superman project could prompt him to stray away from it completely. That’s just a theory on my end, but it seems like Zaslav wants to avoid what didn’t work before. I think we need to accept that the issue with the DCEU’s original approach wasn’t with Henry Cavill. Many fans didn’t seem to appreciate Zack Snyder’s take on the hero, but we’re past the “sad Superman” stage.
As of now, it should be time to show him as the more traditional big blue boy scout we all know and love. He’s more than capable of doing it and he deserves the chance to prove it. As for the other supposed Superman projects, I think they can still happen. If we can have another Batman separate from the DCEU, we can have another Superman. Whether or not those projects will actually happen is still up in the air. But in the end, I ultimately agree with the anonymous employee. Warner Bros. and Discovery should focus on Superman again and their new plan should involve Henry Cavill. And if there’s room for other variations of the character, then by all means. Either way, DC can no longer keep their biggest hero on the sidelines any longer.
What are your thoughts, DC fans?
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