Man of Steelopened in June 2013 and performed well, but not at the level that Warner Bros. hoped. In a world whereThe Avengerswas able to conquer the box office and set new records,Man of Steelultimately ended up with a worldwide take of $668 million, which is good! But that’s not what Warner Bros. wanted for a new Superman movie that cost $225 million. Superman is a household name and his new movie was coming fromZack SnyderandChristopher Nolan. Clearly, Superman on his own wasn’t going to cut it, especially with Marvel already bringing all their superheroes together. In a post-Avengerslandscape, another movie just starring Superman wasn’t good enough. You had to start grouping superheroes together, which is how we get toBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceinstead ofMan of Steel 2.
Rather than delve into various issues I have withBatman v Superman(and for reference, I’m talking about the R-rated “Ultimate Edition” here whenever I mentionBatman v Superman), I wanted to talk about how it approaches Superman, not how he compares to previous iterations or what he is or isn’t supposed to be; I want to look at him on Snyder’s terms and how he’s presented in this movie and inMan of Steel.Man of Steelis pretty typical origin story stuff—Clark Kent running from his destiny, trying to stay anonymous because his parents taught him that anonymity would protect him, and ultimately deciding that he has to come out of the shadows and accept his place as a potential savior of humanity by defeating Zod. Again, whatever issues you may have with that presentation of Superman, that’s the character as designed by Zack Snyder and his writers.
Coming After ‘Man of Steel,’ ‘Batman v Superman’ Doesn’t Bring Anything New to Superman
When you come intoBatman v Superman, Superman isn’t really there. Just as a recap, here’s what happens in the introduction of the film: We get a nightmarish sequence of Batman remembering the deaths of his parents, that Bruce’s mother’s name is Martha, and that the bats that terrified him as a child inspired him to become Batman. Cut to the present day, and we’re following Bruce Wayne as he charges into Metropolis to try and save people while Superman and Zod fight above. Their fighting and Zod’s plans are causing massive devastation, and Bruce Wayne is trying to save people. He looks up and you can see he’s already blaming these aliens for the destruction they can cause. Then we jump ahead 18 months and people are finding kryptonite in the Indian Ocean.
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Those missing 18 months are kind of key because they were an opportunity to tell us who Superman is now that the world knows he’s out there. Instead,Batman v Supermanis a largely reactive picture.Man of Steelintroduces Superman to the world (Lois saying to Clark “Welcome to the planet,” is how the film ends), and thenBatman v Supermanis how various entities perceive him: Batman,Lex Luthor, and the media. We’re learning about Superman from people who don’t know him, and to be fair to the film, that ties into the larger idea that Batman and Superman are enemies because they don’t know each other. The widely mocked “Martha” moment is about their commonality—they both have mothers named Martha; Superman isn’t some absent alien figure who does what he pleases, and Batman isn’t some cruel vigilante who doesn’t care about people. Their preconceived notions were wrong.
The problem here is that nothing really new is added or shaded in the character of Superman. Superman wrestles a bit with how he’s supposed to interact with humanity, but largely, his character is defined by his interactions withLois Lane. ForBatman v Superman, Lois and humanity are one and the same. He loves her, she represents the best of humanity, therefore Superman loves humanity. But that’s a pretty thin syllogism when you’re also trying to cast Superman into a realistic framework. Based on what we see from media reactions as well as the Africa set piece, the film is genuinely puzzled about how Superman is supposed to operate in the real world. It takes him far outside of Metropolis because he’s not just rescuing cats in trees. He’s also taking out warlords, so what does that mean? Can Superman act unilaterally? If Clark Kent is investigating Batman for human rights violations, does Superman care about human rights?
Zack Snyder Didn’t Have the Opportunity to Build Superman Effectively
These are all questions that could have been answered if the studio hadn’t rushed toBatman v Supermanand given Superman one more movie to himself.Man of Steel, regardless of what you think about it, has a new take on the character that’s completely distinct from theChristopher Reeveera or the 2006 rebootSuperman Returns. Zack Snyder didn’t really get a chance to build on that character becauseBatman v Supermanhas to service a bunch of new characters (Batman, Lex, Alfred, Wonder Woman) and set upJustice League, and ultimately the writers decided it was best to view Superman through a reactionary framework since that’s how characters like Batman and Lex view the Kryptonian.
What was Superman doing in the 18 months betweenMan of SteelandBatman v Superman? There’s a media montage where it shows him rescuing people, but that’s not really enough. He’s usually photographed as distant and aloof, an unknowable god figure who doesn’t really interact with people beyond helping them from disasters. But what does Superman think and feel about all this? Is he comfortable in this role? Does he question himself? Why didn’t he make an effort to clean up all the Kryptonian debris around the globe? What does Superman want beyond having sex with Lois Lane in a tub?
What Even is Superman’s Connection to Our World?
Batman v Supermanis three hours long, and it doesn’t really answer these questions. Late in the film when Superman realizes he has to sacrifice himself in order to defeat Doomsday, he tells Lois, “This is my world…you are my world,” but the film only shows that the latter is true. For most of what we’ve seen of Superman, he’s been separate from the world, which makes sense given his upbringing. His parents were protective of him and his Dad chose to get sucked up into a tornado rather than have his son reveal himself to the world. His Mom tells him inBatman v Superman, “You don’t owe this world anything. You never did.” If these are the actions that mold Superman’s belief system, then what is his connection to our world?
It’s now far too late for aMan of Steel 2that would explain all of this and show Superman coming into his own on the world stage. I doubt we’ll even get aMan of Steel 2with Henry Cavill and his take on the character as Warner Bros. has already opted to reboot Batman withRobert Pattinson. The studio may decide it’s better to start from scratch rather than give Cavill another shot at his own solo Superman movie. And that’s a shame because Cavill’s not a bad Superman and his take on the character had validity. But instead of getting to explore this new adaptation of Superman, the Man of Steel had to be put through the prism of a larger superhero blockbuster that ultimately lost sight of him.
