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NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

MAR 18, 2011 07:01 AM

by A.J. Focht

Superman has been slated to return to the silver screen for quite some time now. It’s been nearly six months since Zack Snyder (Watchmen) signed on to direct the Kryptonian's next blockbuster. There has been a slow trickle of information about the movie, but none of them have been as substantial as the latest news.



While Bryan Singer’s 2006 Superman Returns was careful to keep to the movie canon, Snyder is looking to reboot the series. His Superman movie, which has a working title of The Man of Steel, will serve as a fresh start, taking none of the past movies into account. Snyder is still determined to keep to the Superman canon, but he wants to take his movie the way of Batman Begins and not have it tied down to the events or style of previous movies.


“Literally, the one thing that everyone can start to think about is that we’re making a movie that finally goes with the approach that there’s been no other Superman movies,” Snyder said. “If you look at ‘Batman Begins,’ there’s that structure: there’s the canon that we know about and respect, but on other hand there’s this approach that pre-supposes that there haven’t been any other movies. In every aspect of design and of story, the whole thing is very much from that perspective of ‘Respect the canon but don’t be a slave to the movies.’”
-Source: LA Times



The film is scheduled for release in December of 2012. Currently, those on the cast list are mostly the stuff of conjecture, but Henry Cavill (The Tudors) has been cast as Clark Kent/Superman and Diane Lane (Untraceable) has been confirmed as Martha Kent. There has also been considerable speculation that Kevin Costner will be playing Jonathon Kent and that Viggo Mortenson will be cast as General Zod, but, as of now, these reports are just the product of a very active rumor mill.

It seems Snyder is being given a unique opportunity to reshape the iconic man in the red and blue spandex suit. If all goes right, Henry Cavill, not Christopher Reeves, will be the face of Superman for the next generation.

CoyoteMike

CoyoteMike

Iowa City, IA
May 2006

MAR 18, 2011 07:04 AM

They want to reboot, without taking past films into account, but the rumors are about General Zod? Is the goal to bring back all the worst parts of the old movies?

Will there be another chance to see the transparent cellophane "S" trap that doesn't actually do anything?

Keith

Keith

Hooker, OK
August 2002

MAR 18, 2011 07:33 AM

Thistle

Thistle

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

MAR 18, 2011 10:10 AM

Why reboot Superman? He's the least interesting super hero of them all. Unless they can add some serious depth to the character he's just a boring, boring super dude.

CoyoteMike

CoyoteMike

Iowa City, IA
May 2006

MAR 18, 2011 10:19 AM

Thistle said:
Why reboot Superman?



For the same reason there are a dozen or so CSI clones: Nobody wants new ideas.

mydogfarted

mydogfarted

Oakland, NJ
June 2003

MAR 18, 2011 10:27 AM

Can we stop using the term reboot?

motorfirebox

motorfirebox

Pittsburgh, PA
March 2004

MAR 18, 2011 10:30 AM

I'm not sure Snyder actually knows what the word 'canon' means.

I'm really wary of this, for a few reasons. One, as Thistle said, Superman's kinda boring. For my money, the best Superman stories are the ones where he's the co-star--he's best used as a contrast to other characters. Two, the impetus behind this is to make a Superman movie like The Dark Knight. Nolan's Batman films work because the movies are designed to showcase the essence of Batman. They're dark and gritty (for a superhero film) because Batman is a dark and gritty superhero. Supes isn't a dark and gritty superhero.

The one way I could see this working is to make Superman the 'co-star' of his own film. Don't just have Superman flying around and beating people up, spend time--a lot of time--with other characters exploring the impact Superman has on them.

baudot

baudot

Oakland, CA
February 2004

MAR 18, 2011 04:11 PM

motorfirebox said:
I'm really wary of this, for a few reasons. One, as Thistle said, Superman's kinda boring. For my money, the best Superman stories are the ones where he's the co-star--he's best used as a contrast to other characters.

Couldn't agree more. There are interesting Superman stories out there, but they're the exception. The two that come to mind are "The Dark Knight Returns", where Supes gets exploration as a side character, and as a force of nature and political puppet. The other is "Red Son", a one-shot graphic novel that explores a world where Supes crash landed in the Soviet Union rather than in the US, and grew up idolizing communist values instead of American ones.

Supes works best as a force of nature - it's just near impossible to make him stand up as a character with struggles we care about.

Suri

Suri

SUICIDEGIRL

Pennsylvania, USA

MAR 18, 2011 04:24 PM

baudot said:

motorfirebox said:
I'm really wary of this, for a few reasons. One, as Thistle said, Superman's kinda boring. For my money, the best Superman stories are the ones where he's the co-star--he's best used as a contrast to other characters.

Couldn't agree more. There are interesting Superman stories out there, but they're the exception. The two that come to mind are "The Dark Knight Returns", where Supes gets exploration as a side character, and as a force of nature and political puppet. The other is "Red Son", a one-shot graphic novel that explores a world where Supes crash landed in the Soviet Union rather than in the US, and grew up idolizing communist values instead of American ones.

Supes works best as a force of nature - it's just near impossible to make him stand up as a character with struggles we care about.



good call!! I loved Red Son

FreakPirate

FreakPirate

Canada
November 2002

MAR 18, 2011 04:26 PM

baudot said:

The other is "Red Son", a one-shot graphic novel that explores a world where Supes crash landed in the Soviet Union rather than in the US, and grew up idolizing communist values instead of American ones.



"Red Son" was great but no one will ever make it into a movie.

baudot

baudot

Oakland, CA
February 2004

MAR 18, 2011 04:31 PM

True that.

PaulNikon

PaulNikon

Palm Bay, FL
February 2003

MAR 18, 2011 04:43 PM

What kind of robot?

CoyoteMike

CoyoteMike

Iowa City, IA
May 2006

MAR 18, 2011 04:54 PM

PaulNikon said:
What kind of robot?



The kind that writes crappy blogs about things nobody cares about.

Towelly

Towelly

Philadelphia, PA
January 2007

MAR 18, 2011 05:39 PM

I disagree with the prevailing sentiment. Silver-Age Superman is boring. He's got enough strength to move a planet out of orbit, a weakness to things most people know nothing about and have no access to (magic and kryptonite), and he's got no relatable inner characterization beyond "Halt evildoers!"

But that's precisely what the reboot takes us away from.

The modern Superman is significantly weaker, he has quite a few enemies with significantly more strength and ability than he does, and he has a much richer inner mental life. If Supes could do anything in the world and be sure that Earth wouldn't suffer for it, he'd give up his powers completely and just be Clark Kent. He remains Superman partly because there are forces out there that would conquer the world if he didn't, but mostly because the world needs someone who never compromises on doing the right thing no matter what the cost, and never stops believing in humanity's capacity for good even if we've stopped believing it ourselves. It strikes me that the more hopeless our world seems to get, the more we need Superman to remind us that we can be more than what we are, not less. And a story that does that is anything but boring.

PaulNikon

PaulNikon

Palm Bay, FL
February 2003

MAR 18, 2011 05:40 PM

Coyotemike said:

PaulNikon said:
What kind of robot?



The kind that writes crappy blogs about things nobody cares about.



Oh shit!

CoyoteMike

CoyoteMike

Iowa City, IA
May 2006

MAR 18, 2011 05:47 PM

PaulNikon said:

Coyotemike said:

PaulNikon said:
What kind of robot?



The kind that writes crappy blogs about things nobody cares about.



Oh shit!



It also divides by zero.

JekyllAndHyde

JekyllAndHyde

Austin, TX
April 2005

MAR 19, 2011 12:18 AM

Towelly said:
I disagree with the prevailing sentiment. Silver-Age Superman is boring. He's got enough strength to move a planet out of orbit, a weakness to things most people know nothing about and have no access to (magic and kryptonite), and he's got no relatable inner characterization beyond "Halt evildoers!"

But that's precisely what the reboot takes us away from.

The modern Superman is significantly weaker, he has quite a few enemies with significantly more strength and ability than he does, and he has a much richer inner mental life. If Supes could do anything in the world and be sure that Earth wouldn't suffer for it, he'd give up his powers completely and just be Clark Kent. He remains Superman partly because there are forces out there that would conquer the world if he didn't, but mostly because the world needs someone who never compromises on doing the right thing no matter what the cost, and never stops believing in humanity's capacity for good even if we've stopped believing it ourselves. It strikes me that the more hopeless our world seems to get, the more we need Superman to remind us that we can be more than what we are, not less. And a story that does that is anything but boring.



Amen to everything you said. Superman isn't my favorite superhero, but whenever I try to make a similar point to this one, it often falls upon deaf ears.

Rory_B_Bellows

Rory_B_Bellows

Dallas, TX
April 2007

MAR 19, 2011 12:32 AM

HOW IS THIS NEWS? Seriously, old news is old.

Thistle

Thistle

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

MAR 19, 2011 01:16 AM

Towelly said:
I disagree with the prevailing sentiment. Silver-Age Superman is boring. He's got enough strength to move a planet out of orbit, a weakness to things most people know nothing about and have no access to (magic and kryptonite), and he's got no relatable inner characterization beyond "Halt evildoers!"

But that's precisely what the reboot takes us away from.

The modern Superman is significantly weaker, he has quite a few enemies with significantly more strength and ability than he does, and he has a much richer inner mental life. If Supes could do anything in the world and be sure that Earth wouldn't suffer for it, he'd give up his powers completely and just be Clark Kent. He remains Superman partly because there are forces out there that would conquer the world if he didn't, but mostly because the world needs someone who never compromises on doing the right thing no matter what the cost, and never stops believing in humanity's capacity for good even if we've stopped believing it ourselves. It strikes me that the more hopeless our world seems to get, the more we need Superman to remind us that we can be more than what we are, not less. And a story that does that is anything but boring.



Where does the new version of Superman start?

Maybe it's because I grew up with Dark Age comics but I can't imagine a Superman plot where I gave a shit about any of it, because obviously Supes will be able to save the day. He is practically a god, and he has never seemed to have quite enough internal struggle.

However I'm interested in learning more. So point me in the right direction?

Towelly

Towelly

Philadelphia, PA
January 2007

MAR 19, 2011 01:38 AM

Thistle said:

Towelly said:
I disagree with the prevailing sentiment. Silver-Age Superman is boring. He's got enough strength to move a planet out of orbit, a weakness to things most people know nothing about and have no access to (magic and kryptonite), and he's got no relatable inner characterization beyond "Halt evildoers!"

But that's precisely what the reboot takes us away from.

The modern Superman is significantly weaker, he has quite a few enemies with significantly more strength and ability than he does, and he has a much richer inner mental life. If Supes could do anything in the world and be sure that Earth wouldn't suffer for it, he'd give up his powers completely and just be Clark Kent. He remains Superman partly because there are forces out there that would conquer the world if he didn't, but mostly because the world needs someone who never compromises on doing the right thing no matter what the cost, and never stops believing in humanity's capacity for good even if we've stopped believing it ourselves. It strikes me that the more hopeless our world seems to get, the more we need Superman to remind us that we can be more than what we are, not less. And a story that does that is anything but boring.



Where does the new version of Superman start?

Maybe it's because I grew up with Dark Age comics but I can't imagine a Superman plot where I gave a shit about any of it, because obviously Supes will be able to save the day. He is practically a god, and he has never seemed to have quite enough internal struggle.

However I'm interested in learning more. So point me in the right direction?



The new version of Superman starts with John Byrne's Man of Steel collection. I realize that most people think he's an ass (and he is), but Man of Steel was to Superman what Year One was to Batman. There's a few other stories that really show Superman shining: Alan Moore's Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, the Death of Superman arc, What's So Funny about Truth, Justice and the American Way (Action Comics #775). Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman has a Superman with Silver Age powers that is nevertheless really compelling as a character (and a moment that will either make you sob or prove you don't have a heart).

I personally think What's So Funny about Truth, Justice and the American Way, and its followup may be Supes' finest moment. The villian of the piece is a telepath named Manchester Black, leading a fairly thinly veiled pastiche of The Authority. His group tries to defend Earth, but is willing to use casually brutal and lethal means to do it. It's a story that challenge the idea of Superman.

hor

hor

I'm lost
June 2005

MAR 19, 2011 04:17 AM


Eh, Superman is all right. I find Spider-Man intensely boring.

DevilsReject

DevilsReject

Cleveland, OH
February 2007

MAR 19, 2011 03:15 PM

Suri said:

baudot said:

motorfirebox said:
I'm really wary of this, for a few reasons. One, as Thistle said, Superman's kinda boring. For my money, the best Superman stories are the ones where he's the co-star--he's best used as a contrast to other characters.

Couldn't agree more. There are interesting Superman stories out there, but they're the exception. The two that come to mind are "The Dark Knight Returns", where Supes gets exploration as a side character, and as a force of nature and political puppet. The other is "Red Son", a one-shot graphic novel that explores a world where Supes crash landed in the Soviet Union rather than in the US, and grew up idolizing communist values instead of American ones.

Supes works best as a force of nature - it's just near impossible to make him stand up as a character with struggles we care about.



good call!! I loved Red Son



Not a big fan of Superman, in so much when i am in my local store it never gets more than a passing glance. But i think i may look into Red Son. Thank you for this!