We all know the story of Superman. Clark Kent, journalist for the Daily Planet from the tiny town of Smallville, Kansas. Writer by day, crime-fighting, God-fearing, Kryptonian alien by the mid-afternoon. Kal-El has been the focus for the start of yet another shot at the DC Comics movie universe.
This time, led by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) and executive partner Peter Safran (The Suicide Squad). The team, alongside the cast, David Corenswet (Hollywood & Pearl) as the mighty man himself. Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Daily Planet writer and love interest to Clark Kent, Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult (The Menu) will helm longtime villain Lex Luthor, in the film, to name a few attached to the project.
The Plotting of Superman
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Simply titled Superman, the film is scheduled to hit the silver screen on July 11, 2025. At the time of writing this piece, that means there are roughly 14 months until release. This will be the eighth major theatrical Superman-centric film to hit the screens. With its rich history on screen and in print. The Man of Steel brings a lot of popularity, but here’s the catch for Superman–it must be good.
A Fresh Start for Superman Needs a Big Bang
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Christmas Day 2023 saw the decade-long attempt from Warner Bros; the parent company to DC and their disastrous plan for a DC movie universe finally come to an end with the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. This is a long-awaited end, with the box office sharply declining.
To wrap back around to Superman, the film, as stated above, will ultimately launch DC’s second attempt at a connected film franchise. If you would, for a moment, think back (if you’re old enough) to 2008. The first Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Iron Man, starring eventual comeback superstar Robert Downey Jr. honing the Iron Man suit. We all didn’t know at the time. However, the spectacle of that one film would go on to launch a now decade-long string of very successful movies. Now, of course, in the previous section, we discussed the decline of these films, but it all makes sense. Iron Man was a special moment in film history, alongside comic book fandom finally seeing some popularity. Now, if we fast-forward to 2013 for the release of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, we will have a divisive reaction, to say the least.
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If you haven’t seen Snyder’s take on Clark Kent, then we’ll save you the trouble. Man of Steel is essentially, by definition, a much darker in tone and elements backstory on Superman, which sees a completely different take on the character. It becomes quite obvious why something as a 180-degree turn would ultimately make fans upset. Rightfully so, as the movies themselves aren’t supposed to be panel-for-panel remakes of the comics, but rather enough inspiration from those comic stories, sprinkled into a larger film-focused plot. Man of Steel, in my humble opinion, does not do that whatsoever.
We mentioned all of this to essentially point to this: There’s a real financial and fandom-waning reason why the genre of comic films is struggling. To add onto that, the last DC attempt was facing a rough start since the launch of Man of Steel, tarnishing the brand almost instantly. Lastly, Superman must, not just could, but 100 percent be at least a very well-liked film by the general audience and return more on investment. The genre, and in turn, DC needs this for the brand, which will affect the future of comic films to come. Superman must stand out, leave a lasting impression, and ultimately give film fans and the average moviegoer something to talk about and be “wowed” by.
The Superman Legacy Lives On
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Superman will have a chance to stand the test of time. From a stacked cast featuring many comic favorites such as Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, and Mister Terrific all the way to Maxwell Lord and Hawk Girl to name a few. If you’re unfamiliar with these characters, do yourself a favor and visit your local comic shop. These stories are worth reading before the release.
Luckily for the wonderful creatives at the newly formed DC Studios, James Gunn and Peter Safron know a thing or two about making films together, good ones at that. From Guardians to Galaxy and more, their overall record with one another is quite strong. James Gunn will direct the film, and has also the main credit for the screenplay.
According to DC Online section titled “Get to Know! Superman, the inspiration will stem from: Superman: Birthright, All-Star Superman, Superman: Brainiac, and Superman: Ending Battle to name a few. All of these stories encompass the spirit of the Man of Tomorrow while also throwing many obstacles along the way.
At the end of the day, Superman has some major hurdles to jump through. But given the captain at the wheel and the love for a good old-fashioned American story. The titles alone mentioned for inspiration, the film has quite the ability to be amazing. The entire DCU, the new title for the universe, absolutely depends on it. Not to mention the balance and danger of the genre as a whole. We exit with this, from the Man of Metropolis. “That’s the only way to Measure hope, by your capacity to believe that things can improve.” – Superman Red & Blue #1 We most certainly want to see a great film. Don’t let us down, Clark.
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