Looking back at MAN OF STEEL

Since the unsatisfying results of Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, Warner Bros. hoped they could reboot the Superman franchise again with much greater success. Plenty of comic book writers at the time pitched their ideas for the perfect Superman reboot. Grant Morrison wanted the Superman reboot to be similar to his work on All-Star Superman. Mark Waid’s pitch was similar to his work on Superman: Birthright. Mark Millar, teaming up with director Matthew Vaughn, planned an eight hour Superman trilogy, similar to the Lord of the Rings with each installment released a year apart. During story discussions for The Dark Knight Rises, David S. Goyer told Christopher Nolan his idea for a Superman reboot. It was going to be a more modern and realistic take on the classic superhero, told in a nonlinear narrative. Nolan pitched the idea to WB and because of the great critical and box office success of The Dark Knight, Nolan was hired to produce and Goyer to write this new idea for a Superman reboot. So eventually it came time to choose a director. Guillermo del Toro was approached, but turned it down as did Robert Zemeckis. A few other directors were approached like Ben Affleck (who funny enough is now Batman), Darren Aronofsky, Duncan Jones, Matt Reeves (now directing Batman), Jonathan Liebesman and Tony Scott. All considered potential directors, but ultimately the job went to Zack Snyder.

 

I talk a little bit more about Zack Snyder on my analysis of Snow Steam Iron, but now I want to solely focus on Man of Steel. Zack Snyder soon found his Superman in Henry Cavill and now they were ready to begin work on what would become one of the greatest and most divisive comic book movie. Now what I wanna do here is take a look at everything that made Man of Steel great and what it all meant?

This was going to be a much more realistic take on Superman. What would happen if a being like Superman actually came down to Earth? What Zack Snyder creates with Man of Steel is a great first encounter movie. A great sci-fi that explores Kal-El’s life on Earth and his self discovery. Simply put it’s Superman’s journey to becoming Superman. Starting with his birth on Krypton to him becoming the man of tomorrow. Kal-El’s self discovery leads him towards a path of some of his hardest challenges and decisions in life. It’s a touching and relatable tale about an immigrant discovering his potential and the hope he can inspire in the world. Told in a nonlinear narrative, we get instances of Kal-El’s life on Earth. The first time he discovered his powers as a kid, the first big decision in his life, should he save people or should he hide his true self out of fear of humanity not being ready for him. When Jonathan Kent stops Kal-El from saving him, his journey for finding out his true heritage begins. His ultimate decision that makes him Superman is the death of Zod. Killing one of his own people to save a family. Up until that point, Kal-El’s life has been one of discovery and understanding why he was sent to Earth. He finds his moral compass as Superman and finally begins his new journey as the man of tomorrow.

You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.

After the release of Man of Steel, audiences were generally split. Critics as well were also split on the movie. But for WB, it was a much greater success than Superman Returns. With that came the chance to start something bigger with DC’s greatest characters. The DC Extended Universe with Zack Snyder as the architect of it all. And now in just a few days, we will be getting the very first live action Justice League.