Look up in the sky… never-mind that’s not helping. Let’s admit it, Warner Bros. has a Superman problem. The worst part? This issue could have been easily avoided.
I love Henry Cavill as Superman. The last time we saw him on-screen as the Big Blue Boy Scout was with his CGI-removed mustache in 2017’s Justice League and we all know how that turned out. That wasn’t the last time we would “see” Superman in a DC movie. We got a torso shot of some dude wearing the costume in Shazam. I mean it’s still better than the Martha scene in 2017’s disastrous Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, but come on! You couldn’t get Cavill to make a cameo??!! Sadly, this WAS the state of the DC movie-verse not so long ago. Things have been looking “up” since the studio took their films in a different direction but one thing has been lacking, Superman.
Being one of the most iconic characters in all of pop culture, it would seem that we would’ve had another film since the debut of Man of Steel in 2013, but maybe I’m just asking too much. The issue, from what I’ve “heard” is that writers, creators, directors, WHOMEVER doesn’t know what to do with the character. APPARENTLY in this time and age that we are currently living in, there are no narratives that would reflect one of the most famous immigrants in fiction. A character who as an outsider that has to keep his differences a secret in fear of persecution and the safety of those he loves. Someone who has the power to actually fight all of these injustices that people are facing in the world today. If you need something on a larger, simpler. scale where he’s punching robots I’ve got some ideas involving Brainiac. Stop making excuses.
We have made some progress as of late. Even with the #ReleasetheSnyderCut people winning that battle, and trust me I’m ok with it. This doesn’t mean that we are moving backwards but more of an embrace of the different ideas and worlds that make up the DC Multiverse. I think that initially WB thought that fans were a little dense. There was a firm belief that a character couldn’t be on TV and the big screen simultaneously. Worst of all, they believed that every thing HAD to include Batman for it to be successful. You could see this with their (stellar) animated films and eventually there were a couple more Superman titles thrown in there but you could see the tentativeness there with every announcement. WB now wants to use the character as more of a thread. The idea that Cavill will appear in upcoming DC films as either a cameo or even more of a role (fingers crossed for a fight in Black Adam) is a great one and I am glad that the studio is looking forward like this, making a plan. It’s not rocket science, they have a franchise the size of Star Wars (if not bigger) on their hands. They have never had the issue of battling with other studios over character rights so I don’t know why they haven’t discovered the adhesive that could bring it all together. Oh wait, maybe a character based on HOPE…
As someone who likes both Man of Steel and the Reeve’s run (but still criticizes it), I think that Hollywood is long overdue for a new direction for the character. At least The CW has gotten a Superman TV show off the ground, Superman and Lois premieres in 2021. Thank the New Gods for the Berlanti-verse, showing people how to build a DC franchise since 2012. Man, remember when they couldn’t share characters with the big-screen?! Now we are in a completely different situation. It’s time for everyone to take a step back and remember the qualities that make Superman the character that we all know and love. Like I said this isn’t brain surgery, we just need someone with a little vision and guts. Oh, and call the movie Superman. I think we’re ready.
