OK, look. DC Comics knows writing Superman isn’t that hard. Whoever is running whatever part of Warners responsible for DC Films just fundamentally misunderstands what’s awesome about Superman. Zack Snyder understood it, but rolled it back too far. Superman is making something out of nothing; joy out of sorrow, triumph out of tragedy, and leading by example. THIS SHIT IS SO OBVIOUS.
They’ve figured out that Batman is the real guy, wearing a Bruce Wayne suit. There’s a great panel where Wonder Woman had the two of them in the Lasso of Truth and asked them their names as a control baseline. Superman said, “Clark Kent” with a proud smile. Batman grimly said, “Batman.” IT’S ALL RIGHT THERE FOR YOU, WARNER BROS.
Superman has always been about DOING YOUR BEST. Batman has always been about MAKING THEM PAY. Batman makes the audience feel better in the short term, but Superman makes them feel better in the long run. Batman is the Old Testament wrath, and Superman is Moses and Jesus and the Prophet.
Worrying about making Superman “relevant” misses the entire point of that character. Superman has ALWAYS BEEN RELEVANT. He always will be. It may not be in fashion to be a good neighbor, but people are wrong to believe so. We don’t need another theatrical movie where THE FATE OF THE UNIVERSE IS AT STAKE; we need one that shows why that big ol’ cornfed sack of Kansas beefcake who tips his hat and carries your groceries out to the car in the rain and lends AJ a little money to keep the lights on until payday PUTS ON THE SUIT.
Batman is all the resources in the world but still a ten year old wound tight. Every bad guy he punches and puts away wears his parents’ killer’s face.
Superman is CLARK KENT (and, by extension, all of us) WRIT LARGE.
Come on, Warners. Don’t tell me you don’t know what to do with Superman. Any kid in the world could write you a decent Superman movie. THIS SHIT IS SO OBVIOUS.
Oh, wait; hi, James Gunn. nvm