While fans of DC comic books would fiercely debate whether Superman or Batman is the better character, there’s no question whose movies came out on top. Batman has been a staple of cinema since Adam West’s appearance on the 1960s television show, and the subsequent appearances of such screen legends as Michael Keaton, Kevin Conroy, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Will Arnett, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson have all reinvented The Dark Knight in different ways. However, the definitive version of Superman on the big screen always seems to be Christopher Reeve. Reeve’s performance inside Superman: the movie served as a template for the superhero genre, and it still stands as one of the most memorable comic book movies of all time. While Superman II was an excellent follow-up to the later sequels Superman III And Superman IV: The Quest for Peace were disappointments that offered no future for the man of tomorrow.
After DC’s success in relaunching the Batman franchise, there were two consecutive attempts to bring the Superman story to the big screen. But from 2006 Superman is coming back and that of 2013 Man of Steel couldn’t have been otherwise. Superman is coming back was set within the same continuity as the original Reeve films and starred Brandon Routh as the same optimistic hero; Man of Steel was a more grounded reboot that set up Henry Cavill as a darker Superman within the DCEU. It’s fascinating to compare and tackle two completely different approaches to the same character where they all succeed and fall short.
Nostalgia versus radical reinvention
The major differences between Man of Steel And Superman is coming back stem from the perspectives the directors of the films had about the direction they wanted the character to take. X-Men And X2 director said Bryan Singer which he wanted to direct Superman is coming back because “it was Richard Donner’s classic film that was my daily inspiration in shaping the X-Men universe in front of the screen.” His nostalgia for the original tone and feel of the early Reeve films is evident. However, Zack Snyder wanted to radically reinvent the character; he said (per Forbes), “If you really analyze the comic book version of Superman, he was killed, he did everything.” Beyond the dark atmosphere of Snyder’s images, Man of Steel presents a truly miserable version of the world where Superman is treated as a threat.
The images and aesthetics also reflect the differences between these two filmmakers. With its bold, dazzling colors, use of the original John Williams score, and thrilling action scenes of Superman saving people, Superman is coming back feels like a direct continuation of the events in Superman II (although it effectively ignores Superman III And Superman IV: The Quest for Peace). Snyder’s dark images, excessive violence, and more violent action sequences seem closer to what he did with his adaptation of Guardians.
Optimism versus pessimism
That also becomes clear at the end of each film Superman is coming back And Man of Steel having different intentions about how the character fits into the modern world. In Superman is coming back, the Man of Steel returns to Earth after a long absence. Although he initially finds that the world no longer wants him, as Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has written a book disapproving of him, Superman eventually finds a new purpose in raising a child, saving the planet and re-shooting against Lex Luthor (Kevin Spaceey). It showed a version of the character who could endure hardship and come out on top. While Superman is coming back certainly mimics the corniness of some of the earlier movies in some cases, it does present a more complicated point of view; the shadow of 9/11 looms over the story, as it was the first Superman movie released since the September 11 tragedy.
By comparison, Snyder doesn’t see Superman as a particularly uplifting character. His depiction of the Man of Steel feels largely inspired by the Christian religion, which is strange considering that Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were Jewish. There are many allusions to the crucifixion and even a scene where Superman talks to a priest. In the end, Superman does more harm than good, leaving Metropolis buried in rubble after his battle with General Zod (Michael Shannon). He also goes against the advice he received from his two fathers, as Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) warned him to keep his powers a secret, but Jor-El (Russell Crowe) claimed he was meant to be the savior of to be humanity. The film eventually concludes that any true hero is destined to be hated by a society that does not understand them, and that coexistence is not possible.
Brandon Routh to Henry Cavill
The truth is that no actor will ever live up to the standard Reeve set; while James Gunn will surely search long and hard to find the right star to play Clark Kent in the new DC universe, Reeve’s performance is one of the most legendary in movie history. However, both Routh and Cavill certainly do a commendable job interpreting the character in different ways. Routh is essentially making an impression of Reeve since he is meant to be the same character; it’s interesting to see how his version of Superman now feels unattainable in a more cynical society, that Superman is coming back used for both comedic and dramatic story beats. Even when Superman is nearly killed by Luthor, he still shows a sense of self-determination. Cavill certainly had to play an angrier, more self-conflicted and volatile version of Superman, but he got to show pure joy during the memorable first flight sequence where Clark finally unlocks his powers and flies around the world.
Unfortunately, neither actor could really show off the romantic side of Superman, as neither movie did the character of Lois right. Bosworth’s performance in Superman is coming back comes across as openly aggressive, but Routh was still able to show Superman’s empathetic side thanks to his friendship with Jimmy Olsen (James Marsden). Amy Adams’ version of Lois Man of Steel was severely underdeveloped and unfortunately her chemistry with Cavill seemed inauthentic; However, Cavill had some great moments with Sally Field, who put in a touching performance as his adopted mother.