Originally Posted by
titansupes
Superman's popularity has diminished (which isn't to say he still isn't one of the most popular and iconic characters in the history of fiction, he undeniably is) because of a lack of QUALITY content in the mainstream (SIII, IV, MoS, BvS etc) and people spreading the love to other heroes finally entering the mainstream.
The solution is simple-- If the boneheads in charge stop listening to the wrong voices, the core fanbase stops panicking at every "setback", and everyone embraces him for what he is, rather than trying to "fix" him by listening to the stupidity of "He's too nice, he's too powerful, he's not relatable, he needs to be darker" etc.
The fact of the matter is, all the most popular and well-received versions of him have been the charming, happy, bright and energetic ones. Not the broody, edgy reinventions. Look at STM, SII, All-Star, Hoechlin well received, as opposed to the failures of the New 52, Earth One and unfortunately Cavill. Put THAT bright Superman in an unapologetic, WELL-MADE and energetic modern movie (Which he hasn't had for SO long) and things will happen.
Hopefully both WB and DC have learned their lessons with the success of Rebirth, and their last minute course-correction to trying to get make Cavill into something like that with Justice League-- and people responded to it! But it was too little too late, and hampered by some bizarre CGI and wrapped in a bloody awful movie once again.
Stop trying to darken him up. He's not meant to be dark. Stop trying to make him relatable, he IS relatable. Stop trying to weaken him. He's powerful, and only as invincible as Batman, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Wonder Woman and Aquaman... Hell, even John McClane, Ethan Hunt and James Bond etc... Because that's how fictional heroes work.
Give him a TOUCH of the Golden Age attitude, some Silver Age zaniness, some of his Bronze Age nuance, wrap him in quality film-making. Done.