Originally Posted by
SiegePerilous02
I can see the argument of Whedon's Clark being a caricature of what Superman can be like. I wouldn't want a whole movie of that. But it was refreshing after not getting anything like it in the previous two movies. Audiences still cite Superman as one of the few things they liked in JL so I don't think it was that much of a problem. The movie as a whole was just a dumpster fire before he even got there.
And again, neither Whedon or Snyder is a good choice for Superman. Whedon peaked at Buffy, and Snyder is more ambitious than talented.
People don't want a symbol. Or not JUST a symbol, they want an engaging character that they like. Which they get in droves from Marvel, and which they got from WW, Aquaman and Shazam. Yeah a lot of people liked DCEU Superman, but the general reception towards him from the majority of consumers is lukewarm if not outright sour. They means in the eyes of most consumers, he was not an engaging character. People want to like Superman, they didn't like him here or they didn't feel like they knew him well enough, that is VERY BAD for the IP and a sign that Snyder and the studio failed. What he does for those other characters is irrelevant, because they don't need Superman's narrative in their own and it doesn't benefit him. With Diana specifically, her needing Clark's sacrifice to move on from her loss and become a public hero is not something most WW fans are happy. Her narrative should not be tied to his, she can come to these conclusions on her own.
His audience isn't the typical comic book crowd nor is it the mainstream, the latter being vastly more important. The ones who don't read comics or post on forums like this. The IP needs their money to survive, and they rejected it, so the IP took a hit. You should care about the studio putting out a product that makes money and is warmly received, because that will encourage them to make more stories with these characters. You know we're not getting any more cinematic stories for Superman for the foreseeable future, right? What do we have to look forward to? Before the divisive MOS, there was the bland Returns and further back was III and IV. The last good Superman was in the friggin 80s, which is not a source of comfort for people who want to see a good modern movie int he current superhero boom. The DCEU did a lot of damage to the IP, which may recover with time, but we've already sat through failures. And Batman isn't a concern because we are definitely getting another movie with him (Reeves and Pattinson), yet Superman has to be shelved. The tv show he's getting would be a good consolation, but the premise and people behind it do not inspire confidence.
Harry Potter was a hit from his first story, which lead to successful adaptations. MoS was successful but very divisive. He was not beloved like Harry is, nor is he the same type of character, so that is not an apt comparison. Watching Superman go through arcs and struggle is fine, it just has to be executed well. This was not. So yeah they can enjoy the DCEU, but the character still took a hit because of it and the rest of us have to wait for these promised other avenues that never seem to come. Yet constantly seem to come for Batman. There would be less of a sting if BOTH of them got shelved and they went nuts with Wonder Woman and the others. But the Bat gets rushed back out.