How would you restart the Superman movie franchise?

[Vordan]

Reeves isn’t going to be an origin story, just set in Batman’s early years. Something like that for Superman would be fine. In a new Superman continuity I’d just have the Kents be dead, with the New 52 car crash background.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Reeves isn’t going to be an origin story, just set in Batman’s early years. Something like that for Superman would be fine. In a new Superman continuity I’d just have the Kents be dead, with the New 52 car crash background.

A powered-down jeans & t-shirt Superman movie would go over like gangbusters right now, given how much everyone hates corrupt businessmen and rich douchebags. It's probably the only thing almost everyone still agrees on.

[Jon Clark]

The problem with trying to continue with the same cast is that you are locking in the series going forward to Cavill and Adams' willingness and availability.

For arguments sake say DC greenlights MOS 2 tomorrow. Likely or unlikely as you might think it is- they do it. It can have Superman fighting Brainiac, Nuclear Man, The Elite, or whoever. Again it's hypothetical so assume it manages to impress DC at the box office.

Now what. Will Cavill and Adams come back for MOS 3? If they do will that have to wait for both of them to be available for shooting between any other commitments? You have to figure Amy Adams isn't likely to sign on for anything that makes DC movies her priority when she is going to get other offers. Not sure if Cavill has the same chance of other major roles, but even so I'm not sure he'd want to be tied down to the franchise for several more movies. And being over half a decade out from MOS realistically how long can we expect them to headline movies.

I just think trying to follow up on a 2013 movie at this point is too limiting. While Lois and Clark's roles in the other two JL films (BvS and JL) were crucial it's easier to handwave a recasting now than if you have more Superman-centric films and then try to recast.

[Doctor Know]

The problem with trying to continue with the same cast is that you are locking in the series going forward to Cavill and Adams' willingness and availability.

For arguments sake say DC greenlights MOS 2 tomorrow. Likely or unlikely as you might think it is- they do it. It can have Superman fighting Brainiac, Nuclear Man, The Elite, or whoever. Again it's hypothetical so assume it manages to impress DC at the box office.

Now what. Will Cavill and Adams come back for MOS 3? If they do will that have to wait for both of them to be available for shooting between any other commitments? You have to figure Amy Adams isn't likely to sign on for anything that makes DC movies her priority when she is going to get other offers. Not sure if Cavill has the same chance of other major roles, but even so I'm not sure he'd want to be tied down to the franchise for several more movies. And being over half a decade out from MOS realistically how long can we expect them to headline movies.

I just think trying to follow up on a 2013 movie at this point is too limiting. While Lois and Clark's roles in the other two JL films (BvS and JL) were crucial it's easier to handwave a recasting now than if you have more Superman-centric films and then try to recast.

On the other side of that, the X-Men Franchise is 19 years old this May. Look how much of the cast stayed with it as recently as Logan and DOFP. Cavil wants to be the RDJ/Hugh Jackman for the DC films but WB and his agent couldn't come to an agreement. As for Adams, I recall a few years ago that Famke Jassen complained that Fox didn't want to move forward with post DOFP X-Man film. Because they decided to skew younger. She felt her age was the issue. While Reynolds, Jackman and Stewart were never told no, because of their age. You need producer or director capital to help move projects forward.

[Jon Clark]

On the other side of that, the X-Men Franchise is 19 years old this May. Look how much of the cast stayed with it as recently as Logan and DOFP. Cavil wants to be the RDJ/Hugh Jackman for the DC films but WB and his agent couldn't come to an agreement. As for Adams, I recall a few years ago that Famke Jassen complained that Fox didn't want to move forward with post DOFP X-Man film. Because they decided to skew younger. She felt her age was the issue. While Reynolds, Jackman and Stewart were never told no, because of their age. You need producer or director capital to help move projects forward.

I'd say X-Men really only had Jackman and Stewart stick out the whole thing. Other than the glorified cameo in DOFP the original cast was largely gone after X3. And the X-Men franchise has more room to swap out cast members. If Beast or iceman won't return then introduce Forge, Thunderbird, or Gambit. Lose Cyclops, play up Storm or Jean as field leader. Not as easy to do that when the franchise is built around two main characters and either of them walks.

And as for the ageism- sorry but that is how Hollywood works. Would a Batman sequel with Keaton and Pfeiffer really fill the seats today? Even in the comics you had one of the New 52 changes being reducing how much time had passed so Bruce and Clark were still nearer to twenty than forty. And that is with characters on the page where the artists can draw them without any real-world aging concerns.

[Doctor Know]

I'd say X-Men really only had Jackman and Stewart stick out the whole thing. Other than the glorified cameo in DOFP the original cast was largely gone after X3. And the X-Men franchise has more room to swap out cast members. If Beast or iceman won't return then introduce Forge, Thunderbird, or Gambit. Lose Cyclops, play up Storm or Jean as field leader. Not as easy to do that when the franchise is built around two main characters and either of them walks.

Point is, most of the OG actors came back for DOFP (2014) and The Wolverine (2013). If they stick with Cavil and Adams, they can introduce Steel, Connor, Kara, and minor JL characters to bolster the stories moving forward. A remake or soft-reboot would retread too much of the same ground we've already seen. Between Superman Returns, Smallville, MOS and Supergirl TV. Supes never really leaves the public conscious. He just needs new stories. Not remixes of things people already know.

And as for the ageism- sorry but that is how Hollywood works. Would a Batman sequel with Keaton and Pfeiffer really fill the seats today? Even in the comics you had one of the New 52 changes being reducing how much time had passed so Bruce and Clark were still nearer to twenty than forty. And that is with characters on the page where the artists can draw them without any real-world aging concerns.

@bold for women only.

If WB announced a Batman Beyond movie tomorrow with Keaton or Affleck as old man Bruce. People would flip! Men can be any age and still be stars. Women, unfortunately are aged out like milk by the industry. For no reason at all.

[Jim Kelly]

Just because a different actor is cast in the part, that doesn't mean they have to do a reboot or a remake. Val Kilmer and George Clooney stepped into the Batman franchise without that.

[Jon Clark]

Point is, most of the OG actors came back for DOFP (2014) and The Wolverine (2013). If they stick with Cavil and Adams, they can introduce Steel, Connor, Kara, and minor JL characters to bolster the stories moving forward. A remake or soft-reboot would retread too much of the same ground we've already seen. Between Superman Returns, Smallville, MOS and Supergirl TV. Supes never really leaves the public conscious. He just needs new stories. Not remixes of things people already know.

But Superman movies aren't centered on Steel, Connor, or Kara. O mioght not want to see any of that retread either but I also don't want MOS 3 to be Twilight of Kal-El, Rise of the Wannabes. I'd rather just see Superman and the Planet staff deal with new challenges for the next decade or so before any thought of being phased out for any next-gen. And I don't see Cavill and Adams as being the best way to get that.

@bold for women only.

If WB announced a Batman Beyond movie tomorrow with Keaton or Affleck as old man Bruce. People would flip! Men can be any age and still be stars. Women, unfortunately are aged out like milk by the industry. For no reason at all.

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Batman Beyond, sure. Dark Knight Returns, sure. Batman as just Batman and not as someone at the end of his career, I don't think so. No one would buy Keaton as a Batman in his prime- the tentpole of the franchise and not the Alfred-ish guy supporting the "real" star.

[ZeonsSilverStar]

Although it's well after the fact the second movie in the DCEU, or at least the second to star Superman, should've be a straight up Man os Steel sequel with a new director. The movie would show Clark at work interacting with his supporting cast, delve into his relationship with Lois and have a scene like the opening of Justice League. Of course this movie would also introduce Luthor and Metallo as antagonists.

[Doctor Know]

But Superman movies aren't centered on Steel, Connor, or Kara. O mioght not want to see any of that retread either but I also don't want MOS 3 to be Twilight of Kal-El, Rise of the Wannabes. I'd rather just see Superman and the Planet staff deal with new challenges for the next decade or so before any thought of being phased out for any next-gen. And I don't see Cavill and Adams as being the best way to get that.

The Planet Staff is a non-starter I think. Outside of Perry and Jimmy, the general audience doesn't know anybody else that works there. There's a reason Supergirl TV focuses more on the DEO, than CatCo cast. The reason why the Super line and Spider-Man comics have steadily lessened the influence of the Bugle and Planet on the IP. No one really cares about the day to day goings on in a newsroom. Looking at the 5th Season of the Wire and the final season The Newsroom.

Superman has super friends and outstanding humans to interact with. Supes living it up with members of his family, minor JL cast members, or making a scientific discovery with the Star Labs crew (build new rocket for space adventures). Would play a lot better than Supes and his news crew. We saw this exemplified in Superman Returns. Since none of Supes' co-workers are "in on the joke" of Supeman being Clark Kent. They miss a lot of the action and interaction that ensemble films (X-Men, Avengers, GOTG, Star Trek) have. We the audience know the punchline, Supes knows the punchline, but the Planet cast are out of it. Makes connecting with them hard and doesn't create empathy.

[Kuwagaton]

That's thr challenge of the property. Superman has this whole other thing you have to make work, which is good because then you don't lose yourself in a plot where you have to keep delaying him from solving the superhero dilemma. The character can do almost anything so just trying to wow people with that gets old, you have to make his regular interactions interesting.

To be frank, I just think that if anyone out there takes a look at a huge part of the mythos and goes " Nah I can't make that work" then they should probably work on something else.

The stash was his idea. He knew he'd have reshoots around that time. He signed the contract saying he couldn't shave it.

Yeah, I mean if no one else had a mustache for WB to hide then it's a Cavill thing.

A powered-down jeans & t-shirt Superman movie would go over like gangbusters right now, given how much everyone hates corrupt businessmen and rich douchebags. It's probably the only thing almost everyone still agrees on.

Although I'm so fond of the last few movies, not everyone else is. I'd love a movie where others enjoy it as much as I do, and it would be cool if that was the one.

[Powerboy]

Superman is now in limbo at the movies. Despite superhero movies being the most popular genre right now, DC finally making well-received and financially successful movies and Batman moving on from the early DCEU debacle, the Superman franchise seems to be resting now. We don't even though if Cavill will ever return. So how would you restart it?

I am so late to this party.

The problem I have is that none of the votes really fit what I want.

Nothing that involves a sequel to MoS or B v S.

I'm not sure what a recast movie loosely in the DCEU means.

Now that Wonder Woman and Aquaman have been so successful, I don't want them thrown out. A complete reboot of Superman might be good though. Maybe reboot his origin but in such a way that people are not groaning about another origin story. Maybe have him be Superboy first, something that clearly says this is a different version. That's just an idea. Have his first meeting with Batman be drastically different. Nothing can change the fact that B v S was the first live action meeting but something not quite so dark might go a long way to make up for it.

Then have Superman and Batman, after they meet each other, meet Aquaman since there's nothing in the Aquaman movie specifically that has to have MoS, B v S, JL or any other movie be in continuity. Likewise, have them then meet WW and clearly establish that this is their first meeting.

The continuity would then be the Wonder Woman movie (including upcoming sequels that take place in the past), Aquaman, Shazam and future Superman and Batman movies that throw out MoS, B v S, JL and everything else.

Of course, this is just daydreaming. They are not going to do that. They are not going to start rebooting already let alone partially rebooting even though DC is infamous for that in the comics. They know that would just make things even worse and more confusing. They are just going to forge ahead, mistakes and all and that is [probably their smartest move. Of course, it seems to mean "The first rule of Fight Club is we don't talk about Fight Club" or, in this case, "The first rule of new DCEU movies is "We don't talk about MoS or B v S or JL. We forge ahead, have Superman's chest insignia make a cameo in "Shazam" and otherwise ignore the first two movies".

I also don't think they will do a Superman movie that is outside of the DCEU as that would be more confusing and be an implied admission of how messed up the situation is.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Tone wise it would be Doctor Who meets the West Wing. Aaron Sorkin is good at writing complex/nuanced good guys and that's something we need for Supes.

Plotwise I'm focusing on showcasing variety. They have overused Lex and Zod so those are on the backburner for now. The human antagonists would be the b plot while the more scifi/supernatural would be the a plot. There might be an overarching plot between multiple films but its more like a c or d plot.

Actorwise I'm ok with keeping Cavill and Adams but i would have to keep continiuity with Snyder's films.

[Crabble]

It depends on what the focus of this hypothetical restart would be. There's so much potential you could write about and put into a Superman movie.

[Vordan]

Tone wise it would be Doctor Who meets the West Wing. Aaron Sorkin is good at writing complex/nuanced good guys and that's something we need for Supes.

Plotwise I'm focusing on showcasing variety. They have overused Lex and Zod so those are on the backburner for now. The human antagonists would be the b plot while the more scifi/supernatural would be the a plot. There might be an overarching plot between multiple films but its more like a c or d plot.

Actorwise I'm ok with keeping Cavill and Adams but i would have to keep continiuity with Snyder's films.

Cavill and Adams don’t have any chemistry together. Not really sure keeping them is a good idea.