What is your ideal direction for the next Superman movie?

[Super-Cyke]

I'm not sure if this is appropriate for its own thread (there could be another existing thread that touches this or maybe pure speculation for a movie with no word in sight of what WB wants done may not be thread-worthy) but it's been on my mind so I thought I'd try a thread about this

What is your ideal for the next Superman movie? Cavill still in the suit but a soft-reboot? Cavill still in the suit, proper sequel to MOS? Full on reboot? Something else? Do you have any talent (directors, writers, actors, etc) you want to be involved with the project?

I've been watching scenes from Superman Returns lately and I feel there are great lessons from that film the next Superman movie could incorporate into it. The scene where Superman is in space and listening to all the sound down on earth and then charges down to help someone is beautiful. I know it's a flawed movie but I kind of feel like there is gold in that movie that largely goes unappreciated and I think that gold could provide good direction for the next Superman film. I'm curious if some sort of adaptation of Superman For All Seasons would work. Something that really shows the heart of Superman and his key relationships

[superduperman]

Hard reboot would be my preferred ideal but with the success of WW and Shazam! that's not very likely at this point. I think part of the reason Cavill's threatening to walk is the fact that there's no sequel in the works so if WB wants to do it they need to sit down with him and hash this out. If they are going to do a sequel, I'd like to see the villain be Brainiac. Now that Krypton has been cancelled, he's been freed up and we can actually see what he can do. Have him actually steal Metropolis. Maybe a loose adaptation of Morrison's first Action arc. This is what I think they probably should have done back in 2013 since he's never been used on the big screen before.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I just want a good Superman movie that has heart, humor, and heroics.

[Doctor Know]

Ensemble film with characters that Superman has confirmed to have inspired. Like Ray Palmer, John Henry Irons, Kimiyo Hoshi, others at Star Labs etc.

Trying to spin gold with the Daily Planet crew is a lost cause. *See Superman Returns. And waxing poetic about the idea of making a difference, while never actually making one, is DOA. *See also, Superman returns.

What the audience wants, what the fans want, is to see Supes cross swords against the Computer Tyrant Brainiac or the Demonic Space Hitler, Darkseid.

[SiegePerilous02]

Ensemble film with characters that Superman has confirmed to have inspired. Like Ray Palmer, John Henry Irons, Kimiyo Hoshi, others at Star Labs etc.

Trying to spin gold with the Daily Planet crew is a lost cause. *See Superman Returns. And waxing poetic about the idea of making a difference, while never actually making one, is DOA. *See also, Superman returns.

What the audience wants, what the fans want, is to see Supes cross swords against the Computer Tyrant Brainiac or the Demonic Space Hitler, Darkseid.

The fans and the audience want to see, or at least expect to see, the Daily Planet staff. Nobody is really clamoring to see Hoshi or Palmer in a Superman centric film series as anything other than cameos for future, unrelated films in the DCEU. John Henry is an exception because he's an actual Superman character.

The problems with the previous films have nothing to do with the Daily Planet staff by themselves. Just look at Jimmy's current comic series, he is arguably the craziest thing in the Superman comics and he fits right in with the larger than life stuff we expect from Superman stories.

[The World]

Christ almighty, the idea that the vast majority of Superman material on the big screen has been limited to Metropolis is nothing short of embarrassing. You have so much material that takes him so many places and all you can do is stick to the same location fighting the same handful of problems. Pitiful. Do something with it or give it to someone else.

Do a Superboy (Clark Kent) and the Legion of Superheroes but withOUT the mind erasing shenanigans.

[Doctor Know]

The fans and the audience want to see, or at least expect to see, the Daily Planet staff. Nobody is really clamoring to see Hoshi or Palmer in a Superman centric film series as anything other than cameos for future, unrelated films in the DCEU. John Henry is an exception because he's an actual Superman character.

The problems with the previous films have nothing to do with the Daily Planet staff by themselves. Just look at Jimmy's current comic series, he is arguably the craziest thing in the Superman comics and he fits right in with the larger than life stuff we expect from Superman stories.

The issue you have with the DP crew is they are not "in on the joke" of Clark (their co-worker) being Superman. We the audience know, Superman the character knows, but the supporting cast have no idea. This is what SR got wrong. Just putting in Jimmy, Perry and Perry White's son, Jason. Is not going to get anyone to come out and see a movie. Adding in the office jock (Lombard), the single mother/divorcee/gossip columnist Cat Grant, and Ron Troupe won't make a difference either. Think Stranger Things season 3. Too many supporting characters, and their own sub-plots subtracting away from the main tension/story.

Supes is the attraction. It be better to build him up with a supporting cast that can actually help him and contribute to the plot.


P.S. - Adding a figure like Morgan Edge and Galaxy TV to the cast would be another matter. Edge serves Darkseid and is like J. Jonah Jameson for Superman. With a television program to criticize and flame every move Superman does. That could add something to the narrative.

P.P.S - Look at the Spider-Man movies and the Daily Bugle cast. Robbie Robinson, Glory Grant, Betty Brandt, Ned Leeds (MCU Ned is Ganke), Ben Ulrich, etc. Have all been phased out of the movies. Big cast, but none of them add to the character drama of Spidey himself. Replaced with Iron-Man, Happy, and SHIELD to help support him in the story and against the villains he's fighting. Supes needs a similar approach IMO. And that approach can be done by doing more with Star Labs.

[Nelliebly]

Ensemble film with characters that Superman has confirmed to have inspired. Like Ray Palmer, John Henry Irons, Kimiyo Hoshi, others at Star Labs etc.

Trying to spin gold with the Daily Planet crew is a lost cause. *See Superman Returns. And waxing poetic about the idea of making a difference, while never actually making one, is DOA. *See also, Superman returns.

What the audience wants, what the fans want, is to see Supes cross swords against the Computer Tyrant Brainiac or the Demonic Space Hitler, Darkseid.

This makes absolutely zero sense and is not remotely backed up by ...well....anything. What “fans” want this?

If anything, what we actually know to be true is the exact OPPOSITE of this: when a Superman film ::doesn’t:: center the Daily Planet and provide equal focus on Clark Kent the film struggles.

Superman Returns was criticized ::specifically:: because it erased Lois’s relationship with CLARK and seemingly forgot that they were such close friends. Clark Kent reporter was a non-entity in SR and it was a problem with the film.

One of the biggest critical complaints again about both Man of Steel and BvS was that the films were too focused on these huge alien threats as opposed to allowing Clark to live and breathe on his own turf without other heroes and otherworldly threats stealing space.

Superman has been the most successful when it’s done the exact opposite of what you are suggesting. Superman: The Movie, Superman 2, Lois and Clark, the animated series and the later seasons of Smallville focused distinctly on the balance of Superman and Clark Kent with an emphasis on his relationships with the humans in his orbit and his job at the Daily Planet as a home base and anchor.

The audience not only expects to see these things when they go to see a Superman film but they will and have openly rejected the franchise when those things aren’t present. John Henry Irons is the only character here that I would welcome in a film. The rest would be not only completely inappropriate but would likely steal focus from what the audience expects to see in a Superman film and, once again, tank the film.

The formula for a good Superman media property is really not that hard. Trying to “shake it up” is actually what ruins it. It doesn’t need fixing.

[Doctor Know]

This makes absolutely zero sense and is not remotely backed up by ...well....anything. What “fans” want this?

If anything, what we actually know to be true is the exact OPPOSITE of this: when a Superman film ::doesn’t:: center the Daily Planet and provide equal focus on Clark Kent the film struggles.

Superman Returns was criticized ::specifically:: because it erased Lois’s relationship with CLARK and seemingly forgot that they were such close friends. Clark Kent reporter was a non-entity in SR and it was a problem with the film.

One of the biggest critical complaints again about both Man of Steel and BvS was that the films were too focused on these huge alien threats as opposed to allowing Clark to live and breathe on his own turf without other heroes and otherworldly threats stealing space.

Superman has been the most successful when it’s done the exact opposite of what you are suggesting. Superman: The Movie, Superman 2, Lois and Clark, the animated series and the later seasons of Smallville focused distinctly on the balance of Superman and Clark Kent with an emphasis on his relationships with the humans in his orbit and his job at the Daily Planet as a home base and anchor.

The audience not only expects to see these things when they go to see a Superman film but they will and have openly rejected the franchise when those things aren’t present. John Henry Irons is the only character here that I would welcome in a film. The rest would be not only completely inappropriate but would likely steal focus from what the audience expects to see in a Superman film and, once again, tank the film.

The formula for a good Superman media property is really not that hard. Trying to “shake it up” is actually what ruins it. It doesn’t need fixing.

Take a villain threat (presumably one the audience hasn't seen before), a bloated supporting cast with their own subplots, Superman's journey, Supes and Lois' romance and the goal Superman reaches (since saving the world isn't enough for people these days), and square that within a 2 hour movie. When you think about it, you realize there is not enough time for all that. Something has to be cut. Study the MCU films and you realize they keep the narrative tight on their main characters and keep the supporting cast down to a minimum. With characters who can either support the hero in combat/action movie stuff. Or characters the main character has to protect and or prove himself too. Like MJ, Ant-Man's daughter, Bucky, etc.

I recommended Irons, Palmer and Hoshi because they're all scientists and they work for Star Labs. A place Supes is familiar with and collaborates with frequently. You could do the disgruntled employee of Lexcorp origin for Irons as well. But making him a tech at Star saves time and doesn't need explaining.

Star can help Supes build gadgets, a new fortress (satellite base), new rockets for space exploration. So Supes isn't restricted only to Earth for future films. Or keep the Daily Planet crew and have office hijinks. With characters who don't know Clark is Supes, can't help him during action scenes and are in an industry that is dying and people stopped caring about. There's a reason the 5th season of the Wire, the 3rd season of the Newsroom are considered the worst of the bunch. There's a reason both the Daily Bugle and Daily Planet casts have had their roles reduced in the comics and media in recent years. Same reason why printed and digital media companies have been shedding viewers, subscribers and employees. Newsroom media is a sinking ship. Science and discovery however, always have the public's interest. Think Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX.

The Supergirl tv show also defers more to the DEO crew, than the Catco crew.


And people do want to see Brainiac and Darkseid on the big screen. They have the star power we need to make the next movie stand out.

[stargazer01]

How would you do a Superman film series pitch? Say 3 or more films.

What villains and stories would you use to continue and develop the main characters, especially Superman, Lois and Lex?

Be as brief as possible, just the main outline. Would you do a total reboot and do an origin film again? Or would you just continue with an newly established Superman and new adventures?

I really think we don't need another origin so soon.. and I really want to see the character grow and evolve somehow.

[Vakanai]

Superman and the Legion of Superheroes - Prequel film with teenage Clark going to the future and space.

Superman: Man and Superman - Technically an origin film, but thanks to the prequel it won't feel like it! And that story was a good origin that skipped over the whole Krypton exploding and farm living and Smallville stuff we've all seen before.

Superman vs Brainiac - No brainer.

[Dralokonda]

1st film would be clark arriving in metropolis and his struggle to find a job and place in the city. A focus on the farm boy/outsider trying to fit in and find his way aspect of clarks personality. His powers would be on a similar level to what they were during the max fleischer cartoons, though he won't develop the ability to fly only until the end of the film when he fully becomes superman. The antagonist will be the ultra humanite (his personality would be similar to his potrayal in the dcau), with toyman serving as the secondary antagonist. Lex and lois will appear in the film. A rivalry of careers would be established between lois and clark and a sort of friendship between lex and clark similar to smallville. Clark overall would be a reluctant hero, who just wants to live a normal life, but chooses to use his powers to help others and face ultra humanite. The film would be set in modern times and focus on metropolis and its attempts of being a pinnacle of technological advancement for humanity, while paying a great deal of tribute to the fleischer cartoons while taking cues from grant morrison's early new 52 comics and marv wolfman's man and superman comic.

2nd film would be a loose adaption of superman unchained. Focusing on the worlds overall response to superman's appearance. Introducing lois's father general lane and his super soldier wraith and them acting as the main antagonists of the film. It would also deal with clark questioning himself on what he should be and do as superman, not to mention delve into the mystery of clarks now slowly growing and developing powers and abilities. Martian manhunter would appear in the film to play the part as a former adversary of wraith and a mentor to clark, having lived on earth far longer than clark and being a member of the original justice society of America. As a attraction forms between superman and lois, the rivalry between clark and lois grows aswell as a friendship between them. Simultaniously, lex starts developing metropolis into the true city of tomorrow its meant to be, while his hatred of superman grows and the friendship between him and clark grows aswell.

between the 2nd and third film would be a batman, Superman, worlds finest film where lex's hatred of superman would develop to him becoming a villian and teaming up with the joker to kill both superman and batman.

3rd film would have mongul as the main villian along with the warworld and the gladiator draaga. Lois and clark would finally develop a relationship without her knowing he is superman.

All this would take place to develop superman on his own before he becomes part of the much larger dc cinematic universe and thus before the events of the death, reign and return of superman movie adaptation events. Brainiac will be the villian in a later film to introduce supergirl and krypto the superdog into clarks life to complete the superman family.

[Tzigone]

Next movie: We begin with Superman already established - we've done origin too recently for a repeat. Lois knows his identity by now (maybe engaged or married). Use the Daily Planet staff for support. I'd be thrilled with some investigating, if that could be done without limiting action very much. Maybe use Intergang. Have them with another villain for muscle. Metallo, maybe. But show that Clark is intelligent. I'm not keen on the "farmboy" naivete thing, which I think is late addition to his mythos, in the sense of it defining him or making him a fish out of water in the city or whatnot - it was just a common job when Clark would have been a child back in the early days, and even Superboy switched his folks to store-owners. Heck, Lois' parents were farmers, too, at one point. I do want us to see that Clark is very intelligent. Maybe set up Brainiac for movie #3. No more Lex or Zod - I want to see some other villains used well.