Tom Welling's Clark Kent returns for Crisis on Infinite Earths

[Vordan]

I like KC Superman in that he is a **** up and he clearly is not meant to be seen as 100% in the right. But none of the elder heroes are meant to be. WW is jaded from how badly she’s botched her original mission. Batman establishes a police state in Gotham. The story doesn’t take Bats to task for that nearly enough imo while it clearly calls out Supes and Wondy for their failings. And frankly I don’t see the problem with Lois death. This story is all about grappling with the old school morality vs the 90s edge that was popular at the time. Lois dies, Clark keeps to his values... and everyone tells him to **** off and sides with Magog. Then because he’s not used to being rejected like that, Clark quits.

Now one of Clark’s most consistent flaws across all his incarnations is he desires the public’s love and approval. It’s been pretty consistent like few other character traits. He wants the public to trust and like him. So seeing the public turn on him so soon after he takes such a big hit in service of his principles? In the main Earth I’d prefer he bear his teeth and try to earn their love back. But as an Elseworld take I can totally get on board with this. I still think it should’ve been Lex that killed Lois and the DP though.

But while Routh is clearly going to be following a Kingdom Come trajectory, he might not be a 1 to 1 parallel. We’ll see.

[superduperman]

Ok......

All of the extra ass people that be starting petitions and filling change.org with nonsense......this is what you've trained for.

Seriously, Routh looks like he was genetically engineered to play Superman, and I'm over here feeling like I said no to go to prom with his Superman, and now it's 13 years later I'm lookin mad foolish.

Kingdom Come the series. Fall: 2020. Let's make this happen, people!

[JAK]

All that said I'm still unsure just how much the original KC will play in this interpretation in the first place. I'm still expecting very little detail beyond just the general idea that this is an older Superman whose lost a lot. I don't know how much dedicated time the incarnation will get to be explored beyond that, same with all these guest incarnations, except Durance's Lois who I've heard has signed on for multiple episodes?

Same. I think the most we're going to get from Kingdom Come is that he's older and he's lost Lois - there will be so many players in this thing, I doubt they'll have much more time for exploration beyond that.

In fact, I almost expect his world to be among the first to go, meaning there's little need for backstory beyond what fills his motivations.

[David Walton]

His actions in KC go totally against Superman’s belief system. At worst he’d publicly give up and go back to working in secret. Giving up and going to hide while the world burns around him is pretty much completely against Superman’s belief system. He doesn’t help because the public deserves or wants his help. He helps because that’s the right thing to do. To say nothing of starting a gulag and being more or less responsible for all the deaths that follow.

BTW, I'm not disagreed with you that Superman helps because it's the right thing to do. I just think this cover is funny because it's so out of character.

As far as KC goes, I think Superman's motivations are probably a bit more complicated than him wanting public adulation. I take it as a combination of being traumatized by not only Lois' death but most of the Daily Planet staff, thus losing most of his closest human connections in one blow, as well as refusing to force himself on the public (at least, that's how he sees it at the time). But his judgment is clearly compromised.

[Last Son of Krypton]

[Sacred Knight]

Is Welling's hair naturally that graying? Just curious if they're making him look older or if that's just his hair color now.

[Vordan]

Is Welling's hair naturally that graying? Just curious if they're making him look older or if that's just his hair color now.

Natural color I’m pretty sure.

[superduperman]

Is Welling's hair naturally that graying? Just curious if they're making him look older or if that's just his hair color now.

He's in his forties now. It's not that big of a surprise.

[JAK]

That new pic looks good! Much better than the last one (clearer). The stubble still strikes me as at least semi-retired, but maybe he hadn't shaved it yet? Either way, he looks good!

[Vordan]

Man I forgot how tall Welling is.

[Frontier]

Wow, Welling is so ripped. He looks like he could crush Hoechlin in a second .

[manwhohaseverything]

I will say it again, Hoechlin’s superman will look like a kid between the other supermen.

[JAK]

I will say it again, Hoechlin’s superman will look like a kid between the other supermen.

Wow, no kidding. I mean, in one picture, he already does.

[marhawkman]

Wow, no kidding. I mean, in one picture, he already does.

Ever see a side-by-side simulation of Dean Cain and Christopher Reeves? It's like that.

[GSman]

I will say it again, Hoechlin’s superman will look like a kid between the other supermen.

They"re all above 6ft and Welling and Routh still make Hoechlin look small.

But that brings me back to another interesting question, Hoechlin, Welling, and Routh's Supermen are all the same exact person, so why is it they all look different? I mean we know the reason obviously, but in the context of the story, I'm curious. It's the same for Flash and 90's Flash, Barry mistook him for his dad.