Leaving reboots and current DCEU continuity aside, do you think a movie that focuses on Superman as a character study with no antagonist could work well with audiences? I don't mean an edgy deconstruction, but a movie that delves into Superman and the many ways he affects those around him. Neither am I suggesting a movie devoid of action of course, but a movie without a conventional villain. No fist-fighting robots or aliens or monsters.

The reason I bring this up is because, when I think about what big screen representations of Superman lack (or small screen, or most print for that matter), it's the more subtle aspects of the character. You can definitely have a movie with a villain that includes lots of small novel moments that reinforce the magic of superman, but I thought it would be interesting to contemplate one where Superman doesn't punch anyone. He might struggle against natural disasters, moral dillemas, scientific problems, but not a true antagonist. Maybe there's a world-ending supernova on the horizon, or a disaster that unleashes the zoo in the fortress of solitude, or a kid who asks him to cure cancer, or all 3. Could a movie like this work? (Obviously anything done "well enough" could work, but do you think it's realistically feasible? And if so, how?)

The one thing that prevents me from thinking it could work is Superman Returns. Although Lex is the villain, Superman spends much of the movie struggling against non-personified obstacles, and it felt a bit flat as a result. But part of me feels like there's an idea here. I think it might rest on making much of the movie from his perspective, which is an idea I've toyed with for a bit.