Should the next Superman film go in a Sci-Fi/Space Fantasy direction?

[The Kid]

Right now, there's no big plans for Superman on the big screen and it seems like WB has no idea what to do with him but with that being said, there is no harm in us sharing our hopes for the future. If there's something similar about previous Superman movies, all of them take place on Earth which is awesome since Metropolis is of course his home. But historically, Superman has had countless adventures in space in the comics

Since there is a show on the CW coming soon that will focus on Clark as a married father with human issues, I hope that in the next movie, they differentiate it by having the next adventure take place throughout space in different planets. Not saying you have to get rid of the Earth setting entirely but it'd be a backdrop or a launching pad for the rest of the story. You could go with Mongol or Brainiac as a villain.

It's something I've thought about because it's a big part of his stories especially in the Silver Age but it's been almost completely ignored in the films and would differentiate it from the CW show. Thoughts?

[Vordan]

Hell yeah, send him to Warworld! Do a loose adaption of Exile, Clark leaves Earth for some reason or another and starts traveling the cosmos. He ends up imprisoned and forced to fight in gladiator matches for the amusement of Mongul. Could steal some stuff from Planet Hulk too like having Clark form the “not!Warbond” with Maxima and other enslaved gladiators. Clark frees himself and the rest and decides to go back home. End it with a sequel tease that Brainiac learned about his survival from Warworld broadcasts and is pursuing him.

[Robanker]

Hell yeah, send him to Warworld! Do a loose adaption of Exile, Clark leaves Earth for some reason or another and starts traveling the cosmos. He ends up imprisoned and forced to fight in gladiator matches for the amusement of Mongul. Could steal some stuff from Planet Hulk too like having Clark form the “not!Warbond” with Maxima and other enslaved gladiators. Clark frees himself and the rest and decides to go back home. End it with a sequel tease that Brainiac learned about his survival from Warworld broadcasts and is pursuing him.

What he said. Honestly, this sounds like straight fire.

[DochaDocha]

My mood for a Superman movie right now is Sci-Fi, with heavier than usual emphasis on the "Sci."

[The Kid]

Hell yeah, send him to Warworld! Do a loose adaption of Exile, Clark leaves Earth for some reason or another and starts traveling the cosmos. He ends up imprisoned and forced to fight in gladiator matches for the amusement of Mongul. Could steal some stuff from Planet Hulk too like having Clark form the “not!Warbond” with Maxima and other enslaved gladiators. Clark frees himself and the rest and decides to go back home. End it with a sequel tease that Brainiac learned about his survival from Warworld broadcasts and is pursuing him.

That was actually one of the stories I thought of! The only downfall is that it’s kinda similar to the Ragnorak scene in Thor but a good writer could differentiate it well

I really like this idea though especially with the Brainiac tease

[Dralokonda]

I honestly think now really isn't the best time to look into stories like that, mind you i love those stories, but unfortunately we need to start a little smaller for superman to get people to like and appreciate him more. One of the many criticisms that is being used to discredit the character and make him look bad (coming mostly from the batman fanboys) is that at the end of the day superman is supposedly too powerful to be interesting. While he can have challenges and foes he has difficulty with in a fight largely its foes that only he can challenge and not other more down to earth characters like batman whom you really like seeing struggle and apparantly comes off better in watching than a big sci-fi brawl like what we had in man of steel. There spectacular, but unfortunately they have a lack of meaning. There is also this stereotype that superman only ever fight ridiculously power threats that ordinary people are useless against and they lack compelling themes.

I largely call all this a bunch of bull and just means to make superman look bad. But i feel that before we go into these epic brawls and adventures and showcase why they are not as poor and contrived as the haters make it out to be. We should consider atleast easing into them slowly by first establishing superman smaller more down to earth stories like Smashes the Klan and man and Superman. As a means to introduce the character and built up on his relevancy and image.

[Vordan]

Neither of those will work for Cavill Superman who seems to be sticking around, and Man and Superman is yet another origin story where he goes up against Luthor which is exactly what he doesn’t need right now. If I could make my ideal Superman movie though I’d do Morrison New 52 t-shirt and jeans Superman going up against Metallo & the army while he also tries to expose Intergang. He would be at Golden Age power levels to keep the budget low.

That said a high stake adventure film is actually exactly what Superman needs. It worked for Aquaman after all. Superman needs something fun rather than another pseudointellectual film about whether we “need” Superman.

[Dralokonda]

I honestly think the aspect of pseudointellectual film about whether we “need” Superman is something that can be done well with the right person and should definately be considered. Some of the best superman stories i have read have always explored the nature of superman in more down to earth stories. Plus Cavill i believe once said he wants the studio to explore those kinds of stories that actually paints superman as the most relevant superhero of all. If it successful it will get the haters to finally back off of superman and then we can have the big sci fi adventures. Or maybe we can have the big adventure while bringing in the elements of whether or not the world needs superman. A story revolving around superman fighting a cosmic level threat like imperiex from our worlds at war that challenges superman both physically and ethnically could be awesome.

[Vordan]

The problem is it was already handled badly in Snyder’s films. BvS freaking opens with “Must There Be A Superman?” for example. Cavill wants to adapt For Tomorrow which I find to be a mixed story at best, and Cavill himself is a fairly mid actor. I’m not going to movies to see him act, and I doubt anyone would be interested in yet another dark serious tale about “what does Superman meeeeeeaaaaannnnn mannnnnnn?” People just are not in the mood for that.

I think the opposite of you. First you need to do a movie that says “Superman is cool, here’s Superman doing cool ****” like Rami Spider-Man 1 and Batman Begins. Then you can do your deconstruction like Spider-Man 2 and The Dark Knight.

[Dralokonda]

OK, you make a valid point there,

[Robanker]

The problem is it was already handled badly in Snyder’s films. BvS freaking opens with “Must There Be A Superman?” for example. Cavill wants to adapt For Tomorrow which I find to be a mixed story at best, and Cavill himself is a fairly mid actor. I’m not going to movies to see him act, and I doubt anyone would be interested in yet another dark serious tale about “what does Superman meeeeeeaaaaannnnn mannnnnnn?” People just are not in the mood for that.

I think the opposite of you. First you need to do a movie that says “Superman is cool, here’s Superman doing cool ****” like Rami Spider-Man 1 and Batman Begins. Then you can do your deconstruction like Spider-Man 2 and The Dark Knight.

I will die on the hill that the next Superman movie needs to go small-scale he arrives at Metropolis in the early days and takes on the corrupt police to reform them into the Metropolis PD that Superman works with on the modern day... Full on cosmic Superman that ends with him battling Mongul on Warworld with the fate of a galaxy full of civilizations at risk, prog rock and Zeppelin in the soundtrack (Kashmir is a must. I just hear cosmic Superman when I listen to it every time)... Or full on hunter-prey horror with Parasite where they each have moments in both roles, Clark ultimately unfamiliar with the feeling of being hunted both as Clark and Superman by something that desperately wants to eat and become him.

But if we get one more (and we will, of course) "but I swear, we really need a Superman... He's so relevant" I may lose it. I agree, he is relevant. Show that, don't make it the entire message of the movie. We need to solve world hunger too but I don't want a movie about a bunch of people in a food bank eating sandwiches. Make a story with it as a thematic element, but let it be an actual story. Also, you know, work on it in the real world.

[Vordan]

If they did that **** with someone other than Lex or Zod as the villain I’d consider going to see it. Like Manchester Black or whoever.

[Dralokonda]

Id really like someone to bring in Khyber from Camelot Falls to either the big or small screen, the guy had a very miniscule role and it was his only appearance, but it was enough to sell me to see him in way more roles as an antagonist for Superman. Or even Monarch or Wraith powerful non kryptonian adversaries that can be a challenge and a threat to superman without needing kryptonite or any of superman's other weaknesses and vulnerabilities

[Vordan]

Id really like someone to bring in Khyber from Camelot Falls to either the big or small screen, the guy had a very miniscule role and it was his only appearance, but it was enough to sell me to see him in way more roles as an antagonist for Superman. Or even Monarch or Wraith powerful non kryptonian adversaries that can be a challenge and a threat to superman without needing kryptonite or any of superman's other weaknesses and vulnerabilities

Busiek’s run is so underrated. I wish DC would put out an omnibus of his work.

[Dralokonda]

So true, the way he handled the prankster, i'm convinced under a good writer either prankster or toyman can easily rival joker in villiany and popularity if only they got more attention and focus