How would you reboot Superman?

[Prime]

Well The Batman came out recently and it got me thinking how should Superman be properly rebooted into the big screen. If you leave it to me I just do an adaptation of Morrison's first Action Comics arc. Superman and the Men of Steel. What about you guys? What can be done to make him popular again?

[manwhohaseverything]

I would first do a animated movie..big budget..so that people can get behind the brand again..have them talking.Brand building and all that.Then maybe live action.

[Robanker]

Probably with some treads. Not chunky ones like you'd expect from Black Canary, but not a thin layer of rubber on the sole.


Oh, we're not doing dad jokes.


T-Shirt Superman would be the material I adapt loosely, looking to Siegel/Shuster and moving towards iconic by the end.

[Jon Clark]

The first and most important thing is to have a Superman who believes in himself. He (Clark/Kal) is Superman- not Jonathan Kent, not Lois, not Jor-El. Superman needs to drive the story

I prefer Superboy as a debut simply because I just don't see Clark as someone who can stand aside once his powers emerge and I never cared for the idea Kryptonian powers emerge later in life. But I'd try to work out something like his using his powers covertly for a few years so his debut was in Metropolis and after his 18th birthday at the earliest.

The decision to be Superman needs to be Clark's not the result of fulfilling the Kent's expectations or a holographic message from Jor-El/Lara. He isn't here with a mission, he's here doing what comes naturally to him. While it might require some sacrifices on his art, being Superman shouldn't be seen as a burden he carries. No "I just want to be a regular Joe with everyday problems" or "I have to save everyone so i can never have a moment to myself".

I'd want the movie to be a debut of Superman, but not an origin. We don't see Krypton or hear it's name. We meet a Clark who is already aware of his powers. This isn't a hero's journey where we see him becoming Superman. This is a story about a man who changes the world rather than is changed by it. Superman from the first scene is pretty much the Superman at the end of the film. It's people like Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, James Olsen ... and how they change because of Superman.

[Vakanai]

I'd forget about the whole iconic Metropolis, Daily Planet, Lois and Jimmy and Perry setting and go with a teenage Superman time traveling into the future with the Legion of Super Heroes set up instead. Frankly I think Superman in live action films needs to get pretty far away from the old status quo for a bit while still staying true to the character and mythos. Give the brand some time to put the old toys to rest for a few years or so, shake things up, get people interested again. Superman in space in the future with other heroes not part of the Justice League is as far as you can get to what most people think of when they think Superman, so it's refreshing, while also giving fans something still traditionally rooted in Superman-ness. You should be able to string together at least 2 or better really strong films with that set up before it's time to worry about bringing him back to the past-present and the usual status quo. So yeah, I'd start with teen Clark becoming Superman with the Legion. It's good, simple, fun, and if DC finds a way to suck the fun out of that concept then they really are incapable of getting the character.

And then, some years later when it's time to go back to earth and "now" and Metropolis I'd just smush Birthright and Man and Superman into a working script and film from there.

[JAK]

The first and most important thing is to have a Superman who believes in himself. He (Clark/Kal) is Superman- not Jonathan Kent, not Lois, not Jor-El. Superman needs to drive the story

I prefer Superboy as a debut simply because I just don't see Clark as someone who can stand aside once his powers emerge and I never cared for the idea Kryptonian powers emerge later in life. But I'd try to work out something like his using his powers covertly for a few years so his debut was in Metropolis and after his 18th birthday at the earliest.

The decision to be Superman needs to be Clark's not the result of fulfilling the Kent's expectations or a holographic message from Jor-El/Lara. He isn't here with a mission, he's here doing what comes naturally to him. While it might require some sacrifices on his art, being Superman shouldn't be seen as a burden he carries. No "I just want to be a regular Joe with everyday problems" or "I have to save everyone so i can never have a moment to myself".

I'd want the movie to be a debut of Superman, but not an origin. We don't see Krypton or hear it's name. We meet a Clark who is already aware of his powers. This isn't a hero's journey where we see him becoming Superman. This is a story about a man who changes the world rather than is changed by it. Superman from the first scene is pretty much the Superman at the end of the film. It's people like Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, James Olsen ... and how they change because of Superman.

Absolutely this. AAAAAAALLLLL of this.

Also: Morrison's Action run is good, but I still like the idea of basing a film off of a grouping of the early Golden Age comics together into one narrative, which is what the 1990 TMNT movie did. And frankly, the Golden Age Superman would resonate with people on a level that I don't even think I fully comprehend, and I've been a champion of the idea for a solid decade+ at this point.

[Stanlos]

The first and most important thing is to have a Superman who believes in himself. He (Clark/Kal) is Superman- not Jonathan Kent, not Lois, not Jor-El. Superman needs to drive the story

I prefer Superboy as a debut simply because I just don't see Clark as someone who can stand aside once his powers emerge and I never cared for the idea Kryptonian powers emerge later in life. But I'd try to work out something like his using his powers covertly for a few years so his debut was in Metropolis and after his 18th birthday at the earliest.

The decision to be Superman needs to be Clark's not the result of fulfilling the Kent's expectations or a holographic message from Jor-El/Lara. He isn't here with a mission, he's here doing what comes naturally to him. While it might require some sacrifices on his art, being Superman shouldn't be seen as a burden he carries. No "I just want to be a regular Joe with everyday problems" or "I have to save everyone so i can never have a moment to myself".

I'd want the movie to be a debut of Superman, but not an origin. We don't see Krypton or hear it's name. We meet a Clark who is already aware of his powers. This isn't a hero's journey where we see him becoming Superman. This is a story about a man who changes the world rather than is changed by it. Superman from the first scene is pretty much the Superman at the end of the film. It's people like Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, James Olsen ... and how they change because of Superman.

How early are you thinking for Superboy? Like John Haynes/Gerard Christopher Superboy age? Or OG Billy Batson little kid age?

[exile001]

I would first do a animated movie..big budget..so that people can get behind the brand again..have them talking.Brand building and all that.Then maybe live action.

100% this.

If nothing else, gets the kids invested in the character again. Parents will take them and you can maybe get them re-interested that way.

I also feel animation is more versatile media where Superman can get into more imaginative and inventive situations. Look at Into the Spider-Verse.

[marhawkman]

100% this.

If nothing else, gets the kids invested in the character again. Parents will take them and you can maybe get them re-interested that way.

I also feel animation is more versatile media where Superman can get into more imaginative and inventive situations. Look at Into the Spider-Verse.

Yeah, I was gonna say "make your own timeline that's not an existing universe". And... a TV series is the easy way to do that. Honestly, it's worked reasonably well in the past.

[exile001]

Yeah, I was gonna say "make your own timeline that's not an existing universe".

Oh, definitely separate. We need a Superman that, for all intents and purposes, exists in his own universe. At least for a while.

I feel DC's structure is Batman, then Superman as a stepping stone to justice League. It's been happening since the 90's.

[phonogram12]

Honestly, I'd just like to see a more detailed and extended version of what we saw in that episode from the first season of Superman & Lois where it flashbacked to when he first arrived in Metropolis, got a job at the Planet, met Lois, and debuted as Superman. Everything just seemed so natural there, from the flow of the story, to the chemistry, to certain character beats, etc. Even Supes wearing his underwear on the outside of his costume didn't seem that odd. And let's not forget that crest with the black background. That has to be the most beautiful Superman suit I've ever seen in live action.

[Prime]

I would first do a animated movie..big budget..so that people can get behind the brand again..have them talking.Brand building and all that.Then maybe live action.

You mean a la Spiderverse?

[Jackalope89]

I'd combine the Superman & Lois debut (of him in suit and all) with the origin of Clark being a naturally good and hopeful guy that goes into the suit when powers are required. But he does that of his own free will, not because of "destiny" or being told to do so, but because he wants to. And have his parents as good people to. That they don't tell him to ignore people in trouble (looking at you, Man of Steel), but to do what he thinks is right.

[DochaDocha]

I'd also prefer animated, but assuming it's going to be live-action, I'd give some general guidelines like make it so Superman likes what he's doing and is good at it. Maybe he's not Thor cocky, but as much as I liked Man of Steel apparently all of the self-doubt didn't hit it out of the park with the fans. Also, don't rush into getting him into a relationship. Normally, I think putting Lana in the first movie would be a waste of time since we 100% know that won't go anywhere far, but who knows. The first two seasons of Smallville resonated well with fans, a combination of 1) people not knowing Lana wasn't the end game or 2) people not caring Lana wasn't the end game.

[Marvel Man]

An animated Superman Smashes the Klan?