When James Gunn announced that Henry Cavill would not return as Superman, our first question was why. In the same breath as this announcement, Gunn revealed he was working on a movie that would take a look at Kal El’s younger life. Gunn said he wanted to focus more on Clark Kent’s story during his first few years in Metropolis. Those years were when he started working at the Daily Planet and first met Lois Lane. And, although millions of fans are demanding Cavill be reinstated as Superman, this younger picture of the hero may set the DCU up for a different direction.
James Gunn and Peter Safran have been working hard of crafting a 10-year plan for DC Studios, and all of us have been impatiently waiting to see how it might turn out. For now, the news has been filled with cancelations, fired directors, and repurposed actors. Gunn says he’ll make more announcements starting in the new year.
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For now, we can take a look at Superman and ask one question: Where will James Gunn’s universe begin? A young Clark Kent may start the DC universe down a path many of us are grateful for in the future. Here’s where we think a young Superman might take us.
Superman is More Likable as Clark Kent
DC Studios
What was so great about Henry Cavill playing Superman was how incredibly well he fit the role. To his fans, Cavill was a hero on and off the screen. His personality, charm, and character were well-matched to play a Superman that was in his prime. For the most part, that’s where we saw him. We barely saw anything of Clark Kent. Cavill’s character was entirely “the Man from Krypton.” It was an amazing angle for Superman. But, James Gunn wants to take his universe in a different direction, and that’s just what he’s looking for: a different angle.
Superman as Clark Kent is a character people don’t focus on very often, but it is more intriguing than people might think. True, this isn’t where you see his super strength and heat vision, but there is something endearing about Clark that many of us don’t see until it’s put right in front of us.
A lot of people were big fans of the show Smallville, which focused on Superman’s life even before he moved to the big city. It was so appealing because we got to see this god-among-men act like a normal human being. It was relatable. Everyone already knew who this character would be when he grew up, but nobody had asked about the person wearing the cape. Smallville had to be subtle with Superman’s powers because Clark Kent couldn’t reveal who he truly was.
Clark Kent is more complex than Superman as well. If anyone remembers David Carradine’s monologue at the end of Kill Bill 2, he points out that Superman doesn’t have a mask to put on. The superhero version of himself is actually his true identity. Clark Kent is the mask. That normal human is the superhero’s impression of what regular people are really like. Not only can filmmakers explore a different type of relationship with the secret identity, but they can ask deeper questions about Superman’s sense of self and what it means to be average in today’s world of superheroes.
How Superman Fits Into The Future of The DCU
Warner Bros. Pictures
When Gunn and Safran took over the DCU, a big question in the fan community became whether they would continue the story of the Justice League with the Snyder cut of the film or the studio cut. Now we have our answer: neither.
Making a movie about Superman as a young reporter for the Daily Planet sets the universe back quite a few years. Gunn and Safran will essentially reboot the narrative that DC has been limping through for the past decade or so. Fans are angry that a lot of their favorite actors and directors are being reassigned. But, let’s face it: the old DC story couldn’t be saved.
Looking to the future, the DCU may build more slowly, and where Superman falls on that timeline could be very important. When Kal El crashed in Kansas might change how he interacts with other heroes. James Gunn’s universe might have a Batman who has just started fighting crime or one that is very old. The DCU may tell a story that puts the members of the Justice League on the back burner while the Justice Society of America protects the universe.
While Superman attempts to integrate with society, he might see Hawkman flying overhead. Clark Kent might want to keep this peaceful life he’s made as a human. But he may come to question if he has a responsibility as Superman to protect not just himself and his loved ones, but the world. James Gunn’s new Superman might turn the DCU into a universe of more interesting questions than what we’ve seen previously.
