This summer is going to be one of the biggest years in comic book movie history, with the release of both Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the official beginning to James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe in the form of Gunn's own Superman. Marvel has, to the dismay of fans worldwide, not been as consistently strong with film and TV content over the past few years (with some exceptions of course), but DC has had a tougher time getting a live action cinematic universe off the ground in general.
The DC Extended Universe under Zack Snyder was met by much criticism from fans, and the DC brand has been harmed over the past decade with some mediocre or downright awful projects. This summer's Superman film must succeed in order for this new DC Universe to shed the dark days of the old one. With that in mind, let's go over all we know about the film, the struggles with early screenings, and how have fans reacted to what we've seen so far from the film.
The actual plot of Superman has remained under wraps for the most part, but what we do know is that this film is not going to be another retelling of the Man of Steel's origins. Yes, it does take place very early on in his crime fighting career, but according to James Gunn "we've seen enough" of the character's origins on film.
Superman does follow Clark Kent early on in his Superman days, but he's already established connections with the other characters within the Superman mythos, such as Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. According to DC co-head Peter Safran, Superman will have the titular character trying to balance his "Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing," while at the same time struggling to live up to ideals of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow in a world where those ideals are not always present or preserved. Along with the core Superman cast of characters, there's going to be a bunch of other heroes from throughout the DC Universe, such as the Guy Gardner version of Green Lantern, Mr. Terrific, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, and The Engineer.
Based on what we've gleaned from set photos and videos, as well as the trailers and other footage released so far, Superman won't be the first superhero to exist in James Gunn's DCU,. The others we just mentioned, like Hawkgirl and Green Lantern, seem to have become affiliated with mega corporations like LordTech, and have lost the ideals that they used to fight for. Superman's presence, where he isn't controlled by any corporations, could be seen as a threat to LordTech and others like it, so they might send their super heroes to either bring him to their side, or take him out. Of course, that's just speculation at the moment, but it does seem like the movie could head in that direction.
Initial fan response to Superman's teasers
The reactions to what we've seen from Superman thus far have been mostly positive, but there has been some criticism mixed in there too. While I count myself among the hopefuls that this film will succeed, there have been others who aren't as enthralled by what's been shown.
One of the most common complaints that on social media among fans is that the film doesn't look good from a filmmaking standpoint. A more recent promo for the movie featured a shot of David Corenswet's Superman flying as he's facing the camera head on, with the oddly unnatural expression he's making generating a lot of criticism (and fans claiming it was an example of questionable CGI). Superman's suit has also been getting some flack, with people not jiving with the design and overall look of the suit.
Honestly, though, we really should draw the line at anyone claiming that a film will be bad before it's even released. I do agree that the shot of Superman flying did look off, but to me that's something that can easily be fixed in post production. As for the suit, I really like it. I'm not saying it's the greatest Superman suit ever, but I'm happy with what I've seen of it so far.
The look of the suit or a few questionable shots don't equate to an overall bad movie, so we're just going to have to see the finished product for ourselves and then - and only then - can we properly make a judgement on the film.
The film has reportedly had divisive test screenings
Over the past couple of months, there have reportedly been a variety of test screenings for Superman, and for a while the main takeaway from those screenings was that the film is divisive. Some were positive, some were negative, but most suggested that there were some glaring issues with the movie that could impact its enjoyment levels.
I'm not going to lie, when I heard the negative reactions to the screenings, I was scared for the quality of the film, and that the upcoming DC Universe was going to struggle before it got a chance to blossom. However, I still believe there's hope for the film. The filmmaking process is a long and difficult one, where decisions are made that can benefit, or derail, the overall film. There is no doubt that those in charge at DC Studios will listen to feedback from test audiences and ensure that the film is the highest possible quality prior to its release.
We should also just have more faith in Gunn's vision. Remember when the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie was announced? People thought it wouldn't succeed, and over a decade later, those films and characters have become not only widely successful, but they've become household names and a large part of the pop-culture conversation in general.
There is a lot riding on Superman, because it's the start of a new take on the vast DC Comics Universe on the silver screen, and if it fails in a major way, chances are audiences won't be too keen on seeing any more DC related projects in the future. The DC brand has been hit with a lot of negativity and controversy over the past decade due to the quick decline of the DCEU, so Superman needs to succeed in order to prove to audiences that this is a universe worth sticking with.
If it doesn't, then lesser-known DC characters with projects in the works (like Sgt. Rock and Clayface) may suffer from a lack-of-interest. Overcoming any potential issues that a poor response to Superman might result in wouldn't be impossible, but it would be a tall task that DC Studios doesn't need in its early days. As one of the faces of the DC brand, the Man of Steel should be the one to carry this new chapter of the DC Universe forward.
I'm hopeful that under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran, DC will have a bright and fruitful future.
What do you think? Do you think Superman is going to fail or succeed?