James Gunn’s Superman can’t afford to make one big mistake, and the DCU is on the right track
Drew Dietsch Published
I have high hopes for James Gunn superman and the upcoming DC Universe, or officially the DCU. I called suicide squad“the best DC movie in decades”, I stand by that (my review). now, after biocommando Makes me want to do more superhero stories in animation, and I’m ready for whatever James Gunn brings to the original superhero. However, there’s one thing I can’t help but feel a twinge of fear about, dating back to Superman’s origins on Krypton.
superman’s parents
I am currently reading Absolutely supermanpart of DC’s new Absolute series of comics, features some radical new takes on the iconic hero. In the first issue, it was revealed that Superman’s parents were farmers in a Kryptonian society with a unique and cruel caste system. Often, Superman’s parents are depicted as scientists in a utopian world. exist Absolutely supermanthey are the lower class workers who realize that the ruling class is causing the destruction of the planet.
It’s a fantastic and fresh idea injected into Superman’s origins. It gave us a reason to actually meet Kal-El’s parents, spend time with them, and learn their story. If James Gunn has a creative new idea for Jor-El and Laura’s life, I’m all for seeing how it affects his ideas for Superman.
But if James Gunn was inspired by what I believe he was, I think superman We need to be shown as little as possible about Carl-Ed’s biological parents. In fact, it’s just fine that I can’t see them at all.
Origin now a myth
James Gunn rates the comic series very highly all star superman This was one of his inspirations for filming “Man of Steel.” In that comic, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank summed up Superman’s origins in one page, four panels, and eight words. Morrison boils it all down to its purest mythical elements. This is one of the greatest pages in comic book and superhero history.
I feel like James Gunn felt similarly about the origins of the original superheroes. At least, I hope so. Just as we no longer need to see Bruce Wayne’s parents shot to death, Clark Kent’s life begins to enter a level of pop culture mythology that feels as omnipresent as knowing Santa Claus lives at the North Pole. Richard Donner’s superman and Zack Snyder’s man of Steel It felt like they needed to strongly establish their version of Superman’s parents (mainly Jor-El in those movies). However, Gunn could make a larger statement by downplaying this part of Superman’s story.
Superman is the ultimate immigrant story, and while I don’t want his Kryptonian roots to be abandoned in his escape pod, it feels like focusing on Superman’s love and connection to Earth is the best story to tell the character on the big screen. Even this photo of Superman and his pet Krypton seems to focus on this mindset. Yes, Krypton is part of his alien past, and I can’t wait to see how the relationship between Clark and his dog develops. However, the framing of that photo places them in a context that emphasizes the beauty and importance of Earth to Superman.
The less time we spend with Superman’s parents and the impact of Kryptonian history on his story, the better James Gunn’s story will be superman Will. Whatever happens, I can’t wait to see the new movie, even if it means more time on that exploding planet.
