After rewatching Man of Steel, I’m even more interested in and excited to see one key part of the upcoming DCU Superman movie. As the last solo Superman movie to come before the DCU’s Superman, Man of Steel is naturally a focal comparison point for us when it comes to seeing one of the biggest superheroes in the genre brought to life. With Man of Steel following as many superhero movie conventions as it subverts, the 2013 release offers an interesting example of what a Superman movie can be, and one that’s only gotten more noteworthy in the years that have come since without a solo Superman follow-up.

As the DCEU timeline ended in 2024 with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the franchise ultimately finished before ever being able to bring in another chapter of Superman’s movie series, though Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice provided a crossover film that explored the two тιтular heroes going from enemies to allies. However, Man of Steel offers a look at a crucial relationship in Superman’s life that looks set to be explored before the DCU puts Batman and Superman on-screen together – and the DCEU Superman movie makes this part of the upcoming Superman story even more interesting.

Man Of Steel Provides A Different Take On Clark & Lois

As a Superman origin story movie, Man of Steel unsurprisingly delves into the romance that develops between Clark Kent and Lois Lane, with the pair’s blossoming relationship beginning in the events of the film. Man of Steel makes sure to follow a lot of what makes the duo’s relationship work in most iterations of their story – with Lois being every part the intrepid journalist she’s best known as being, and her and Clark bonding over the unusual circumstances they find themselves in.

However, the DCEU movie also takes care to make its version of Clark and Lois its own, both in terms of their individual characterizations, and in the way the movie’s story tweaks the hero’s usual trajectory. For example, rather than Clark and Lois initially working together and their relationship starting from there, Man of Steel has Superman and Lois cross paths and develop a relationship long before Clark seemingly even stepped foot in the Daily Planet, let alone began working there, allowing the film to cultivate a version of their story that is clearly different even when it feels its most familiar.

While this relationship isn’t the focus of the movie, this approach does allow it to feel like a core part of the heart of the narrative, especially when rewatching the movie with the knowledge that this leads into the tragedy of Superman’s death and subsequent resurrection, which is made impactful in no small part by Lois’ reaction to it, and the time spent building their relationship in Man of Steel previously. Though this version of the DC comic relationship has now come to an end, the way in which the DCEU depicted the couple does make the road forward for the franchise’s movie endeavors more interesting on some levels.

The Similarities & Differences Between The DCEU & DC Universe Superman & Lois Stories Make The Upcoming Movie Even More Interesting

The ways in which the DCEU and DC Universe Superman movie debuts already look like they handle the relationship between Clark and Lois in both similar and different ways makes the upcoming Superman movie all the more interesting. Much like Man of Steel, Superman appears set to explore this relationship on-screen in a way that most Superman stories don’t – namely, by having things start off after Clark has been Superman for several years, skipping the introduction to Lois and earlier teases of their romance that most movie or show renditions of the pair tend to focus on.

However, it does already appear that the DCU Superman movie will be taking a decidedly different approach to Man of Steel in terms of focusing more on the relationship between Lois and the тιтular DC hero. Since the film’s teasers and trailers seeming to signal that this part of both of their stories will get more of a feature in the movie itself – and Superman exploring a version of Clark who’s already working at the Daily Planet, and a version of Lois who already knows his secret idenтιтy – there’s plenty of space to delve into parts of their relationship that other on-screen adaptations simply don’t get time to.

With both the DCEU and DC Universe kicking off their respective extended universes via Superman’s debut story – and having his relationship with Lois crop up in both of these examples – there’s an even greater ability to compare and contrast the two films, and the ways in which they help establish the tone and lore of each of their own franchises. That said, the DC Universe’s set up thus far also offers some unique potential in terms of us potentially getting to see a greater spotlight on this story in a way the DCEU never really got chance to.

The DC Universe’s Differing Focus Can Let Superman & Lois’ Dynamic Be An Even More Core Part Of Its Story

The DC Universe is already looking different from the DCEU when it comes to how it approaches establishing its wider world and the figures that come within it – something that’s arguably in part the result of the tumultuous path walked by the DCEU timeline itself, which didn’t end up being able to get the time to build more of the extended lore that DC’s comics hinge upon due to the complications of its run. As such, where Man of Steel understandably focused more solely on Superman and his origins, the DCU Superman looks set to tread a new path that lets far more figures get their moment in the proverbial sun.

With Superman having eschewed the need for an origin story and the screentime that would be needed to depict the opening chapters of Clark’s life, there’s an ability to dedicate more of its story to building the world around its hero. Ultimately, this seems a setup naturally made to benefit aspects of its story like the development of the dynamic between Lois and Superman, and how things between them evolve – especially since the trailers also show Lois challenging Clark on his decisions made as Superman, reinforcing the idea that their relationship is a complicated one deserving of some more focus.

The concept of a Superman movie focusing on the hero’s biggest and most long-lasting relationship is by no means new material, but – similar to the denizens of the Daily Planet, and Ma and Pa Kent – the level of importance Lois holds in DC lore and in terms of how she and Clark’s relationship defines both of their stories means it’s one that’s exciting to see take off in new ways that both mirror and contrast what came before it. Hopefully, the DCU’s Superman movie is able to mirror how Man of Steel made this storyline work, while also adding its own fresh spin on an iconic cornerstone of DC’s world.