I am extremely excited about James Gunn’s Superman. However, I did feel the need to watch Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel one more time before heading to the theater. The first DC movie to kick off the DC Extended Universe, there’s a poignant parallel between Man of Steel and this new Superman movie, which will similarly kick off abrand-new cinematic DC Universe in full.
The previous big-screen iteration of Superman was played by Henry Cavill, who first debuted in 2013 with Man of Steel. This led to more DCEU appearances in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017’s Justice League (and a couple cameos). While the hope is that David Corenswet’s Superman will have an even greater presence in the brand-new DCU, I still wanted to reminisce with a Man of Steel rewatch before that happens.
Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (And The DCEU) Will Always Be Special To Me
A God-Like Superman We’ve Never Seen Before
As a big fan of what Zack Snyder built (and was trying to build), I felt compelled to revisit the genesis of the DCEU first envisioned by Snyder over 10 years ago. The Man of Steel we were presented with was one of resolute determination. However, we also get to see Cavill’s Kal-El questioning his place in a world that immediately starts grappling with his mere existence the moment he goes public.
Snyder’s Superman may not have been the most comic-accurate in terms of brightness or positivity. Nevertheless, we still had a captivating hero representing hope above all else, albeit with a more grounded flavor of realism. This is especially true as Snyder’s Superman was routinely depicted as a god-like savior figure across the globe due to the immense power at his disposal.
To me, Snyder’s heavier tone and core argument were fascinating, that a figure like Superman would naturally cause a mᴀssive shift in thinking for all of humanity. As a fan of both Marvel and DC, this was perfect, a chance to have two uniquely flavored superhero franchises. After all, Snyder’s entire vision for the DCEU was meant to be far more serious in its overall tone compared to the majority of what we’d been seeing in the MCU.
It was very bittersweet to remember just how much potential the DCEU had over a decade ago while rewatching Man of Steel. Likewise, it’s no wonder that the downfall of the DCEU following 2017’s Justice League and all the studio interference involved will long be seen as one of the biggest Hollywood fumbles in history. This includes all the resulting attempts to get the franchise back on track.
Now, I’m Just As Excited To Look Up And See James Gunn’s Superman
Recapturing The Humanity Of The Kryptonian Hero
Obviously, Man of Steel and the rest of the DCEU-set movies aren’t going anywhere. Like-minded fans who loved what Snyder brought to the table will still be able to go back and watch the DC Universe that was (even if it was never completed the way Snyder intended). Nevertheless, I still rewatched Man of Steel with a sense of finality this week, wanting to watch a Superman I absolutely loved one more time before the dawn of a brand-new one.
We’ve now reached a brand-new genesis point 12 years later with a brand-new DC Universe and an all-new Superman. Corenswet’s Superman looks to represent hope, truth, and justice just as much as Cavill’s. However, it’s already been made clear that this new Superman will indeed possess more of that comics-accurate brightness and positivity long missing from the big screen, something I’m certainly excited to witness.
Superman’s humanity will also be a core focus, something that wasn’t quite as strong with Snyder’s version. While there was nothing inherently wrong with Cavill’s Superman, I’m very excited to see Corenswet’s version as we move forward and “look up” to an exciting new future. After this recent Man of Steel rewatch, I was further reminded about everything Cavill’s Superman brought to the table. Here’s hoping Corenswet’s Superman does the same.
James Gunn’s Superman releases July 11th from DC Studios.
