David Corenswet’s debut in Superman fixes the most controversial element of Henry Cavill’s DCEU debut. The ending of the DCU’s Superman movie did a good job of setting up the franchise’s future, essentially wiping the former DC iteration from audiences’ minds. The DCEU timeline is now officially over, with Superman leading the charge into a new era.
Despite this, there will still be several comparisons between the DCU and DCEU. Superman‘s Easter eggs were looking forward and teasing the former, but the latter franchise has its fans that will continue to look backwards. Perhaps the main comparison that Superman will face is the one between David Corenswet and Henry Cavill.
Superman‘s post-credit scenes may have opted for a different tactic than we usually see in superhero movies, yet they still teased Corenswet’s future as the Man of Tomorrow. Many, myself included, enjoyed Cavill in the role, but I cannot deny that Corenswet solidified himself as a great Superman. One way the film addressed this was by resolving a controversial aspect of Cavill’s DCEU debut.
Henry Cavill’s Superman Debut Ended With A Controversial Choice
The Ending Of Man Of Steel Proved To Be Divisive
Firstly, it is worth exploring the controversial choice that marred Cavill’s DCEU debut as Superman. Man of Steel, released in 2013, focused on Superman battling against General Zod, a villain who wished to terraform Earth into Krypton and reestablish his destroyed homeworld. Superman had to stop Zod at all costs, leading him to murder.
The fight ended with Zod threatening a cornered family with his laser eyes. Kal-El, finding no other way out of the scenario, was forced to snap Zod’s neck. Superman is not typically a character who kills, meaning this act, despite how it was presented as a last resort that physically pained Superman, caused controversy as a result.
David Corenswet’s Superman Actively Avoids Repeating The DCEU’s Controversial Superman Elements
The DCU Avoided These Controversial Aspects
If Superman made anything clear, it was that writer-director James Gunn actively sought to avoid repeating these controversial aspects of the character from Man of Steel. Several times, Superman was shown trying to save people during battles, be it dogs, squirrels, or Metropolis’ civilians.
Cavill’s Superman saved people, too, but Snyder’s choice to have this come at a cost typifies the DCEU’s version of the character.
The DCU’s version is different, and his fight scenes also don’t have him killing anyone. The laser eye sequence, for instance, in which Superman beats several of Lex Luthor’s Raptor henchmen, results in a sH๏τ that shows the latter with burn marks on their armor, yet moving and alive.
In showing scenes like this, Corenswet’s Superman actively avoided the parts of the character that divided audiences when 2013’s Man of Steel was released. This is not to say that either version of the character was depicted rightly or wrongly, but simply to say that Corenswet’s DCU debut in Superman will not be controversial for the same reasons as Man of Steel was.
