After rewatching Man of Steel, I need the DC Universe’s Superman to mirror one moment that delves into the vulnerabilities side of the Kryptonian hero. Superman’s movie history is one of DC’s most extensive – mirroring his considerable comic backlog – and is set to be expanded further with 2025’s Superman movie, which will kick off the DC Universe timeline in full force. With the last live-action movie depiction of Clark Kent’s hero career being that of the DCEU’s Superman, it’s perhaps unsurprising that these two versions of the character are the ones being most often compared in the modern day.
David Corenswet and Henry Cavill’s respective takes on Superman look to be somewhat contrasting ones, with core aspects of the characters – like their suits, and their respective debut stories – already appearing to have several key differences. However, given the DC Universe’s approach to Superman thus far – and its willingness to show a more vulnerable side to the costumed hero – I think one Man of Steel moment that stands out on a rewatch would be perfect for the 2025 Superman movie to repurpose for its own story.
One Of Man Of Steel’s Best Scenes Shows A Vulnerable Side To Superman Through His Childhood
The DCEU Does Show How Clark’s Powers Can Be A Strength & A Weakness For The Hero
While Man of Steel doesn’t spend too long looking at Clark’s childhood – instead either generally focusing on his birth and the events that led to him being sent to Earth, or his adulthood and superhero career – the movie does feature some notable flashbacks to the Kryptonian’s youth. Arguably the most crucial of these comes in a scene wherein a child Clark loses control of his powers while sitting in class, with him being understandably overwhelmed by his x-ray powers showing everyone in the room as skeletons, and his super-hearing making every noise seem far louder.
This scene is effective in showing the challenges Clark faced growing up with the powers he had, and the struggles he faced adjusting to a world not built with his abilities in mind, while also foreshadowing the struggles that Clark’s Kryptonian enemies face when they visit Earth themselves, given they didn’t have all these years to try and adapt to the environment. Similarly, the sequence builds on Clark’s bond with his mother Martha, who is able to calm him down and remind him of how to deal with his powers by focusing on one thing at a time.
With so much of Man of Steel – and the DCEU’s depiction of Superman in general – focusing on his considerable skillset and power level, the care taken to depict a more vulnerable side to Clark is valuable here, especially as it’s one that highlights how his powers can be both a blessing and a curse for him. As such, there are a fair few reasons the DC Universe would arguably benefit from taking this particular leaf out of the DCEU’s proverbial book.
The DC Universe Would Benefit From Mirroring The DCEU’s Superman Scene
There Are Several Benefits To The DCU Adapting The DCEU Scene
Though DCU co-CEO and Superman writer and director James Gunn has confirmed previously that the 2025 movie won’t be a conventional origin story debut for the hero – focusing more on his place in the DC Universe’s world than simply showing his well-known backstory – this doesn’t preclude the film from going into Clark’s childhood, which Man of Steel demonstrates with its flashbacks to the hero’s childhood. As such, capitalizing on the chance to make us sympathize with Superman for having these immense powers by seeing how hard it can be to have them would make a lot of sense for Superman.
With movies needing to balance showing Superman at the top of his game and depicting him as a figure who can be defeated and who isn’t invulnerable despite his immense strength and resilience, delving into how far Clark has come with his powers since his childhood can also be an effective way to add a sense of scale to things. This is especially true given Superman’s powers are often cited as one reason some people find him less interesting – since it can seem like he could win every fight – so looking at his powers in this way also helps address these complaints.
Given Superman appears to center itself on looking at how Clark manages to balance being a mild-mannered reporter and a bona fide superhero, mirroring this kind of scene could additionally help add a sense of perspective in a far shorter time than a full origin story. Seeing a young Clark battle with his abilities and fight to come to terms with them delves into his resolve, his powers, and his vulnerabilities all while fleshing out an extra dose of the character’s overall arc is an effective way to communicate a lot about the character in a short time, and thus has a considerable number of benefits on a narrative level.
The DC Universe’s Approach To Superman Suggests It Will Mirror The DCEU Scene
The DC Universe’s Superman Has Already Been Shown In A More Vulnerable State
The DC Universe has shown it has no qualms about showing Superman as a more vulnerable figure – something perhaps best demonstrated by the first Superman trailer opening with a sH๏τ of a beaten Clark lying in the snow and calling Krypto to come help him. As such, it seems even more likely that any delving into Clark’s childhood in the DC Universe movie will mirror the DCEU’s kid Superman scene, since there appear to be clear efforts to show the extent of Clark’s powers in a way that focuses on the limitations of his abilities alongside their immense awe-inspiring potential.
The DCU Superman trailers have also provided glimpses at how Clark essentially hides in plain sight when it comes to his secret idenтιтy, which could mean providing a look at the hero’s early days of having to do so are more in line with the story and themes of the upcoming film. This seems doubly true given Clark’s bonds with Martha and Jonathan Kent are also underlined in these trailers, meaning some brief looks at how they helped him go from a frightened but powerful child into a protector of Earth could be a useful way to underline the significance of the family and their connection.
Ultimately, while the DCEU’s Man of Steel and the DC Universe’s Superman movie look like they will be very different films with different takes on Superman and his story in many ways, it wouldn’t be surprising if some core moments and elements remained the same between the two. In fact, this could well benefit both movies, adding connective tissue between the overarching cinematic history of Superman, and showing that not every part of the two films need to be different in order for them to feel like their own distinct and unique additions to Clark Kent’s movie roster.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
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Superman
- Release Date
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July 11, 2025
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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
- Release Date
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June 26, 2026
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The Batman Part II
- Release Date
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October 1, 2027
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