James Gunn’s Superman takes a very different creative direction to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, but there are several odd similarities between the two DC movies. Man of Steel reinvented Superman for a modern audience from a gritty angle, with foundations set for a shared universe but all focus placed on the тιтular hero’s idenтιтy struggles. Ultimately, Man of Steel was controversial, but successful.

Meanwhile, James Gunn’s Superman abandons Man of Steel‘s dark tone and doubles down on the hero’s comic book roots. Superman cuts straight to the chase, with an experienced Kal El reinstating his status as the world’s kindest and most popular superhero. Twelve years after Man of Steel, Gunn’s Superman has become the highest-grossing Superman movie of all time.

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Superman & Man Of Steel Reveal Shocking Parent Plot Twists

Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel details Superman’s origin story, starting with Krypton’s destruction and building upon it with scenes set during Clark Kent’s childhood. But while both sets of parents love their son, Man of Steel makes a significant change to Superman’s earthly parents. Jonathan Kent rejects Clark’s help and dies, while Martha reminds Clark that he isn’t obligated to help others.

James Gunn’s Superman introduces a more gentle version of Jonathan and Martha Kent. On the other hand, Superman reveals that Jor-El and Lara sent Kal El to conquer Earth instead of saving it. This is a bold twist that depicts Superman’s Kryptonian parents as villainous, though it ultimately puts Superman’s humanity into perspective.

Traditionally, both sets of Superman’s parents are generous people who only want the best for their son. Man of Steel and Superman‘s respective parent twists are both controversial to a certain degree. In their defense, however, they offer an innovative take on Superman’s sense of purpose and his outlook on heroism.

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Superman & Man Of Steel’s Final Battles Destroy Metropolis

Another highly controversial element of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel is its final battle. Henry Cavill’s Superman isn’t too careful with collateral damage while fighting General Zod. Metropolis isn’t evacuated, and hundreds or even thousands die as a result. Man of Steel‘s destructive final battle inspired other superhero projects to reduce unnecessary destruction.

Despite avoiding many of Man of Steel‘s flaws, James Gunn’s Superman also features a catastrophic final battle where Metropolis is broken in two and almost swallowed by a black hole. David Corenswet’s Superman goes out of his way to save innocent lives. Still, Metropolis suffers an excessive amount of damage that isn’t properly addressed.

Unlike Man of Steel, Superman‘s post-credits scene confirms that Superman and his fellow heroes found restored Metropolis. The city still needs to go through extensive reparations, but it recovers quite quickly considering it’s almost swallowed whole. Meanwhile, Metropolis’ destruction weighs heavily and permanently on Superman’s public perception in the DCEU after Man of Steel.

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Both David Corenswet & Henry Cavill’s Superman (Apparently) Kill Their Villain

Even more divisive than Jonathan Kent’s death and Metropolis’ destruction, General Zod’s death is undeniably Man of Steel‘s most controversial decision. Man of Steel‘s final battle makes it clear that Superman finds himself forced to use ᴅᴇᴀᴅly force in order to stop Zod’s rampage. Still, the image of Superman breaking his enemy’s neck simply crosses the line.

Oddly enough, David Corenswet’s more lighthearted Superman, who takes the time to save a single squirrel, also resorts to ᴅᴇᴀᴅly force. In Superman‘s final battle, Superman throws Ultraman into a black hole and goes on to wipe the floor with Lex Luthor’s army. None of his enemies may have died, but Superman probably doesn’t know what fate awaits Ultraman on the other side.

Dru-Zod’s corpse is later used by Lex Luthor to create Doomsday in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where Superman dies killing the monster. Ultraman’s fate hasn’t been confirmed, but there’s a chance he’ll eventually return as the DCU’s version of Bizarro. Next time, Corenswet’s Superman may have the chance to stop Bizarro using a less brutal method.

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Superman & Man Of Steel Explore The Hero’s Complicated Public Perception

Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel shows how the world sees Superman as both an inspiring savior and a potential threat. While many view Superman’s arrival as humanity’s next step, others fear his alien origins and godlike power. This moral uncertainty sets up Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s larger theme of the world turning against him.

James Gunn’s Superman fulfills its promise to take DC’s most iconic hero back to his colorful and hopeful roots. Superman is unapologetically bright, and David Corenswet’s hero is devoted to the common good right from the beginning. Yet, Superman also shows just how quickly the public can turn on him. A simple video is enough to paint a target on Superman’s back.

Man of Steel and Superman have a drastically different tone, but both DC movies place special emphasis on Superman’s relationship with the people he saves and the world in general. The only difference is the angle they choose. Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice depict Superman as a misunderstood deity, while Superman focuses on his forgiveness and altruism.

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Superman & Man Of Steel Reinvent The Hero’s Big-Screen Action Sequences

Man of Steel delivered action scenes of unprecedented scope and scale. While iconic in their own right, earlier live-action Superman portrayals never got even close to the raw power and breakneck pacing of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Superman’s Kryptonian powers were done justice on the big screen. At the time, this was a groundbreaking leap for the character.

Twelve years after Man of Steel, Superman raises the bar even further with some of James Gunn’s most ambitious action sequences to date. The introduction of characters like Krypto, the Engineer, and the Justice Gang adds to the innovative fight moves, choreography, and cinematography used in each battle. Again, no live-action Superman adaptation had tried what Superman accomplishes.

After the DCEU and now the DCU demonstrated what a live-action, big-screen Superman can look like, the bar for his action sequences may never be lowered again. Man of Steel set a new benchmark and influenced expectations for every technical element that makes a Superman battle memorable. Superman‘s seamless blend of spectacle and storytelling also established a standard for future portrayals of the DC icon.

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Both James Gunn & Zack Snyder Tease Supergirl’s Future

James Gunn’s Superman ends with Milly Alcock’s DCU debut as Kara Zor-El ahead of her own starring role in the DCU’s Supergirl movie. Supergirl’s return to Earth confirms that this version of the Kryptonian is a veteran superhero with a cocky personality. Following Superman, Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl is set to adapt the critically-acclaimed Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic storyline.

Sasha Calle’s alternate-universe Supergirl co-starred in The Flash, which only featured a fleeting Superman cameo. Before that, Zack Snyder added a blink-and-you-miss-it reference to Supergirl in Man of Steel, where a single open pod cameos inside the Kryptonian scout ship. Apparently, the DCEU’s prime Kara arrived on Earth long before Kal El did.

Unfortunately, no one may ever know what the DCEU’s main-universe Supergirl looks like. The Flash ends with Barry Allen traveling to a different timeline, meaning that neither Henry Cavill’s Superman nor Sasha Calle’s Supergirl are there to bid farewell to the DCEU. After James Gunn’s Superman and Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl, the DCU’s Kal El and Kara Zor El will likely team up in future projects.