A few weeks ago, Warner Brothers announced that Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, the filmmakers behind the reboot of the Batman franchise, had finally selected the director for their reboot of Superman - Zack Snyder.
The good thing about this decision? Zack Snyder is no stranger to remakes or comic book movies. This is the filmmaker who directed the remake of Dawn of the Dead and the adaptations of the graphic novels 300 and Watchmen. He has the necessary skill and talent visually to embody a sense of realism and comic book surrealism. Look more at his work with the Dead remake or the Watchmen adaptation than the cartoonish style of 300. That film was shot in the manner it was to look like Frank Miller's artwork coming to life similarly as to how Robert Rodriguez shot Sin City.
Snyder's flaw is in his cinematic narrative, and that comes more from problems with the script than his direction. Dawn of the Dead was a good script, but the passage of time was not handled well. 300 was more about spectacle than story. Watchmen was a losing bet right out of the gate. Not even the most talented of filmmakers could take condense a 12 issue maxi-series with such strong themes and undertones into a 2-plus hour movie about superheroes. Besides, the naked Dr. Manhattan detracted from all that was good with the movie.
If Snyder's Superman is going to be any good, it's going to need a few things:
1) Follow the James Bond/Batman mode of reboots - James Bond is the longest running film series with the most actors playing the Ian Fleming's iconic character. Each actor made the character their own and establish their films as their own separate series while being a part of the ongoing James Bond saga.
The reason why Batman Begins and The Dark Knight worked is because it was a complete reboot of the film series. Where Burton's Batman films had Gothic overtones and Schumacher's movies were as campy as the 1960s TV series, Nolan's pictures brought not only a sense of realism to the Batman films but also made the character of Batman as interesting as the villains.
Superman films need to take the same approach. Each actor who plays the role must make the character their own while also making the film part of an ongoing series. Christopher Reeve is the Sean Connery of the Superman roles. George Reeves from The Adventures of Superman is the Roger Moore. Tom Welling from Smallville is the Pierce Brosnan. Brandon Routh is the George Lazenby.
The reason why Superman Returns failed was because Bryan Singer was too preoccupied making the Superman III that should have followed Superman II and wanted to make an homage to the Richard Donner classic. The problem is the Richard Donner film is a classic and should not be remade or replicated. Leave the Donner film alone. Let it stand on its own.
Snyder needs to make his Superman an original work. Don't pay attention to what has been done. Make his own Superman movie. Forget Superman: The Movie, Superman II, and definitely Superman III, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, and Superman Returns. Don't continue what's been done on Smallville. Just make a Superman movie.
2) Skip the Origin - Everyone knows the origin of Superman. It's been shown through almost every medium - print (comic and novel), radio, TV, film, animated. Donner's 1978 film stands as the definitive version of the origin, one that has both influenced other mediums including the comics. Snyder doesn't need to show how Kal-El arrived on Earth as a baby, was raised by the Kents, and how he became Superman. Donner did it so well already, and Smallville has addressed the origin well over the last 10 years. We don't need to see it again.
3) Introduce Another Villain Besides Luthor - The Scarecrow is a 2nd tiered villain who has only appeared in cartoons outside the Batman comics. Ra's Al Guhl is a villain only a comic book fan would know. However, both villains were highly effective in Nolan's reboot. Featuring those two villains allowed Nolan to effectively bring in more popular villains like The Joker and Two-Face.
Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor is as iconic as Jack Nicholson's Joker. Kevin Spacey as Luthor in Superman Returns was confusing - was he the comedic genius like Hackman, the mad scientist of classic Superman comics and cartoons, or the ruthless businessman in the modern comic series and on Smallvile?
While Superman's rogues gallery may not be as well-known as Batman's, there are a few familiar faces who could translate well on-screen, namely Brainiac, the super-genius alien with a computer brain, or Bizarro, the defective Superman clone Luthor attempted to create. Bizarro would allow the actor playing Superman to pull an Eddie Murphy and play multiple roles - Superman, Clark Kent, and Bizarro. Maybe even Darkseid or Doomsday, the creature that killed Superman in the '90s. Perhaps Snyder's film could include Luthor, Braniac, Bizarro, and Doomsday.
Just don't bring back the Computer She-Robot Zombie from Superman III or Nuclear Man from Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
4) Zod or No Zod?: The pro about using General Zod is that the character is not only familiar but also allows Superman to unleash his full powers. The con about using General Zod is that the character is heavily associated with Terence Stamp. Snyder will have to find a Heath Ledger to pull off Zod well. Perhaps Alan Rickman? Kenneth Branagh? Ralph Fiennes? Jason Isaacs? Liam Neeson would be excellent, but he's Ra's Al Guhl.
5) Cast an actor who can act: Don't go for the look. By the look I mean don't go for someone who looks just like Superman from the comics. The look of Superman has changed so much over the years. Make sure that actor also has talent. Also, don't look for someone who looks like Christopher Reeve.
Again, Snyder should look to both James Bond and the Batman films as his inspiration, more specifically the films featuring Daniel Craig as Bond and Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Both are talented actors who lose themselves in the role. Snyder needs to find another Gerard Butler. They don't need to be an unknown but rather an underrated. Jim Caveziel? Jonathan Rhys Meyers?
Tom Welling is a TV star, not an actor. While he is associated with Clark Kent, he is not Superman. When he finally dons the costume, the question will be answered whether he is believable as the Man of Steel. He could not carry a Superman movie on his own.
Jon Hamm would be the best choice if they go with Superman as an established character rather than do the origin.
6) Modernize Clark Kent: The meek, mild-mannered reporter is out. In John Byrne's comic series THE MAN OF STEEL, Clark is portrayed as an athletic midwesterner. Plus, if Clark Kent is going to be a reporter, he's going to have a spine. Make him a mix of the modern Clark in the comic and the Clark Kent on Smallville. Don't make him a bumbling buffoon.
7) Call the film The Man of Steel. Not Superman VI or Superman 6. Not Superman Begins. Not Superman and Robin. Not even Superman. Use the nickname.
8) Get rid of Superman Jr./Superboy/Illegitimate Mutant Son of Lois and Clark from Superman Returns.
9) Look to the comics for inspiration. The websites are claiming that Mark Waid's limited series Superman: Birthright is serving as the influence for the Snyder film. However, that's an origin series, and doing the origin again is ill-advised. Look to John Byrne or Geoff Johns' run on the comic.
10) Make Superman an alien but not aloof: The problem with Superman Returns is that Superman comes off as very aloof and detached from the world. That's not Superman. He's very attached to his adopted home planet and its inhabitants. Perhaps the difference between Superman and the rest of the world is not that Superman is an alien but that he was raised with simple, midwestern Christian values. It's not that he doesn't understand humanity. He doesn't understand society. How is it people can be so cruel and evil? That's the difference with which Superman should struggle. He's a pure soul in an impure society. Perhaps the story should be what would happen if Superman resorted to the violent, cruel ways of society.
It is exciting knowing another Superman movie is in pre-production. Let's just hope they do it better than Bryan Singer's attempt.
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