Movie of Steel: James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Is Powerful in All the Best Ways

Superman can seemingly do it all. He’s capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound, battling giant monsters the size of said buildings and fighting back armies with his heat vision. We see him accomplish all these extraordinary things in James Gunn’s’ Superman, now in theaters, and yet it’s the character’s humanity that struck me most in his first solo outing in 12 years. This Man of Steel bleeds. He gets angry. He sheds tears. He gets scared. But whenever he gets knocked down, he gets right back up, simply because it’s the right thing to do. He’s Superman, and people are counting on him. 

Gunn made the world care about Marvel’s once-obscure Guardians of the Galaxy across three films during his Marvel Studios tenure, but we all wondered how he would handle one of the most popular and recognizable characters in all of fiction. How would he grapple with nearly 90 years of lore? How would he make Superman matter in 2025? What would he need to do to differentiate his vision from Richard Donner’s 1978 film, Zack Snyder’s grittier Man of Steel and the numerous TV takes on the character over the years? In a lot of ways, Gunn throws it all in a blender, tosses in a dash of punk rock sensibility and, in keeping with Lois Lane’s coffee preferences, spoons in ample amounts of sugar to keep things sweet and energetic.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of here, but fortunately the cast is stacked with talent, up to the challenge of bringing a comic book to life – this truly does look and feel like a live-action comic in all its goofy glory – but also seems to be having a lot of fun. David Corenswet is Superman, bringing The Big Blue Boy Scout to life just as spectacularly as Christopher Reeve did in the 1970s, but in a way that’s entirely his own. There’s a “golly-gee” earnestness to the performance throughout, balanced out by Rachel Brosnahan’s no-nonsense Lois Lane, and there’s a tremendous amount of chemistry between the two that I can’t wait to see more of in future films.

Meanwhile, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is just irredeemably evil in his quest to ruin Superman both physically and reputationally, and there’s something undeniably satisfying about a villain that will not only incite war between two distant nations but imprison an ex-girlfriend in a pocket dimension of his own design. This is straight-up comic book Lex, and I’m here for it.

I was initially worried there were too many other heroes sharing the spotlight with Supes in his first solo outing in the revamped DCU, but I found myself loving every member of the “Justice Gang” (although that’s not their official name). Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner is the smarmy tough guy you always want in your corner, while Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl has one of the most badass moments of the film which I won’t spoil here. And speaking of badass, we need to talk about Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, who gives us one of the coolest fight scenes in the film. I’m also a big fan of Anthony Carrigan’s shape-shifting Metamorpho, who is introduced later in the film and is someone you truly wind up rooting for in the bombastic third act. I hope we see more of him elsewhere in this universe soon.

But perhaps the most endearing supporting character of the film is Superman’s canine pal Krypto, a fully CGI savior/troublemaker who steals many a scene and never gives them back. Because he’s kind of a bad dog, but we love him anyway.

Superman is a triumph, and although Donner’s aforementioned Superman: The Movie has long been considered the cinematic benchmark for the character, this film just might surpass it. It’s packed to the brim with warmth, heart, action, humor and all the things we love about the character. And that’s just, well, super.

‘Hey, Buddy! Eyes Up Here!’ New ‘Superman’ Trailer Showcases Heart and Heroics

There’s really no reason why Superman shouldn’t be one of the biggest movie franchises on the planet. He’s instantly recognizable, he’s charismatic, his powers are fantastic and he represents humanity at its best. In short, he’s hope personified. Unfortunately, it’s that “golly gee” Silver Age optimism that’s been largely absent from the Man of Steel’s cinematic outings since Christopher Reeve donned the cape decades ago.

James Gunn aims to change all that with this summer’s Superman, which flies into theaters July 11. A new three-minute trailer dropped today, featuring Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane doing her first interview with David Corenswet’s Man of Steel. She grills The Big Blue Boy Scout on intervening – and stopping – an overseas war, which has sparked criticism about using his abilities unchecked and outside the law. Superman’s place in the geopolitical landscape is complicated, but the Smallville farmboy simplifies it. He did what he did because “people were going to die.”

We’re then treated to shots of Superman battling a giant monster, an assortment of friends and foes – including Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho, Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, María Gabriela de Faría’s Engineer and, of course, Krypto the Superdog.

There’s a lot to love in this trailer, and I’m fairly certain that Fillion’s Guy Gardner is going to be a lot of fun – the shot of him nonchalantly flipping over a military vehicle with a flick of his wrist tells me everything I need to know about him. There’s a lot of energy here, and I just can’t get over how vibrant it all is. This is a comic book brought to life … and that’s kind of the point.

Check out which action figures I’m going to buy this summer by watching the full trailer below! 

‘Superman’ Sneak Peek Goes Inside the Fortress of Solitude

 

So, I’ve just watched the newly released sneak peek at James Gunn’s Superman, hitting theaters July 11, and I had two immediate takeaways.

1.      Krypto is a good dog. A Superdog, even.

2.      I love James Gunn.

On Point 2, it’s amazing to me that Gunn – whose similarly slick and polished Guardians of the Galaxy films are among my favorite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – got his screenwriting start in the delightfully schlocky and gloriously violent world of Troma Entertainment, cowriting Tromeo & Juliet alongside the mastermind behind The Toxic Avenger himself, Lloyd Kaufman. So, with this new film, one could draw a direct line from Toxie to Superman. That’s nuts.

Also nuts is how Supes’ Fortress of Solitude isn’t all that, well, solitary. Between Krypto and a small army of adorably caped Kryptonian robots, Superman’s got a lot of backup whenever he gets his butt kicked all the way to the North Pole and needs a solar-powered recharge.  It’s charming. It’s colorful. It’s decidedly Superman.

The clip – which features the iconic John Williams score – concludes with a variety of shots featuring David Corenswet’s Man of Steel in action along with glimpses of Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi’s Mister Miracle and others.

Expectations are up, up and away as July approaches faster than a speeding … you know the rest.

Watch DC Studios’ Superman sneak peek below!

 

Expectations of Steel: First ‘Superman’ Trailer Reaction

 

There’s one North Pole resident who can fly around the world in a night dominating social media right now, and it ain’t Santa Claus.

DC Studios has given us our best look yet at James Gunn’s optimistic take on The Man of Steel with a new Superman teaser trailer that sent anticipation for the 2025 film up, up and away when it dropped on Thursday. With bright colors, big-time action and a fantastic cast – including David Corenswet as the titular Kansas farmboy-turned-demigod, Rachel Brosnahan as intrepid Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as calculating “bald-is-beautiful” poster boy Lex Luthor – Superman looks like a lot of fun. Plus, we get a glimpse of the live-action debut for one of comic books’ goodest boys, Krypto the Superdog, who proves to be just as heroic as his nigh invincible owner.

If you know me, you know I have owned a LOT of action figures in my life, but one of my first was Kenner’s “Super Powers” Superman, who met an unfortunate fate when I accidently jammed him between the cushions of my mom’s Toyota Tercel – there was obviously some Kryptonite stashed in the glove compartment. Superman II was also one of the first movies I watched on repeat as a three-year-old, alongside Ghostbusters and The Empire Strikes Back. So yeah, me and Supes go way back.

I didn’t gel with Zack Snyder’s take on Superman in The Man of Steel or its sequels, and Bryan Singer’s 2006 Superman Returns hasn’t aged particularly well, so I’m excited for a film that seems tonally similar to the classic Christopher Reeve film while creating something entirely new. I’ll be looking up when Superman flies into theaters July 11, 2025.

Watch the teaser below!  

The DCEU Goes Across the Bat-Verse with ‘The Flash’

 

Nostalgia is a powerful tool in the era of the “Legacy Sequel.” From Star Wars to Spider-Man to Jurassic World to Ghostbusters, franchises are banking on millennials’ intense desire to see their childhood heroes brought back into the spotlight alongside contemporary protagonists for “one more adventure.” And I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t say I was sold on Andy Muschietti’s The Flash the moment I saw Michael Keaton don his iconic Batman cape and cowl in the trailer. If The Flash delivered on the Keaton Bat-Goods, I would be more than satisfied with the rest of it.

Yes, Keaton delivers, and if you’re planning on seeing The Flash solely to see your childhood Batman mix it up on the big screen once again – those wonderful toys in tow – you won’t be disappointed. Of course, with that must come a strong understanding that this is not his movie.

To provide a sense of what Batman means to me, let’s take a step or perhaps a slow-motion sprint (ha) back in time to the 1980s with Kenner’s Super Powers Collection, an assortment of DC figures complete with character-specific action features that would give me my first two superhero action figures: Batman and Superman. I honestly can’t recall whatever became of my Batman. It was either lost to a supermarket floor somewhere or fell victim to a couch cushion boobytrap (Adam West has been through worse). The Superman, however, was the Sheriff Woody to my Andy, and I took that mini-Man of Steel everywhere until he, too, was lost to the Phantom Zone. Toy Biz ultimately rekindled my interest in superhero action figures in 1989 with the release of their line of movie- and comic-inspired figures tying into Tim Burton’s smash-hit Batman film, which included a Keaton-adjacent black-suited Batman, a semi-Jack Nicholson Joker, the henchman of all henchmen named only Bob the Goon, and an assortment of other DC characters not in that film, including Robin, Mr. Freeze, The Penguin and, of course, Superman.

I didn’t see Burton’s Batman until it arrived on home video, and even though Nicholson’s Joker TERRIFIED me, I was hooked. And when I learned that there would be a sequel featuring Penguin and Catwoman, I was overcome with Batmania. The only cure was, apparently, to beg my parents for as many Batman Returns consumer products as possible, including Kenner’s fantastic action figure line that gave us about 984 different versions of Batman, a Penguin that looked nothing like Danny DeVito, a Catwoman no one could find in any stores, a Robin that wasn’t even hinted at in the final film, and a set of Penguin Commandos. These were penguins that had rockets strapped to their backs. Penguin. Commandos. Have I mentioned that I LOVE Batman Returns?

Of course, my dad took me to see the film – my first PG-13 movie in theaters – and although it sparked a mild panic among parents’ groups and corporate partners for its sexual content, violent nose-biting, and the omnipresent ooze spewing forth from Penguin’s mouth, there really wasn’t anything else I could think about in the summer of 1992. Rest assured, I rolled into King Street Elementary School the following year with a full array of Batman Returns school supplies and quoting Christopher Walken’s Max Shreck before quoting Christopher Walken was cool. “Expensive baubles” indeed. 

And even as a kid raised on Star Wars, Keaton’s Batman quickly became one of my favorite fictional heroes. From the voice to the attitude to the way he effortlessly took down the bad guys (sometimes to a permanent end, as purists have always pointed out), Keaton’s Caped Crusader was cooler than vichyssoise, a soup that, as Alfred Pennyworth himself taught us, is “supposed to be cold.”

But we’re here to talk about The Flash, aren’t we? This is a film that puts a red-and-yellow bow on Zack Snyder’s DCEU before the James Gunn-led reboot of the film universe. It’s also a film that’s surprisingly fun, full of genuine laughs and boisterous action set pieces that are sure to entertain. And yes, Keaton’s not the only returning hero in this one, and some of the cameos are maddeningly fun, but I won’t spoil them here. I’ll leave that to the TikTokers who spoiled them for me.

But there’s also a super-powered elephant in the room when it comes to The Flash thanks to the much publicized and troubling recent actions of its star, Ezra Miller. It’s difficult to separate the actor from the work in many instances, and it can be a heavy lift to do so here, but I will say that Miller carries much of the film through their comedic timing and the emotional weight they bring to a character who, frankly, wasn’t given all that much to do in either cut of Justice League that came before. Barry Allen is kind of a goober – he admits that repeatedly throughout the film – and with a story that demands two Barrys on-screen through much of it, this could have been a real chore of a movie. But it isn’t. It’s kind of a blast, and it’s a lot more fun than I thought it would be. 

But what’s it about, anyway? The Flash revolves around Barry learning he can use his speedster abilities to travel through time. Barry, obsessed with clearing his father’s name for the murder of his mother years earlier, comes to a powerful realization: What if that murder never even happened? After manipulating one small moment in the past – and encountering a mysterious and violent creature between timelines that sends him off-course – Barry finds himself in an alternate universe one decade earlier. In this world, Barry has yet to gain his powers, Superman doesn’t exist, and Batman has retired. So, when General Zod shows up with a Kryptonian army (as he did in 2011’s Man of Steel), it’s up to Barry to team up with his younger self, an elder Dark Knight and a Kryptonian who is not Kal-El to stop Zod and, ultimately, keep reality from imploding on itself.

There’s a lot of action in this film that’s thrilling to watch despite some surprisingly janky CGI, including a sequence involving multiple computer-animated babies that was almost uncomfortable to watch. There were also some slow-motion running sequences that elicited laughter from the audience I was with (I might have joined them), which is probably not the intended reaction for a film about a character who, well, runs.  

Despite its flaws, the fun I had with The Flash was undeniable, as was the Joker-esque smile plastered across my face whenever Keaton was on-screen. To paraphrase Bruce Wayne himself, I wanted The Flash to get nuts. And it got nuts.

'The Red Capes Are Coming': New 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' Trailer Debuts

I'm not gonna lie: I haven't been impressed by anything we've seen about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice thus far. But then I saw the trailer that premiered at San Diego Comic-Con. I'm sold.

I like that the over-the-top destruction in the final battle of Man of Steel serves as a catalyst for Bruce Wayne's mistrust of Superman, and I actually dig Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor a LOT more than I thought I would. Love it or hate it, but Zack Snyder has just given the geek world much to debate, dissect and possibly even get excited about.

DC Unveils Ludicrously Ambitious Movie Schedule

Is DC Entertainment going into panic mode? Possibly. Warner Bros. has just revealed its slate of 10 massive superhero films it will be releasing through 2020, including two Justice League movies, a Suicide Squad adaptation, a Green Lantern reboot and solo outings for Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. The far-reaching cinematic universe for DC kicks off with Man of Steel sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which hits theaters in 2016.

Here's how it will all shake out:

2016 - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill)
2016 - Suicide Squad
2017 - Wonder Woman (starring Gal Gadot)
2017 - Justice League Part 1 
2018 - The Flash (starring Ezra Miller)
2018 - Aquaman (starring Jason Momoa)
2019 - Shazam (starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)
2019 - Justice League Part 2
2020 -  Cyborg (starring Ray Fisher)
2020 - Green Lantern (probably not starring Ryan Reynolds)

I'll be shocked if even half of these get made, especially since so much of hinges on the success of Batman v Superman. For more on this story, head over to Deadline.com.

Captain America to Battle Superman in 2016

In a bizarre game of box-office chicken, Marvel’s third Captain America film will go head-to-head with DC’s Batman vs. Superman flick on May 6, 2016, when both films will hit theaters simultaneously.

I don’t want to sound like a banner-waving Marvelite or anything — I actually quite enjoyed Man of Steel — but there’s no way this works out well for Warner Bros., which is banking heavily on the forthcoming Zack Snyder film that will expand its cinematic mythos to showcase other members of the Justice League aside from The Caped Crusader and The Last Son of Krypton.  If the Man of Steel sequel underperforms against the juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we’ll probably never get to see that live-action Aquaman flick that millions dozens of comic book readers have been waiting for.

According to the Epoch Times, Warner Bros. is feeling the pressure to move its release date to avoid getting slammed by Cap’s star-spangled shield, but nothing has been confirmed by the studio. For the sake of DC’s future at the movies, I hope it’s true.

Here's Your New Lex Luthor

Ahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

Oh man, that’s good. You know what? I’m not even angry. Let’s just cast Jonah Hill as Ra’s Al Ghul or something and get this over with. Warner Bros., you’re…. something.

In addition to the 30-year-old Jesse Eisenberg being confirmed as Lex Luthor in the unnamed Superman-Batman film, Jeremy Irons will play Bruce Wayne’s (Ben Affleck) faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth. At least that’s somewhat reasonable, but then again, I’m a huge Die Hard with a Vengeance fan.

For the full story, head over to Deadline.com.

The Buy Pile for July 31, 2013

This week’s Wednesday comic book haul is comprised of a healthy mix of new and old, with a predominantly Marvel selection due to the fact that A) I really dug The Wolverine this past weekend and B) I recently got my hands on the Deadpool video game, which has reignited my interest in The Merc with a Mouth in a major way.

Along with two Marvel trade paperbacks, Deadpool vs. The Marvel Universe and Vol. 3 of Mark Waid’s outstanding Daredevil run, here’s what I’ll be thumbing through tonight:

• All-New X-Men #14 
• Uncanny X-Men #9 
• Guardians of the Galaxy #5 
• Daredevil #29 
• Hawkeye #12 
• Wolverine: In the Flesh (one-shot) 
• Batman Annual #2 
• Adventures of Superman #3

The Buy Pile for June 26, 2013

Damn, that’s a lot of books.

Despite the fact that I’ve been spending a lot less cash on comics these days, it was hard to resist parting with some greenbacks when I stepped into Stamford, Conn.’s A Timeless Journey this evening on the most nerdiest of occasions: New Comics Day. With the debut issues of DC’s Batman/Superman and Larfleeze hitting the racks along with the latest installments in Marvel’s hottest series, there’s a lot to be read, dissected and complained about on the Internet over the next few days.

Here’s what I snagged, bagged and boarded this week:

• Larfleeze #1 
• Batman/Superman #1 
• Justice League #21 
• Justice League of America #5 
• Batman: The Dark Knight #21 
• Deadpool #12 
• Guardians of the Galaxy #4 
• Nova #5
• All-New X-Men #13 
• X-Men #2

Speaking of things that make comic book geeks more excited than Wade Wilson in the back of a taco truck, Marvel has officially confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. will reprise the role of Tony Stark in the next two Avengers films! Concerns that Downey Jr. would abandon the armor after Iron Man 3 can officially be put to rest, making room for entirely new anxieties and rampant speculation about people from the funnybooks. Because that’s what we do.

'Man of Steel' Packs Punch

Though I take many of my hairstyling tips from Lex Luthor these days, once upon a time I was a huge Superman fan. One of my most cherished toys growing up was a Kenner “Super Powers” version of The Man of Steel, I had Superman II memorized word-for-word and I even had Superman pajamas with a cape attached at the shoulders. No, I don’t still wear them.

Like many geeks — though certainly not all — my interest in Ol’ Supes waned with age. Batman’s fight against crime without the luxury of superhuman abilities interested me as I approached my teenage years, and the edgier, more youthful heroes that populated the Marvel Universe were infinitely more relatable than a nigh-invincible being from a dead planet.

It was not until the lead-up to Superman Returns back in 2006 that I had rediscovered my childhood fascination with Kal-El, a hero that represents a godlike ideal and an oft-overlooked burden: Superman can save just about anyone, but not everyone, all the time.

Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns touched on The Man of Tomorrow’s weaknesses that don’t come in the form of glowing green rocks (that would be Kryptonite), and in many ways it succeeded at humanizing one of the most superhuman characters in literature. Yet, it was Singer’s unfettered reverence toward the original Richard Donner films — the very movies that entranced me as a youth — that ultimately prevented it from finding an audience.

Flash forward seven years to the release of Man of Steel, Zack Snyder’s reboot of the dormant Superman franchise that aims to do for DC Comics’ blue-and-red boy scout what Batman Begins did for The Caped Crusader. The “gee whiz” tone of Donner’s lighthearted universe has been replaced with the “oh, s***!” spectacle of the modern Hollywood blockbuster, just as John Williams’ sweeping, romantic themes have been replaced by Hans Zimmer’s driving, percussive score.

It’s loud, it’s dark and it’s loaded with enough explosions to make Michael Bay blush. It’s also the best Superman film since 1978.

Snyder (Watchmen, 300) has gone on record in saying that he didn’t craft Man of Steel with the Donner films in mind. Rather, with Dark Knight veteran Christopher Nolan overseeing the project, the film takes us through a brazen re-telling of Superman’s origin that assumes we’re already fairly familiar with the character’s early years. Sure, we get glimpses of Clark Kent’s Smallville upbringing, but what we really want to see is Superman punching things, right? For once?

Fortunately, Snyder gives Kal-El (Henry Cavill) plenty to pummel in the form of General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his Kryptonian soldiers. You see, Superman’s dad Jor-El (Russell Crowe) sent his infant son to Earth with a codex that could preserve the Kryptonian race. Naturally, said codex is of particular interest to Zod’s forces, who were freed from imprisonment in the Phantom Zone when Krypton exploded. The bad guys make their way to Earth and intend to use the codex to rebuild Krypton, terraforming the planet and killing its current inhabitants (us) in the process.

There’s much to be said about the tremendous cast in Man of Steel, from Amy Adams’ impetuous Lois Lane to Shannon’s sneering Zod, but it’s Cavill’s Superman who truly shines. Never once doing a Christopher Reeve impression, Cavill embodies what we like about the character — namely his undying sense of duty — without trying to imitate any prior on-screen versions of the character.

Man of Steel isn’t short, clocking in at 143 minutes, but it seldom drags nor does it linger on sentimentality. The intense final act of the film is nearly nonstop action, as Superman battles Zod in a skyscraper-toppling final battle unlike anything we’ve ever seen in a superhero film. Just as Donner made us believe a man can fly, Snyder makes us believe a man can fly, punch people through buildings and level entire city blocks with his heat vision … if he wanted to, of course.

It is the conclusion of that final battle that has spurred much controversy among some circles who disagree with the way in which Kal-El ultimately deals with Zod. Without venturing into spoiler territory for those of you who haven’t seen the film, I’ll simply state that Superman does what is necessary for the greater good, and makes a difficult decision he didn’t want to make. For a character reviled for being godlike, don’t we want to see him at his most human?

Man of Steel might offend purists for its overwhelming emphasis on action and certain creative liberties taken with the character, but we’ve wanted a fresh cinematic take on Superman for decades and Snyder has finally delivered. Up, up and away.

The Buy Pile for June 12, 2013

If you ventured into a comic book shop today, you already know that the big “must-buy” title released this week was the inaugural issue of Superman Unchained, DC’s attempt to make The Last Son of Krypton relevant in comics for the first time since the launch of The New 52. The new book, written by Scott Snyder with pencils by Jim Lee, is a pretty good read and a promising sign of things to come for our favorite red-and-blue boy scout. Plus, with the release of Man of Steel this Friday, the timing’s just about right. It’s funny how that worked out, ya know?

Here are some other titles I’ll be bagging and boarding this evening:

• Batman #21 (Scott Snyder/Greg Capulllo)
• Guardians of the Galaxy #3 (Brian Michael Bendis/Steve McNiven & Sara Pichelli)
• All New X-Men #12 (Brian Michael Bendis/Stuart Immonen)
• Iron Man #11 (Kieron Gillen/Dale Eaglesham)

In related news, not only is a Man of Steel sequel confirmed, but scribe David S. Goyer is rumored to have begun work on a Justice League screenplay! Is Warner Bros. finally on track to bring us a fully realized DC cinematic universe?

For more Man of Steel news, head over to io9.com.

‘Justice League’ Slated for 2015

Aside from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, it doesn’t appear as though DC Entertainment has any clue how to properly translate its most iconic heroes to the big screen. However, according to a recent Variety report, the publisher and its parent company, Warner Bros., are readying the entire Justice League for a movie team-up in 2015.

No doubt spurred by the unrivaled success of Marvel’s The Avengers, Warner Bros. is hoping to team DC’s most celebrated heroes for an ensemble film in three years, but is it too little too late? After all, it’s not like last summer’s Green Lantern lit up the box office, and it’s yet to be seen whether Zack Snyder’s The Man of Steel will resurrect Superman’s appeal at the box office next summer. Will DC Entertainment be able to replicate the success of the House of Ideas? Let’s hope they surprise us.

For more on this story, click here.

First Look: Henry Cavill as Superman!

This Man of Steel publicity still of Henry Cavill wearing Superman’s iconic threads has been making comic book geeks lose their mind all day, and deservedly so. Judging by the shot, director Zack Snyder’s going to be putting a lot more emphasis on action this time around, which should be a welcome change of pace after Bryan Singer decided to make The Last Son of Krypton mope around for about 30 minutes too long in 2006’s Superman Returns.

Now, Cavill as Superman? He certainly looks the part, even though Superman’s iconic “S” spit curl seems to be missing and the suit looks like it might have more of a scaled texture to it than the spandex we’re used to. However, this graphic—with all of its sparks and twisted metal and unnatural light—suggests that Snyder is still giving in to his excessive stylistic urges. This means we’ll likely see an abundance of slow-motion action scenes and CGI environments which, after his polarizing Watchmen and his bizarre Sucker Punch, might not be received all that well by casual audiences. We’ll see.

Man of Steel is scheduled for release on June 12, 2013.

Michael Shannon Cast as General Zod in ‘Man of Steel’

It looks like Superman will face General Zod in Zack Snyder’s forthcoming franchise reboot, Man of Steel. The studio confirmed that Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, 8 Mile, Boardwalk Empire) will be playing the role of the maniacal Kryptonian supervillain.

In a Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures press release, which you can read in full at Superhero Hype, Snyder said that “Zod is not only one of Superman's most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don’t.”

He continued, “Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role.”

Zod first crossed paths with Kal-El in the pages of Adventure Comics back in 1961, but the character garnered mainstream recognition following his appearance in Richard Donner’s Superman (1978) and, most notably, Superman II (1980). In the Donner films he was played by Terence Stamp, who ordered the world to “kneel before Zod” while Kal-El traded his sun-enhanced abilities for a chance at a normal life with Lois Lane. Various iterations of Zod—most of which have been influenced by the film version—have appeared elsewhere, including Superman: The Animated Series and Smallville.

Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns (2006) has been ripped to shreds for its laborious tribute to Donner’s films, and I was under the impression that Snyder was going to approach Man of Steel as if no Superman films came before it. Why, then, is he going after the one memorable villain from the original series that wasn’t Lex Luthor? Furthermore, will Snyder and Shannon be able to resist the urge to mimic Stamp’s iconic performance? Is there any chance we won’t hear the “kneel before Zod” line at least once in this flick? Am I asking too many questions?

Man of Steel hits theaters in December 2012.

Warner Bros. to 'Reinvent' Batman Once Again

We’re still more than a year away from the release of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises—the film that completes his Batman trilogy—but Warner Bros. has already revealed that they are planning to “reinvent” the character in the fourth film.

Keep in mind, Wortmaniacs, that Warner Bros. last rebooted the character with 2005’s Batman Begins, a film that introduced moviegoers to a more realistic Gotham City after Joel Schumacher turned Tim Burton’s series into a campy, neon-lit, cringe-inducing sideshow.

“We have the third Batman, but then we’ll have to reinvent Batman…Chris Nolan and [producing partner and wife] Emma Thomas will be producing it, so it will be a conversation with them about what the next phase is,” Warner Bros. executive told the Los Angeles Times. Also on the slate is a Justice League film in 2013 in addition to Flash and Wonder Woman solo films.

I’m all for a big-screen Justice League film—especially if Warner Bros. follows Marvel Studios’ example in setting all of the other superhero films in the same universe—but it’s pretty clear that characters like Wonder Woman, Superman, Hawkman and Martian Manhunter wouldn’t make sense in the film world Nolan created. Is Warner Bros. reinventing Batman to somehow distance the character from the realism Nolan has worked so hard to retain through three movies? Is the studio deliberately taking the character back into Schumacher territory?

Furthermore, where does this summer’s Green Lantern stand in all of this? It’s hard to imagine a cinematic Justice League without Hal Jordan among its ranks.

In any event, with Green Lantern making his big screen debut, Wonder Woman returning to TV in the near future and Superman soaring back into theaters next year, it seems as though Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are finally paying attention to the rich array of costumed characters at their disposal (that aren’t Batman). Could a Booster Gold movie trilogy be that far behind? Fingers crossed.

The Dark Knight Rises is slated for release on July 20, 2012.

Amy Adams Is Lois Lane

Wow, what an alliterative casting announcement!

Amy Adams (The Fighter) has been cast as crack Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane in Superman: Man of Steel, Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have revealed. Adams stars opposite Henry Cavill in Sucker Punch director Zack Snyder’s anticipated reboot of the Superman movie franchise.

It’s interesting that Warner Bros. has gone with a redhead to play Kal-El’s iconic raven-haired love interest, but, as noted by Snyder in a statement, Adams “has the talent to capture all of the qualities we love about Lois: smart, tough, funny, warm, ambitious and, of course, beautiful.”

Can’t argue with him there. For more on this huge casting news, visit The Hollywood Reporter.

Zack Snyder Describes His 'Realistic' Take on Superman

Based on his hyper-stylized previous films—Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen and the just-released Sucker Punch—Zack Snyder doesn’t seem all that interested in realism, but the director affirmed in a recent interview with io9 that his forthcoming Superman reboot will be “the most realistic Superman movie ever made.”

So I take it the Man of Steel won’t be flying around the world to turn back time or flinging cellophane “S” emblems at the bad guys, will he?

Snyder explained, “It takes place in the real world much more than [my previous films]... I mean, I’ve just never had the subject matter that needed that, you know what I mean? Like everything I’ve done up to this point really has the benefit of existing in a stylized world. It’s fun for me that the most realistic movie, the movie that I’d say I'm making in the most realistic way of any movie I've ever done is a movie called Superman! That's kinda fun!”

Interesting. While one might assume based on this statement that the next Superman film will be a dark and gritty Batman Begins-esque reimagining of the Last Son of Krypton, Snyder clarifies that this isn’t the case.

I wouldn’t say, “Oh, that’s what Chris did with Batman…”, but I’m just saying that makes sense to me for the character. Because I’d say that the thing that makes him real, and the thing that makes Superman awesome, is if you feel like he's real, what makes him real is that he exists in a world that you can say, “Oh yeah, I’ve been to that grocery store, I’ve been to that.”

Honestly, I think Superman is a comic book character that would work quite well in a stylized world, but we’ll see what Snyder has in store.

Speaking of Snyder, I’ll be seeing Sucker Punch later tonight. To find out what I thought of the movie, follow me on Twitter.

Diane Lane Is Martha Kent in 'Superman' Reboot

The undeniable hotness of Diane Lane notwithstanding, it’s easy to get excited about Warner Bros.’ announcement that the Academy Award-nominated actress will be playing Martha Kent in Zack Snyder’s 2012 reboot of the Superman movie franchise.

As reported by MTV Splash Page, Snyder stated, “This was a very important piece of casting for me because Martha Kent is the woman whose values helped shape the man we know as Superman. We are thrilled to have Diane in the role because she can convey the wisdom and the wonder of a woman whose son has powers beyond her imagination.”

In other news, Viggo Mortensen is reportedly being considered to play the villain in the film, but it’s unclear at this point just who that adversary will be. I’m hoping that it’s anyone but Kryptonian criminal General Zod, as the main problem with Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns was that it was essentially a retread of Richard Donner’s 1978 classic. We saw Zod in Superman II, so why not give us someone we haven’t seen before? Brainiac, Darkseid, Metallo and Parasite are all excellent candidates. Anyway, for more on that story, visit The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision blog.