Blog: "Who is to blame for Superman's image problem?"

[The Laughing Fish]

I saw this little blog from The Film Exiles website by a disgruntled Superman fan who was irritated by people on social media giving their opinions how Superman should be presented on screen for a modern audience.

After news started circulating that Warner Bros. is lost about what to do with Superman next, Twitter was flooded with tweets from fans and would-be writers to share their ideas. It quickly became apparent that many people view this iconic and enduring character through a narrow lens. Some even bordered on what can only be described as disrespect in their demands for the characters cinematic representation yet lacked the awareness to even realise it. They don't take the character too seriously and therefore any iteration of the last son of Krypton must lean more towards 'goofy' than mature, or earnest.

It's such a shame that so many people don't want innovation or originality for a character that's spent decades being innovative himself. There's a growing demand for Superman to 'return' to his roots and people legitimately want this regression rather than see him steadily grow throughout the decades and evolve to reflect the present times. Superman as a character has so much to say but we're taking away his voice and yet expecting him to remain as relevant; it's impossible, and it puts the studio responsible for bringing him to life into an even more impossible situation.

Unfortunately, the general impression of Superman is so heavily entrenched in an antiquated adaptation which sees any attempt at creativity or ingenuity applied to the character publicly jeered and criticised. I don't think it's the movie studio that's confused about what to do with Superman, it's his so-called 'fans'. Even more frustrating, is that some vocal detractors of the more recent attempts to make Superman relevant again are on Twitter spouting their ingenious ways to "fix" the character. The problem is, the ideas they're proffering are what we've already seen in his most recent movie appearances. The ardent fans of these two DCEU films, directed by the divisive yet gifted Zack Snyder, have been left wondering whether they're being pranked. How can these people not realise the ideas and stories they're clamouring to see are already available, and yet, under scrutiny and threat of being wiped from our memory like a flash from the MiB neuralyzer.

The cause may lie in the fact that they see these characters they've defined by various buzzwords and begin making a movie in their minds. They have a checklist of what should be included and then diminish these rich fictional personalities into one-dimensional caricatures defined by preconceived assumptions of their entire disposition. They want it all wrapped up in a romanticised package; they would prefer empty speeches to the genuine actions, goofy smiles rather than a character experiencing the entire emotional spectrum. They want big action sequences without any of the real-world consequences, and straightforward morality definitions rather than anything emotionally layered or complex. They prioritise shallow entertainment over meaningful or substantial storytelling.

All of this explains why Warner Bros. should not listen to the "fans", and should not force relevancy through race swapping or other attention-seeking marketing ploys; they should find a creative team with a unique vision and trust in them to push the character in ways that even the most fervent fans don't see coming; create a distinct approach to the character that sparks conversation, inspires a new generation of enthusiastic fans, and simply trust in the strength of Superman to withstand new and creative ideas.

In short, they should step aside and just let people explore the character in ways that are fitting for the times and resonate with them, just like Zack Snyder attempted to do. This will help audiences connect with the character in unexpected ways and keep Superman relevant for decades to come.

Source: https://theexilesnetwork.wordpress.com/2020/01/10/who-is-to-blame-for-supermans-image-problem/

The bold text I've highlighted isn't something he's making up. I've had a look on Twitter, and I've seen people who tweet their "genius" ideas to make a relevant Superman movie but not realising it's already done before. For example:



https://twitter.com/psythor/status/1201207082256613377?lang=en

The fool not only fails to realise his pitch for a Superman movie is practically BvS minus Batman and Clark Kent exposing Lex instead of Lois, he follows up it by saying "Call me Warner Bros" and "God damnit I want to watch this film now but it only exists in my mind. How can I become a Hollywood screenwriter and avoid accidentally writing fan fiction?"



Deluded.

Once again, thanks to people like this, not only is the DCEU is in disarray, but Superman's cinematic future is now in limbo. The character is currently languishing on TV, on a network that has a habit of pandering to soap opera dramas and severely lacks the budget to adapt ambitious shows and crossovers. But what do you expect from so-called Superman "fans"? According to these people, Brandon Routh giving a hollow speech about hope on COIE, despite not doing anything else thus far, is apparently more heroic than anything we see from Cavill's Superman.

What a load of nonsense.

I'll say it again, Batman and Superman "fans" can get f***ed. All they care about is self-righteous horsesh*t to make themselves feel good.

[Travesty]

I dunno, I honestly have no clue what Superman fans want. I think I'm done talking to Superman fans. They're all over the place. They want something closer to Reeve's Superman, and then Superman Returns comes out(which is in that universe and that Superman), and they say they don't like him. They call him a creep, and that he didn't punch anybody. Apparently, there wasn't enough action. Snyder comes in to update the character with MOS, and then they complain that he's punching too much, and there's too much action. They then say they want less action, and something closer to Reeve's Superman, which is what they JUST got before MOS and were complaining about. Now they're trying to say they want something like MCU's Captain America.

Good luck to any writer or director who tries to tackle Superman. I wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole. The fans are out of their minds. The suit has to be the exact color of blue, or they lose their minds. Superman has to smile enough, but not too much because then he'll be creepy. They want action, but not too much action, but not too little action. They want a more classic relationship with Lois, but not centered too much around them so that he doesn't come off insecure and freakish, etc etc.

You don't see this with Batman. Sure, Batman fans like us have our opinions on him, but for the most part, we're down for whatever. Give us ultra goofy like Adam West, or ultra-serious like Burton/Frank Miller. Give us gold, silver bronze, and modern age. We'll take 'em all. But again, with Superman fans....well, I don't know what they want. They claim to know, but when they get it, they claim otherwise. I honestly don't understand Superman fans.

[Kamdan]

I dunno, I honestly have no clue what Superman fans want. I think I'm done talking to Superman fans. They're all over the place. They want something closer to Reeve's Superman, and then Superman Returns comes out(which is in that universe and that Superman), and they say they don't like him. They call him a creep, and that he didn't punch anybody. Apparently, there wasn't enough action. Snyder comes in to update the character with MOS, and then they complain that he's punching too much, and there's too much action. They then say they want less action, and something closer to Reeve's Superman, which is what they JUST got before MOS and were complaining about. Now they're trying to say they want something like MCU's Captain America.

In other words, they want something good. That's not a tall order, is it?

[The Laughing Fish]

In other words, they want something good. That's not a tall order, is it?

Really? If that were the case, then how come I barely see these fans voice their appreciation for Post Crisis Superman or DCAU Superman?

I've seen too many fans online that complain that Superman is "too depressed" and should always be upbeat, and have this vague idea about that he should stand for "hope". Snyder isn't perfect by any means, but I honestly see a lot of superficial backlash. Particularly if they go say MCU Cap and DCEU WW is what Supes should aspire to, which I think is laughable because those two interpretations aren't exactly squeaky clean either.

[thecolorsblend]

I blame DC Comics for the lack of unity among Superman fans. By my count, there have been at least six different origin stories for Superman in the comics in the last 30'ish years. The fans all have their favorites.

That doesn't count non-comics media origins like STM, arguably Superboy, STAS, L&C, Smallville, etc.

Just about every Superman fan has different preferences.

This isn't a problem as much for Batman. Yeah, there's Zero Year and Earth One. But fundamentally, BY1 was Batman's undisputed origin for decades. It went virtually unchallenged. Batman fans had BY1 as their foundation for unity for all those years and that affected the fandom in a big way.

Superman doesn't have that. There are differing preferences, differing agendas, etc. Unity among Superman fans is very probably impossible at this point.

[The Dark Knight]

I dunno, I honestly have no clue what Superman fans want. I think I'm done talking to Superman fans. They're all over the place. They want something closer to Reeve's Superman, and then Superman Returns comes out(which is in that universe and that Superman), and they say they don't like him. They call him a creep, and that he didn't punch anybody. Apparently, there wasn't enough action. Snyder comes in to update the character with MOS, and then they complain that he's punching too much, and there's too much action. They then say they want less action, and something closer to Reeve's Superman, which is what they JUST got before MOS and were complaining about. Now they're trying to say they want something like MCU's Captain America.

Good luck to any writer or director who tries to tackle Superman. I wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole. The fans are out of their minds. The suit has to be the exact color of blue, or they lose their minds. Superman has to smile enough, but not too much because then he'll be creepy. They want action, but not too much action, but not too little action. They want a more classic relationship with Lois, but not centered too much around them so that he doesn't come off insecure and freakish, etc etc.

You don't see this with Batman. Sure, Batman fans like us have our opinions on him, but for the most part, we're down for whatever. Give us ultra goofy like Adam West, or ultra-serious like Burton/Frank Miller. Give us gold, silver bronze, and modern age. We'll take 'em all. But again, with Superman fans....well, I don't know what they want. They claim to know, but when they get it, they claim otherwise. I honestly don't understand Superman fans.

You have explained the situation perfectly. Who would want to make a Superman movie with that fanbase?

I feel my Superman fandom has peaked and my status quo feelings about the character have returned. I believe the Superman situation is what happens when long term stagnation mixes with nostalgia. It creates a toxic environment because any new piece of media has intense focus placed on it and gets ruthlessly compared to the 'gold standard' of Reeve and John Williams.

This mix has crippled with character, and I really do feel that the die is cast. That's why it is so important to have an active brand that tries new things, but to have a track record of doing that throughout history. If you don't reflect the times you stay in the past and become irrelevant. Imagine if Michael Keaton and Frank Miller didn't do their dark and gritty thing, and Adam West's incarnation was still the formula that had to be emulated in the hearts and minds of fans and the general public.

Superman had Reeve, then a long time in the wilderness with Singer continuing that Reeve style of film, followed by a long gap before Snyder's take. And now we're back to the beginning again with the same old John Williams theme blaring. People cannot see Reeve as simply one part of the character's history: they seem him as the character completely. Saying "this is the only way" has crippled everything. The foundations that are meant to be a strength are actually a huge weakness.

There is an ingrained retrograde mentality and I can't muster enthusiasm for the Superman franchise anymore, especially when I have so much different content to choose from with Batman. Superman has been left behind and only serves as a supporting act - if that.

[Kamdan]

Really? If that were the case, then how come I barely see these fans voice their appreciation for Post Crisis Superman or DCAU Superman?

Well, in Japan, silence is the highest compliment anyone can ever give to something. So if no one is complaining about those, then they must be doing something right.

[The Laughing Fish]

Well, in Japan, silence is the highest compliment anyone can ever give to something. So if no one is complaining about those, then they must be doing something right.

That is a gross oversimplification, and let's face it, it totally ignores cultural differences. One can say that the lack of mention of those examples shows a lack of love, or people found them forgettable.

Still, all of that is beside the point. What I was getting at was the lack of appreciation for these other takes on Superman, is had they used them as an example how Superman "should be", I'd take them more seriously. For example, if someone were to say that Superman on film should follow how Paul Dini and Bruce Timm approached the character in STAS and the JL cartoons - by juggling between light-heartedness and darkness - they might've had a valid thing to say.

But I hardly see anyone doing that. Instead, I see comments on social media saying Superman should always be happy to evoke this childish sense of hope. These people go so far to say that Superman shouldn't attempt to intimidate anyone, which is ridiculous. These are the same sort of people who love Christopher Reeve for all the wrong reasons; they only focus on the happier side of his performance but disregard all the difficult times he faced. As Travesty already pointed out, these people have a very fickle idea how they want the character approached on film.

Nowadays, if these people watched that Justice League Unlimited episode of an angry Superman fighting Darkseid to the death as payback for brainwashing him and murdering Dan Turpin, they'd hate it too.

[thecolorsblend]

Well, in Japan, silence is the highest compliment anyone can ever give to something. So if no one is complaining about those, then they must be doing something right.

That is a gross oversimplification, and let's face it, it totally ignores cultural differences. One can say that the lack of mention of those examples shows a lack of love, or people found them forgettable.

Still, all of that is beside the point. What I was getting at was the lack of appreciation for these other takes on Superman, is had they used them as an example how Superman "should be", I'd take them more seriously. For example, if someone were to say that Superman on film should follow how Paul Dini and Bruce Timm approached the character in STAS and the JL cartoons - by juggling between light-heartedness and darkness - they might've had a valid thing to say.

But I hardly see anyone doing that. Instead, I see comments on social media saying Superman should always be happy to evoke this childish sense of hope. These people go so far to say that Superman shouldn't attempt to intimidate anyone, which is ridiculous. These are the same sort of people who love Christopher Reeve for all the wrong reasons; they only focus on the happier side of his performance but disregard all the difficult times he faced. As Travesty already pointed out, these people have a very fickle idea how they want the character approached on film.

Nowadays, if these people watched that Justice League Unlimited episode of an angry Superman fighting Darkseid to the death as payback for brainwashing him and murdering Dan Turpin, they'd hate it too.

I've always reviled that STAS storyline where Darkseid brainwashes Superman and then murders Turpin. To me, it's proof that maybe not everything that Dini and Timm touch turns to gold.

For starters, Darkseid isn't Mongul. Darkseid is a "god" and he (rightly) thinks it's beneath him in most circumstances to get into fisticuffs with commoners like Superman. Darkseid deals in conspiracies, blackmail and behind the scenes power. It's beneath his dignity to trade punches with just about anybody. He has minions for that sort of thing. Yes, Darkseid is powerful. So powerful that his mere presence was enough to bring the entire Legion Of Super-Heroes to their knees. But the fact remains that he wasn't intended to be a physical villain. Of all people, Dini and Timm should've known better than to make Darkseid into too much of a physical opponent of Superman.

For seconders, the STAS model of Dan Turpin has basically nothing to do with Turpin as he's always looked in the comics and everything to do with Jack Kirby. It's no coincidence that STAS Turpin in a dead ringer for irl Jack Kirby.

And Darkseid, a Kirby creation, murders Turpin. It's like the creation turning on its creator. It's weird, a little sick and the most incredibly bizarre meta I think I've ever seen.

Virtually everything about that story arc from STAS just doesn't work for me.

[Kamdan]

That is a gross oversimplification, and let's face it, it totally ignores cultural differences. One can say that the lack of mention of those examples shows a lack of love, or people found them forgettable.

Overly simple? Yes. But hardly "gross" as you place it. Enjoyments of fandom don't always need a big shiny metal for their accomplishments. There's also material beyond the Byrne and Animated Series material. Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Superman Secret Origin is more in line with what these fans you're referring to would like to see in their depiction of Superman on the big screen. The deal is that they steered wrongly in the Nolan Dark Knight direction and everyone rightfully called out the disorienting (and sometimes quite frightening) results. They hastily tried to bring what was desired but learned way too late.