The Suits over at Warner Bros. are currently plotting ways to reboot the “Superman” franchise. Didn’t we learn anything from “The Incredible Hulk?”
Some superhero franchises don’t need to be redone. They should be gently retired, at least for one generation.
The Hulk’s lack of complexity likely killed its chances for a lengthy franchise. Hulk smash, Hulk tired … not too many variations on that theme.
One could argue Superman is a far more complex figure, but “Superman Returns” took a noble stab at resurrecting him and couldn’t excite the masses. I actually liked Brandon Routh’s take on Superman, and thought the film had some grand moments. But it all felt too reverential to the Christopher Reeve films.
The comic book world teems with superheroes worthy of their close up. Let’s start milling through old stacks of comics and find the next “Iron Man” or “Dark Knight.” “Superman” had his day on the big screen.
(Photo: Brandon Routh did his best to channel the late Christopher Reeve in “Superman Returns.”)
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I'm an award-winning journalist and film critic with more than a decade of experience in newspapers, magazines and the Web. I'm a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association and the Denver Film Critics Society.
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I hear the next Superman will be played by Leo DiCaprio.
Ashton Kutcher was mentioned briefly as a possible “Superman” — so Leo would be an upgrade there!
I doubt they’d go with a “name” actor (or Kutcher
), seeing that they’ve traditionally gone with unknowns for the role; that being said, it would be wise to give the character a rest for awhile, rather than hastily give the Man of Steel an uncharacteristic “edge” just for the sake of it…
Couldn’t agree more, Ken. The rush to make money often stampedes the rush to make a quality film. Let’s let inspiration strike for any Superman reboot, and not have visions of Dark Knight money dancing in our heads
Agreed. I have opined often that the Reeve/Donner/Salkind films are too cherished now – especially in light of Reeve’s tragic story – to attempt another reboot any time this generation.
Further, Superman, by definition of the modern-day take of the character, is an Ubermensch. I observed that DC’s tagline for the Superman weekly titles went something like, “He’s the most powerful being in the universe – watch him be threatened every week!,” and I would think, “this is akin to ‘The Adventures of God.”
Where is the dramatic arc potential when your protagonist is a super man? Better to take the reboot story and apply it to an analogue, such as Captain Marvel, and be better situated to present it as a fresh-seeming story.
~ Dagnabbitt, speculatively