Superman is often defined by his powers or his quite literal alienation, but the Man of Steel is so much more than that. Superman represents the potential of humanity through his kindness, his empathy and his generosity. All of these qualities he learned directly from two people, Jonathan and Martha Kent, and when you change anything about that dynamic, you wind up with a very different Superman.
In John Byrne’s classic reinvention, Man of Steel, there’s no mention made of ancient Kryptonian family crests; instead, Clark sits down with his dad and designs a logo based on the “Superman” name already coined for him by the Daily Planet, while Ma works on the costume. It isn’t all fun family crafts however, as it’s Pa Kent who takes Clark aside when he’s young and inspires him to be more than just a high school football star.
To this point, DC Collectibles has been reticent to deliver action figures based on the movie properties Warner Bros. produces based on the DC Comics library. There have been statues and replicas galore, but few actual action figures from DC's in-house collectibles team have been of the cinematic oeuvre. With the DC Cinematic Universe kicking into high gear this year, it's time for the DC Films Premium line to make its debut.
The first figures for the line will include a mash-up of Man of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice characters, all set to arrive in September. Armored Batman and Superman will represent BVS, with Zod, Faora and Jor-El coming from MoS. Now, I know there probably weren't too many people banging at the gates, begging for more Russel Crowe Jor-El figures, but at least his Kryptonian armor makes him a bit more interesting than any potential Kevin Costner Pa Kent would ever be. That's not a big factor in Jor-El's favor, but the guy's gotta take pluses where he can.
We’re a little over four months from the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which will launch a whole new world of films into our lives: the DC Cinematic Universe. Spinning out of the events of 2013’s Man of Steel, it will pit Henry Cavill’s Superman against Ben Affleck’s Batman, and put both characters on the path toward a massive two-part film about DC’s heavy-hitting super-team, the Justice League of America, which will also feature the exploits of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and more.
However difficult a time Gotham has navigating early years of Batman mythology, Man of Steel writer David Goyer’s Syfy Krypton looks to skirt its Superman problem by going hundreds of years in the past. Goyer offered up a few new details of the tone and setting of the proposed pilot, potentially tying into the Man of Steel mythos as well.
About a month ago a rumor was circulating that Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller was in talks to helm Man of Steel 2. Then came the rumors that the sequel was placed on indefinite hold (or not?), but that Miller was still in talks with WB to take on another DC superhero project. Miller himself has finally responded to those rumors and gives us a hint about what he’s planning to do next.
There’s been a lot of uncertainty about the Man of Steel sequel — Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller was rumored to be involved, but then more rumors started circulating suggesting that Warner Bros. has put Man of Steel 2 on hold for the time being, and the film doesn’t seem to have a place on the studio’s DC film schedule. According to Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is basically a Man of Steel sequel, so you don’t need to really worry about it.
Fandom among TV superheroes has ups and downs across both Marvel and DC; the former sharing continuity, but never screentime with its cinematic brethren, while DC’s lot keep explicitly separate from the Batman v. Superman world, and its Justice League. Now, DC’s Diane Nelson opens up as to why Arrow or The Flash will never join the Man of Steel, lest they “hinder the ability” of creatives to tell good stories.
Just last week we heard the rumor that Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller is in talks with Warner Bros. to helm Man of Steel 2 — that seemed a bit surprising, but even more surprising is today’s rumor that Man of Steel 2 might not be happening anytime soon.
George Miller pulled off nothing short of a miracle with Mad Max: Fury Road, taking $150 million off to the desert and returning with a powerful, visually sublime action film that is rightfully being hailed by many as one of the best in years — if not decades. While we wait to find out if Miller’s proposed sequel will be given the green light, a new rumor indicates that he may be in line to direct a different sequel for Warner Bros.