On the Film Actually podcast we have talked about this film a lot over the last few months. We have debated the choice of director (Zack Snyder) and the casting choices of of Ma (Diane Lane) and Pa (Kevin Costner) Kent, Jor El (Russell Crowe) and Lois Lane (Amy Adams). We have complained that they claim it isn’t an origin story but then put in Jor El and the Kent’s which, we think, kinda does make it an origin story. They claimed that General Zod would not be the central bad guy and then announce that Michael Shannon has been cast as Zod. So we have been hard on this film. In my personal opinion it sounds kind of like a train wreck waiting to happen but I have been wrong about these things before.
One thing that we were okay with was the casting of Henry Cavill as Superman himself. I liked Brandon Routh in “Superman Returns”, Routh wasn’t the problem with that film. The producers here decided to go another way and that is fine, I like Henry Cavill and I’m sure he will be wonderful in the role. Today we finally get to see Cavill as The Man of Steel. Warner Bros. has released this high resolution shot for everyone to see the new costume and, as I kind of suspected, I am a little underwhelmed. Cavill looks fine as Superman but why do we need to make the costume so dark? Why does the emblem have to be raised? And where is his kiss curl? Click the image below to see the big version.
Superman is an icon, simple as that and I can understand the wish to make it a little bit more than Spandex but like “Superman Returns” this is all a little too much. Batman can have his costume bulked up and turned into body armour, this makes sense. Captain America can have his costume turned into a more military based looking thing, this makes sense. But Superman’s costume is just a symbol. His powers are in him, not his clothes. Superman could be naked and still fly and be just as strong etc. The costume, and the colours, are just a symbol of who he is and that doesn’t need that much updating.
The argument we always here from producers is, you can’t just use the comic book design because it wouldn’t work on the big screen. Well guys, Christopher Reeve made it work in Richard Donner’s classic 1978 “Superman The Movie”, maybe it is time to take a page from Donner’s book.
Contrary to what you might be thinking right now, I’m not angry about this costume and I’m sure it will be perfectly serviceable in the film, I just don’t understand why we have to completely overhaul Superman’s look, this isn’t Batman. Not all superheroes have to be dark and moody, “Captain America: The First Avenger” is a perfect example of that.
What are your thoughts on the new costume? Comment below.
2 comments
Thank you! My sentiments exactly! Why on earth are we making the brightest superhero dark and brooding? THAT IS NOT SUPERMAN! PERIOD!
It’s the lighting friends. It low lit, we don’t know the actual colors in full light. Looks great to me. And this guy lost his entire planet of people. I’d be a little dark from that.