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Superman can do almost anything. And that's one reason his movies have struggled
Superman returns to the big screen this summer, as DC Studios tries to reinvigorate the film fortunes of its iconic do-gooder.
But that's not an easy task, despite studio investment of at least $225 million US in Superman, which hits theatres on July 11 starring David Corenswet.
Because, for all his powers, Superman has struggled as a film franchise. Movie-goers have many superheroes to choose from, and those commercial pressures are separate from the perpetual issue of coming up with compelling stories for a morally rigid hero with few vulnerabilities.
Aficionados say Superman's long history in pop culture provides a big potential audience, but his fans have expectations that can be hard to meet.
"Superman can be a tough nut to crack," said artist Jason Fabok, co-founder of media company Ghost Machine, who previously worked for DC Comics — drawing the Man of Steel for the Justice League and Superman/Batman titles. He also helped shape Superman's look on a collectible coin.
"He's got all these fans… They want a good Superman movie. They want something that's going to really evoke those feelings that they had of the character for all these years."
To succeed, this Superman will have to prove the old-fashioned hero remains compelling for today's audiences — a challenge where prior movies have struggled.
"Can this new iteration be the one that is the spark to say: Superman's still cool?" asked Todd McFarlane, the Calgary-born comics pro who created the Spawn character and co-founded Image Comics. He also founded McFarlane Toys, a company that's making tie-in action figures for the film.
If not, McFarlane says Superman could go the way of Mickey Mouse — a former pop-culture juggernaut who has fallen by the wayside.
McFarlane says it can be difficult to find problems for Superman to face, given his super-powers.
"He's almost god-like, right? So... what's the jeopardy of our hero?" he asked.
"Superman seems to be able to spin moons on his finger like a basketball. So, what's his Achilles heel?" McFarlane notes this is why early writers came up with kryptonite.
That's the challenge facing this movie's writer-director James Gunn, who's undoubtedly under pressure to deliver a winner, despite also being the studio's co-CEO. DC Studios did not respond to inquiries from CBC News about the new Superman.
"I wouldn't want to be in his shoes," said McFarlane, despite Gunn's success bringing Marvel's once-obscure Guardians of the Galaxy to the screen.
McFarlane says, after writing and illustrating comics for 40 years, there's a core principle he keeps in mind.
"Being a hero should be hard," he said. "There should be cause and effect of everything you do."
That can lead to scenarios where Superman must make difficult choices, or cope with competing crises. Like in 1978's Superman, in which Lois Lane died when he was preoccupied with other matters. (Fortunately, he turned back time to save her life.)
A lot of lore
Superman made his Action Comics debut in 1938, co-created by Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster and writer Jerry Siegel.
The cape-draped hero eventually made his way to radio, cartoons, television and the movies — and a lot has happened along the way. (A small sample: Superman proposed marriage to a mermaid; his secret identity was repeatedly revealed; and he died at one point.)
With so much history, there're a lot of potential story nuggets to be mined — and it appears Superman's makers know this, given the many characters seen in the movie's trailers, including the hero's dog, Krypto.
And even if some — Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen — are already highly familiar to audiences, Fabok says they can be compelling if given the right tweaks.
He recalls when, in the comics, Luthor became the president of the United States, prompting the question: "What happens if Superman has to face Lex Luthor now, but he's running the country?"
A reliable hero
Superman is an unapologetic good guy. Fans and comics creators say that's core to his character and his enduring appeal.
"You know that Superman is good," said Fabok, recalling a moment in one movie when it's stated the hero is "what humanity should strive for."
Steve Younis, the editor-in-chief of the long-running Superman Homepage, says Superman "does the right thing simply because it's the right thing to do," and as such inspires the audience.
Gunn has argued the same, telling Rolling Stone that the "very good nature of him, this really strong belief in what's right, sometimes perhaps to a fault, is what makes Superman who he is."
Some fans hope the new Superman will steer toward a brighter on-screen experience. Some recent Superman adventures that went to darker, moodier places, simply "never worked," for Fabok.
He and McFarlane both say Superman is a character who belongs in the light — both visually and conceptually.
"Superman is a character of the day, the sun," said Fabok.
"He's bright, he's a beacon of hope."
