Rediscovering the Essential Superman
By:jonathancyfer
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In a recent interview with Empire magazine, Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) discussed his role as "mentor" for the upcoming Superman film reboot, scheduled for release during the 2012 holiday season. One of the most widely circulated statements made by Nolan was:
"What you have to remember with both Batman and Superman, is that what makes those the best superhero characters there are, the most beloved after all this time, is the essence of who those characters were when they were created and when they were first developed. And you can't ever move too far from that."
There is a tremendous amount of speculation regarding what form the new Superman film will take. Assuming that Nolan will have more than a passing amount of influence on the movie franchise's rebirth, perhaps we can understand the upcoming Superman film by taking a look at what made Batman Begins (2005) such a success.
In the vast world of comicdom, both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are now believed to have roamed the world, seeking out specific experiences as a form of training, prior to establishing their “alter ego” identities. This is not only spelled out for us in the Batman Begins film but was previously established in the WB Batman animated series. During the 1990s, the DC comics Superman line periodically referred to a period of time after Clark left Smallville and before donning the cape, where he also travelled extensively, helping people with his powers in secret, much as Clark in the TV series Smallville does as "the Blur".
This was less of a preparation for becoming the "formal" Superman and more of Clark's expression of his understanding that he had a higher purpose for his powers. He could extend his abilities in the service of humanity, yet maintain his anonymity, isolating Clark Kent the man from the super being. He only became a costumed hero in fact, when he was forced to save a "space plane" from crashing and couldn't take the time to hide his appearance (See Superman: The Man of Steel #1 1986). The Supeman identity became the mask that kept the “human” Clark Kent safe.
Television's Smallville only somewhat mirrors this pre-Superman period and the mid 1980s limited "Man of Steel" series, which launched the comic book reboot of Superman and followed the Clark's journey, from first donning the costume to the discovery that he isn't from Earth. While Smallville, by definition, cannot take Clark into the realm of the costumed hero, could this journey be leveraged into the 2012 Superman film? If you look, the reboot’s tentative title is “Superman: The Man of Steel”.
The comic book reboot of Batman chronicles a similar path for Bruce Wayne. Both Batman: Year One (1987) and Superman: Man of Steel show their respective heroes as "diamonds-in-the-rough", not the polished, experienced superheroes they would become in later years. Both men struggle with establishing their presence in relation to their perceived "missions" in the world, and both struggle with the possibility of failure. Part of what makes a hero so attractive to the rest of us is that they're portrayed as emotionally vulnerable in some sense. It's how we can access someone and relate to them, even though they have "powers and abilities far beyond mortal men.”
Many of the elements from Batman: Year One were incorporated by Nolan into Batman Begins, giving us not only an “origin story” but the entire context for Bruce becoming Batman and the nature of the environment and the people who figured into every aspect of Wayne’s early experiences. Nolan’s treatment of this material in film immediately appealed to the Batman comic book fan while at the same time, gave a raw and fresh perspective to the larger movie audience. You couldn’t assume that any of the specifics from previous film and television incarnation s of Batman would apply. What Nolan delivered was what makes Batman great: the elemental struggle of the Dark Knight not only with the external evil of the world but the shadows within himself.
As much as the Richard Donner vision of Superman is loved and cherished, the same as Christopher Reeve's portrayal of the Last Son of Krypton, the saga on both the big and small screens has been layered and complicated to the point where it surrounds the legend of Superman like a straight jacket. It's time to take Superman back to the essence of who he is and rebuild his world as well as our sense of wonder and adventure. What, at the core, makes Superman the hero we have loved for over 70 years? It’s my hope that Christopher Nolan and the creative team responsible for Superman: The Man of Steel will answer that question.
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