James Gunn’s Superman can’t make a crucial mistake, the DCU is on the right track

By Drew Dietsch | Published 4 seconds ago

I have high hopes for James Gunn. Superman and the upcoming DC Universe, or DCU, as it is officially called. I called The suicide squad“the best DC movies in decades”, and I stand by that (my review). Now, later Creature commands It makes me want even more superhero stories done in animation, I’m more than ready for what James Gunn has to bring to the original superhero. But there’s one thing I can’t help but feel a little uneasy about, and it goes back to Superman’s origins on the planet Krypton.

Superman’s parents

I am currently reading absolute supermanpart of DC’s new Absolute comic series that allows for some radically new takes on iconic heroes. In the first issue, it is revealed that Superman’s parents are farmers in a Kryptonian society with a distinct and brutal caste system. Typically, Superman’s parents are depicted as scientists in a utopian world. In absolute supermanThey are lower class workers who recognize that the ruling class is leading to the destruction of the planet.

This is a fantastic, new idea to inject into Superman’s origin. It gives us a reason to see Kal-El’s parents and spend time with them and their story. And if James Gunn has a new, creative idea about Jor-El and Lara’s lives, I’m willing to see how it influences his idea of ​​Superman.

But, if James Gunn is taking the inspiration that I think, I think that Superman needs to show us as few of Karl-Ed’s biological parents as possible. In fact, I’d be fine without seeing them at all.

Origins are now myths

James Gunn has talked a lot about the comic series. Superman All-Star being one of his sources of inspiration for this version of the Man of Steel. In that comic, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely summarize Superman’s origin in one page, four panels, and eight words. Morrison reduces everything to its most purely mythical elements. It is one of the most important pages in the history of comics and superheroes.

I have a feeling James Gunn feels the same way about the origins of the original superhero. At least I hope so. Just as we no longer need to see Bruce Wayne’s parents gunned down, the beginning of Clark Kent’s life has entered a level of pop culture mythology that feels as pervasive as knowing that Santa lives at the North Pole. . It is understandable that both Richard Donner’s work Superman and Zack Snyder’s man of steel they felt they needed to firmly establish their versions of Superman’s parents (mainly Jor-El in those films). But Gunn could make a bigger statement by downplaying that part of Superman’s story.

Superman is the best immigrant story, and while I don’t want his Kryptonian heritage to be discarded with his escape pod, it seems that focusing on Superman’s love and connection to Earth is the best story to tell with the character on screen. big. . Even this image of Superman and his pet Krypto seems to focus on this mentality. Yes, Krypto is part of his alien past and I can’t wait to see how that relationship between Clark and his dog develops. But the framing of that photo places them in a context that emphasizes the beauty and importance of Earth to Superman.

The less time we spend on Superman’s parents and the influence of Krypton history on his story, the better James Gunn’s story will be. Superman will be. Whatever happens, I can’t wait to see this new movie, even if it means more time on that exploding planet.