James Gunn’s Superman Can’t Make One Crucial Mistake, The DCU Is On The Right Track
I have a ton of hope for James Gunn’s Superman and the upcoming DC Universe, or the DCU as it is being officially branded. I called The Suicide Squad, “the best DC movies in decades,” and I stand by that (my review). Now, after Creature Commandos has me wanting even more superhero stories done in animation, I’m more than ready for whatever James Gunn has to bring to the original superhero. But, there is one thing I can’t help but feel a touch trepidatious about, and it goes all the way back to Superman’s origins on the Planet Krypton.
Superman’s Parents
I’m currently reading Absolute Superman, part of DC’s new Absolute run of comics which allow for some radical new takes on iconic heroes. In the first issue, it’s revealed that Superman’s parents are farmers in a Kryptonian society with a distinct and brutal caste system. Normally, Superman’s parents are depicted as scientists in a utopian world. In Absolute Superman, they are low-class workers who recognize the ruling class is leading to the destruction of the planet.
This is a fantastic and fresh idea to inject into the origin of Superman. It gives a reason for us to actually see Kal-El’s parents and spend time with them and their story. And if James Gunn has a creative and new idea about the lives of Jor-El and Lara, I’m all for seeing how it influences his idea of Superman.
But, if James Gunn is taking the inspiration I believe he is, I think Superman needs to show us as little of Karl-Ed’s birth parents as possible. In fact, I’d be fine without seeing them at all.
The Origins Are Now Myths
James Gunn has been very vocal about the comic book series All-Star Superman being one of his sources of inspiration for this take on the Man of Steel. In that comic, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely summarize the origin of Superman with one page, four panels, and eight words. Morrison boils everything down to its most purely mythic elements. It’s one of the single greatest pages in comic book and superhero history.
I get the vibe that James Gunn feels similarly about the origins of the original superhero. At least, I hope so. Much like we don’t need to see Bruce Wayne’s parents gunned down anymore, the kickoff to Clark Kent’s life has entered a level of pop culture mythology that feels as omnipresent as knowing Santa lives at the North Pole. It’s understandable that both Richard Donner’s Superman and Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel felt they needed to strongly establish their versions of Superman’s parents (mainly Jor-El in those movies). But, Gunn could make a bigger statement by downplaying that part of Superman’s story.
Superman is the ultimate immigrant story, and while I don’t want his Kryptonian heritage to be thrown out with his escape pod, it feels like focusing on Superman’s love and connection to Earth is the best story to tell with the character on the big screen. Even this one picture of Superman and his pet Krypto seems to focus on this mindset. Yes, Krypto is a part of his alien past, and I can’t wait to see how that relationship plays between Clark and his dog. But, the framing of that photo puts 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’s history on his story, the better of James Gunn’s Superman will be. Whatever may happen, I can’t wait to see this new movie, even if it means more time on that planet what blows up.
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