Will you interpret the next \S/ film as a reboot or prequel?

[Man of Tomorrow]

Even though the next film is bound to be visually/stylistically different to SR (given the new director) and most likely darker and grittier (given WB's TDK approach), I'm pretty sure it's going to have to be an origin tale; like Batman Begins. A modern take on Superman's "year one" in order to serve as a proper 'reintroduction' to the character.

With Brandon Routh on board, some audiences will see it as a reboot (fresh start, new beginning), while others will see it was a prequel to SR (the vague history).

Either way, everyone's happy, WB makes it's money. It was probably the smartest move to please everyone given the divided reaction to SR.

Question is, will you interpret a "Year One" Superman film for 2012 with a 32 year old Brandon Routh as a reboot or prequel?


PS: This whole approach reminds me of Byrne's 1986 revamp of Superman in the comics.

[daywalker2007]

i think a reboot with Routh can work,
but they will have to make Routh look much different as Superman than he was in Superman returns.

more accurate suit, better vibrant colours, and more muscles!
along with a great script, and better casting around him,

i think it should work.

But it really has to be visually exciting, maybe something we have never seen before.
Make it epic and perhaps takes some risks with it.

[Man of Tomorrow]

Agreed. Someone on BT said it perfectly:

With a different suit, different hair, and a different look as Clark, I seriously doubt anyone in the general audiences will go "wait, wasn't that the Superman from that other gloomy movie?"

[bunk]

Superman Returns already has a prequel in Superman: The Movie. It may be vague, but the connection exists. Brandon's character has an origin and is part of the Donnerverse. This prequel talk is completely ridiculous imo.

[Man of Tomorrow]

Nevertheless, depending on how the reboot is handled. Some audiences may believe this origin tale is a prequel to SR.

There were enough people out there who thought Batman Begins was a prequel to Batman 89'.

But obviously the fans know better than the general audience..

[dark_b]

Originally Posted by bunk

Superman Returns already has a prequel in Superman: The Movie. It may be vague, but the connection exists. Brandon's character has an origin and is part of the Donnerverse. This prequel talk is completely ridiculous imo.

hardcore fans searching for a way to have brandon back.

and i thought that some of the welling fans were crazy

[Man of Tomorrow]

I guess Paul Levitz and WB are hardcore Brandon fans then. Makes sense.

[Superfreak]

Originally Posted by Man of Tomorrow

Even though the next film is bound to be visually/stylistically different to SR (given the new director) and most likely darker and grittier (given WB's TDK approach), I'm pretty sure it's going to have to be an origin tale; like Batman Begins. A modern take on Superman's "year one" in order to serve as a proper 'reintroduction' to the character.

With Brandon Routh on board, some audiences will see it as a reboot (fresh start, new beginning), while others will see it was a prequel to SR (the vague history).

Either way, everyone's happy, WB makes it's money. It was probably the smartest move to please everyone given the divided reaction to SR.

Question is, will you interpret a "Year One" Superman film for 2012 with a 32 year old Brandon Routh as a reboot or prequel?


PS: This whole approach reminds me of Byrne's 1986 revamp of Superman in the comics.

wouldn't it simply be both? It is a prequel to SR, but also a reboot/origin that severs the tie with the so called 'vague history', which funked everything up in the first place IMO

[Man of Tomorrow]

I think it could be either.

Up to the audiences' interpretation, since there are some wanting a fresh reboot and others wanting something tied to SR.

Fans on both sides.

So this pleases everyone in a way.

[Superfreak]

Originally Posted by Man of Tomorrow

I think it could be either.

Up to the audiences' interpretation, since there are some wanting a fresh reboot and others wanting something tied to SR.

Fans on both sides.

So this pleases everyone in a way.

if it's a prequel to SR, but a new origin, won't it be both a prequel and a reboot... a rebooting prequel

[Superman-Prime]

I'm going to pick reboot. I'm gonna support it for sure.

[bunk]

Originally Posted by Man of Tomorrow

Nevertheless, depending on how the reboot is handled. Some audiences may believe this origin tale is a prequel to SR.

There were enough people out there who thought Batman Begins was a prequel to Batman 89'.

But obviously the fans know better than the general audience..

Can you imagine the confusion if Keaton had starred in Begins?

[Man of Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by Superfreak

if it's a prequel to SR, but a new origin, won't it be both a prequel and a reboot... a rebooting prequel

lol

It could be either depending how you look at it. It's really all semantics, up to your own preferences and interpretation.

There will be fans wanting to connect it to SR as an origin for SR (since the 1978 Supes film doesnt connect with SR directly...only vaguely)

And there will be fans wanting to except it as a reboot (a fresh start not connected with SR at all)...kinda like the Byrne revamp compared to the precrisis.

[goh78]

Why not wait for an official announcement about what the film will actually be before making a poll on how we will interpret it?

[FaT_tONle]

I say reboot... **** it. WB should go crazy with it. Completely re-tell the origin. Make Clark meet Lois for the FIRST time. Start over. That's the only way you compeletly severe connections to the Donnerverse if they are in fact keeping Routh. WB's rationale should be... "okay we gave you guys Superman Returns as homage to the Donnerverse.... now time for the REAL Superman movie... and we got an actor who has established credibility with the role." That's the only way this works IMO... DO NOT sell this as a prequel. That would be a bigger disaster than SR itself.

[Man of Tomorrow]

They should be vague about it really..

And just say the film is the modern "year one" origins of Superman.

[I Am The Knight]

If this pans out, I would interpret it as a reboot. Different continuity, same character. Just like in the funny books.

[Man of Tomorrow]

Yeah, I think all us fans probably would, since we're pretty informed on the subject.

I guess it's really some of the general audience who could consider it part of SR canon..

But its really all moot to WB...

All they want is a successful film that makes the big bucks.

[Superfreak]

if the 'prequel' is a new origin, then I'd accept it as a rebooted origin, for the SR narrative line. Earlier on, when SR was in production, I was thinking about this concept. What I thought would be really nice:

SR - first movie in the franchise

Prequel to SR - re origin (I think this was an emergency plan if the 'vague history' thing didn't work out, which it didn't). This can work in many ways, especially if refering to the 'what should krypton look like?' thread. Some of us like the idea, that we don't actually see krypton, and that Superman's origin (other than crashing to earth in a ship) is actually the mystery of the film: this concept could actually align very well why Superman actually left prior to SR. Moreover, they can deal with Jason... and redefine him (hopefully as a clone of superman that Luthor implanted in Lois... like Nuclear man, but through a scientific 'rape'). And lastly, they can deal with Lex... by making him the evil capitalist we all want... but showing by the end of the origin, that Superman had caused his brain to crack... hence why we end up with 'crazy' Lex in SR.

Sequel to SR - we finally see what happened when Superman went to old Krypton... and deal finally with NK and subsequently Brainiac out of NK (and Kal Penn should be brainiac's initial humanoid host, before turning his sights on Jason). Resulting in the ultimate battle between Superman and Jainiac



through the prequel re-origin, I think a lot of the problems in SR could be righted, when their histories are flushed out properly.

[FlawlessVictory]

Originally Posted by FaT_tONle

I say reboot... **** it. WB should go crazy with it. Completely re-tell the origin. Make Clark meet Lois for the FIRST time. Start over. That's the only way you compeletly severe connections to the Donnerverse if they are in fact keeping Routh. WB's rationale should be... "okay we gave you guys Superman Returns as homage to the Donnerverse.... now time for the REAL Superman movie... and we got an actor who has established credibility with the role." That's the only way this works IMO... DO NOT sell this as a prequel. That would be a bigger disaster than SR itself.

Agreed. A prequel to a movie(SR) that polarized the fanbase to begin with and made Robinov make the comments about needing to "reintroduce" the character? Makes no sense. You make a prequel to movies that have received universal love and acclaim, not to SR. Any connection to SR just defeats the idea of this "reintroduction".

[Man of Tomorrow]

But leaving up to the audience to interpret whether its a reboot or prequel is smart..

That way everyone gets what they want.

Since you obviously don't want it tied to SR canon, you'll see it as a reboot.

[FaT_tONle]

Originally Posted by FlawlessVictory

Agreed. A prequel to a movie(SR) that polarized the fanbase to begin with and made Robinov make the comments about needing to "reintroduce" the character? Makes no sense. You make a prequel to movies that have received universal love and acclaim, not to SR. Any connection to SR just defeats the idea of this "reintroduction".

Prequel is made up fan boy nonsense... can we give it a break people? But you don't want Routh back for my understanding... and I totally get that line of thinking... but I want them to keep Routh... so we really don't agree about the reboot.

[FlawlessVictory]

Originally Posted by FaT_tONle

Prequel is made up fan boy nonsense... can we give it a break people? But you don't want Routh back for my understanding... and I totally get that line of thinking... but I want them to keep Routh... so we really don't agree about the reboot.

Honestly, I could live with Routh coming back if I was assured this has absolutely nothing to do with SR. Donnerverse gone, real estate Lex gone, etc... But I have a feeling once Routh comes back that there will be other semi/loose connections to SR which I have no interest in.

[FaT_tONle]

Originally Posted by FlawlessVictory

Honestly, I could live with Routh coming back if I was assured this has absolutely nothing to do with SR. Donnerverse gone, real estate Lex gone, etc... But I have a feeling once Routh comes back that there will be other semi/loose connections to SR which I have no interest in.

Well I don't feel those are valid assumptions... unless you are worried about the theme song... . I think WB has made it clear they are going in another direction.

[lujho]

A reboot origin with Routh makes about as much sense as a Superman movie with Welling that completely ignores Smallville.

If you use routh you HAVE to keep SR in continuity... you either have to have it be a prequel or a sequel. Retconning SR out of existence, as much as I wish it had never been made, is just wrong from a storytelling point of view, and it's kind of insulting to Singer.

And making a prequel to SR with a Routh who is clearly older (and will be even more clearly older in any sequels set between the new film and SR) is just dumb.

And if you have Brandon suddenly look better in a prequel (better hair, bigger physique, better costume) then Brandon in SR is going to stand out even more as being sub-par.

I'm sorry but if you're going to have Routh you have to make it a sequel, even if you re-jig the feel and design of it. And if you want to get rid of Richard and the kid you have to fine a good way to do it and not just pretend they never existed.

Ugh, ANY way you look at it it's just messy, messy, messy if you keep Routh. I wish we could turn back time and have a decent first film with Routh that would allow him to go forward in to sequels without any continuity problems or crappy Donner homage but I think it's just too late for poor old Brandon Routh.

And BTW, all Levitz said was that he's in the mix, not that he's definitely in.

The just need to Hulkify this franchise with a new actor or find a really, REALLY elegant way to do a sequel and explain away the ridiculous inconsistencies of Superman returns - mostly surrounding the conception of Jason.