I don't want these characters to be icons. I want them to be characters. Too often Superman is reduced to an idea, concept, or celebrity. I don't like that. What I want out of a modern Superman, like Cavill, is a Superman that feels both fantastical and rooted in the real world. I want him to be human and accessible, and that means being flawed or at least less of a cartoon.
First of all, love this. Second of all, I saw a few kids dressed as Superman this Halloween. This Superman isn't being marketed as much to kids, and maybe that's not a good thing, but this Superman means a lot to this adult and several of my adult friends. The DCCU isn't dumbing down or softening the real challenges of being a godlike alien on Earth. It isn't sidestepping the cynicism of the world, the fear of the other and the unknown, how the powerless or the power hungry respond to the powerful, and the religious and existential crises that would undoubtedly result from the debut of a Kryptonian Superman. Superman isn't being simplified, and his iconography is being built from the ground up instead of being taken for granted. Rather than a fairy tale character, the DCCU is approaching Superman like a classic myth. And that's okay.
Superman is not at all cynical about the world. The world, like our world today, is cynical and he's trying to cope with its cynicism. This Superman's first instinct is always to help. Much of his internal conflict as a boy and young man centered around his innate desire to help and have purpose in a world that would seek to twist those desires until whatever good he could do was rendered ineffective. This Superman has had to cope with the world's fears and jealousies.
Yet, ultimately, despite all of the cynicism in the world, Clark takes a leap of faith on humanity when it needed him the most. He turned himself into the government believing that his leap of faith with them would pay off with trust, and it did. Superman didn't immediately reject the possibility that either the US military or Zod would betray him. He accepted that he could be betrayed, but the gave both General Swanwick and General Zod the benefit of the doubt by submitting to both of them first.
Superman took a leap of faith on humanity in Man of Steel, and it paid off. For 18 months, the world had a "love affair" with Superman. Humanity constructed monuments to him. The media wrote glowing puff pieces about his every heroic act. Then, cynical and fearful men began to resent humanity's false god, and began to set in motion a series of events that broke the Superman spell. Superman had to answer questions about whether he should act if every act is political. He had to cope with people projecting onto him all of the baggage usually reserved for their gods.
Still, Clark is the one reassuring Lois that things will be okay. Clark is the one arguing with Perry to believe in the American conscience. Clark is the one telling Bruce Wayne that the rest of the world doesn't share Bruce's cynical opinion about Superman. Superman offers Batman mercy (a vigilante Superman believes has become a dangerous criminal), and he willingly submits to the summons to appear before Finch's Superman committee. The bombing momentarily stays Superman's optimism, but he very quickly is able to find the resources within to return to being Superman. He's willing to face the nightmares. How is that not hopeful?
Then, when Luthor tests him with his challenge, Superman first tries to reach out to Bruce. He apologizes and asks for help. He holds back. When Batman backs down, Superman trusts him and gives him a chance to be a hero again. He gives Bruce a chance to make a promise that is worth something, and in his final sacrifice helps Bruce see that men are still good. This isn't hopeful?
And yet, after making that statement, Superman goes onto show that he hasn't really bought into that idea. Not yet. He apologizes to Bruce. He asks for help. These "clowns" were thinking that the audience might be capable of dealing with nuance and interpreting actions rather than just words. These "clowns" were hoping that the audience would see that Superman's boundless optimism and inspirational qualities don't come to him on a silver platter. That kind of hopefulness takes work and is forged through fire.
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