His Personality

[Superwoman Prime]

If such a thread exists, this one can be closed without any objections by me.

What would you prefer Superman's personality be like in the next film? Does he need to be stoic and reserved, or expressive and aggressive? Is he the kind that asserts his authority often, or is he more humble and receptive to world leaders' advice?

I'd prefer him to be an extrovert who is willing to show emotional range. He's extremely confident, as for all those years of his life, he had nothing to fear from others who confronted or disagreed with him.

He's like the jock with a heart of gold. An outspoken leader who really wants to help and protect humanity. Whether a person is poor, middle-classed, or wealthy, we all have equal value in his eyes.

He also needs a darker/angrier side that comes out only when his enemies threaten his territory. When a superpowered villain has taken lives, and plans to take many more, Superman needs to become deathly serious and coldly pound said villain until he tosses the brutalized body into space.

That's my take. Now your turn.

 

[Project862006]

supes and cap are the hardest to get their personality down because they both can easily come off as boring

 

[Pythenis]

I prefer the animated series personality. Intelligent objective reporter that has a harder time managing his secret identity but when Supes shows up he is confident, some what defiant of the wrong doers but also gets into trouble from time to time by not seeing hidden dangers and taking challenges at face value until the bigger conspiracies are revealed, then he is all the wiser. Gives him room to grow and be a god as well.

 

[Superwoman Prime]

I prefer the animated series personality. Intelligent objective reporter that has a harder time managing his secret identity but when Supes shows up he is confident, some what defiant of the wrong doers but also gets into trouble from time to time by not seeing hidden dangers and taking challenges at face value until the bigger conspiracies are revealed, then he is all the wiser. Gives him room to grow and be a god as well.

I love S:TAS, but I felt that Superman was often times too reserved

 

[Brother Jack]

There has to be a balance of the reserved nearly god-like guy and the outspoken leader. You could do both within the full spectrum of Kent's arc.

 

[Pythenis]

I love S:TAS, but I felt that Superman was often times too reserved

Yea I go back to the Justice League Epy when he said to Darkseid something like "I have spent my whole life being careful and keeping my powers under control but you can take it big boy, so I am finally going to be able to cut loose."

I think him just holding back a bit keeps some of the mystery there, honestly I wish they would just go right to Darkseid as ultimate reboot villan, have Lex Corp install a new massive Super Collider in France, mean while clark is figuring out how to introduce himself or if he should then during the first run the super collider creates one of those mini black holes that sustains it's self and in walks Darkseid and his army staging in France (obviously for humor reasons) Lex tries to negotiate and Darkseid basically call Lex insignificant, this messes with Lex's head and he starts plotting against Darkseid. Clark is pushed into action but he is still a bit of a novice and cannot boot Darkseid. Lex and Clark conflict over how to deal with this alien menace and a wonderful ball of hate is created between Lex and Supes. Meanwhile Lois is in all kinda trouble covering the story from all angles. Then eventually Clark gets a plan and Darkseid is defeted and turned back..a little to easy, but it's all part of Darkseids bigger plan, this was just his first test of Supes. Meanwhile Lex berates Superman (candidly one on one) for hiding and is he going to take over the world too? Lex is also held as a hero for helping fight off the alien invasion.....heading toward that presidents chair. That would set the table nicely for a series of sequels and the constant Lex V. Supes battle. Then you could throw in any other villan with Lex until Darkseid returns for the epic fight or maybe we could see Doomsday???

Just a few thoughts....so we could really see Supes unleash his powers on the big screen .......finally....

 

[Slugster]

I kinda think he should be like Chris Reeves was as Superman but more like clark in Lois and Clark. Lex on the other hand should be a DICK! like most of the CEOs out there LOL! but I love Lois on Smallville.

 

[El Payaso]

I'd kill for the original Siegel-Shuster's Superman. Cocky but fair.

 

[Superwoman Prime]

Yea I go back to the Justice League Epy when he said to Darkseid something like "I have spent my whole life being careful and keeping my powers under control but you can take it big boy, so I am finally going to be able to cut loose."

"I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard. Always taking care not to break something. To break someone. But you can take it, can't you big guy? What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose, and show you how powerful I really am."

But I wasn't talking about his usage of power, though I agree we need an awesome display of that. I mean how assertive/aggressive he is during interactions with others.

 

[Superman2007]

Superman needs to be confident but not arrogant, earnest but not naive, witty but not a smart ass, and he also needs to be able to love but not be stupid about it.

The last one has been an achillies' heel for people trying get his characterization right.

Clark needs to be meek, cautious, chuckle-worthy funny, and slightly boring so no one becomes to intrigued by him.

Superman:The Movie, The Animated Series, All-Star, and Birthright came very close to getting this right. We need this characterization to be spot on and have it do for Superman what Batman Begins did for Batman.

 

[Pythenis]

"I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard. Always taking care not to break something. To break someone. But you can take it, can't you big guy? What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose, and show you how powerful I really am."

But I wasn't talking about his usage of power, though I agree we need an awesome display of that. I mean how assertive/aggressive he is during interactions with others.

OK got ya, yea I still go back to the animated series, he did have some moments of that mostly later in the series. He shows it allot when dealing with other hero's but not much with anyone else. Smallville has had allot of Clark taking a stance moments.

 

[Kurosawa]

Superman should be positive but not naive. Optimistic but not blind. More than anything, Superman should have faith in both people and reason. He should not be aggressive until it is clear that reason will not work. You can have a positive outlook and still be an adult. Too many people seem to misunderstand this. Superman's outlook on morality was best described in Maggin's second novel IMO:

On occasion, Superman had come to grips with people, creatures, beings of one sort or another, whose motivation for pursuing evil purposes was, simply, to serve the forces of evil. This was a point of view Superman could not understand. He was convinced that all one needs to do to persuade someone to do what is right is to educate that person to the fact that it is in his interest to do what is right. There was a right and a wrong in the Universe and that distinction was not very difficult to make. If you litter the park, it will not be as clean next time you want to use it. If you hold up a driver when you are hitchhiking, there will be fewer people likely to give you a ride when you really need to get somewhere. If you pepper the atmosphere with radioactive waste, your children and grandchildren's share of your legacy will be diminished. No one, Superman was convinced, would want to serve the cause of evil once he or she understood the meanings of right and wrong. (Miracle Monday 3)

Superman should be a leader, not in a childish "rah rah" manner but in a confident and adult manner. If the movie is set early in his career as some reports say, then he should have some of the more aggressive and rowdier traits of his early days. Regardless he should not be a toad to the authorities.

 

[Panthro]

I'd like a Clark Kent who's more down to Earth and not a bumbling idiot, that stereotype is so outdated it's not even funny (and I suspect it has always worked against the character). As others have stated I want a Superman who is confident and intelligent, not naive and gullible, with just enough of a sense of humor to say something witty when the time calls for it.

 

[Venom'sDad]

Clark... an in command persona. None of this bumbling stuff. If they want to copy something; George Reeves portrayal from the old TV series.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I've been looking at lois and Clark lately and I won't mind if they made Clark's personality based off Dean Cain's portrayal. However, I want Superman to be imposing and have a strong belief in whatever he does.

 

[DorkyFresh]

i like what this girl had to say about Superman. skip to 2:55 for relevant commentary and i'd suggest watching the rest because her last line is funny! warning: slight cussing

[YT]mitZIejjU50[/YT]

if the rumors of this being based on Birthright are true, i'd actually love to see a short scene where Clark has completed his first day as Superman, looks at himself in the mirror sort of tired, and starts reflecting on all the good deeds he's done and slowly starts to show a genuine smile and regained energy...maybe even practice posing one last time before calling it a night.

 

[Superwoman Prime]

Good find with the vid, DorkyFresh. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[I Am The Knight]

LOL at the title of this thread. Just passing through...

 

[Superwoman Prime]

...?

 

[JamalYIgle]

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT SUPERMAN?

BATES: Clark Kent. Basically, you have Clark with whom you can identify, and SUPERMAN for action. They're both indispensable. You write a story with just SUPERMAN in it, and no Clark, and it's not a complete story.

MAGGIN: My first SUPERMAN story had no Clark.

BATES: For shame.

DO YOU GO FOR THE IDEA THAT SUPERMAN IS AN ALIEN BEING, REACTING AGAINST A HOSTILE WORLD?

MAGGIN: I don't think that an alien being would be interested in flying around and establishing himself as the greatest hero on a foreign planet.

BATES: I don't think he's the alien figure some people have tried to make him. This is a boy that was adopted at age one. He grew up here on earth; for all intents and purposes he's one of us. He just has super-powers.

THAT'S A BIG JUST

MAGGIN: Yes, but that's why he's kept his secret identity. He doesn't need one.

BATES: He's lived with it, though, all his life. He's never known anything different. Every other superhero got his powers after living as a normal person. The entire SUPERMAN idea is unique because he has been SUPERMAN since the day he was born, and he's been Clark, too. Both of them are very, very important to a story. Clark Kent is a character the reader can feel for. We're writing stories around him now, not just SUPERMAN. We're getting into his family, his private life. It's been hidden for a long time.

AS A PERSON, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK OF CLARK KENT IF YOU MET HIM?

MAGGIN: I'd ignore him.

BATES: Remember, to be successful in what he wants to do, Clark has to come off as average, kind of dull, the sort of person that never draws attention: the opposite of SUPERMAN.

I think this is the mold they should follow.

 

[Daybreak_st]

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT SUPERMAN?

BATES: Clark Kent. Basically, you have Clark with whom you can identify, and SUPERMAN for action. They're both indispensable. You write a story with just SUPERMAN in it, and no Clark, and it's not a complete story.

MAGGIN: My first SUPERMAN story had no Clark.

BATES: For shame.

DO YOU GO FOR THE IDEA THAT SUPERMAN IS AN ALIEN BEING, REACTING AGAINST A HOSTILE WORLD?

MAGGIN: I don't think that an alien being would be interested in flying around and establishing himself as the greatest hero on a foreign planet.

BATES: I don't think he's the alien figure some people have tried to make him. This is a boy that was adopted at age one. He grew up here on earth; for all intents and purposes he's one of us. He just has super-powers.

THAT'S A BIG JUST

MAGGIN: Yes, but that's why he's kept his secret identity. He doesn't need one.

BATES: He's lived with it, though, all his life. He's never known anything different. Every other superhero got his powers after living as a normal person. The entire SUPERMAN idea is unique because he has been SUPERMAN since the day he was born, and he's been Clark, too. Both of them are very, very important to a story. Clark Kent is a character the reader can feel for. We're writing stories around him now, not just SUPERMAN. We're getting into his family, his private life. It's been hidden for a long time.

AS A PERSON, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK OF CLARK KENT IF YOU MET HIM?

MAGGIN: I'd ignore him.

BATES: Remember, to be successful in what he wants to do, Clark has to come off as average, kind of dull, the sort of person that never draws attention: the opposite of SUPERMAN.

I think this is the mold they should follow.

Really nice post Jamal I agree though i'd like to see Clark developed as more of a modern day geek, kind of like Chuck Bartowski of the show Chuck (i love that show). I think while at the daily planet, interacting with Jimmy especially he let's his geek side out a bit more. With his intelligence and unique experiences he'd know so many random facts about things, he could just spout off stuff that most people would just think was a little odd, like "how do you know this stuff" his repsonse "uh..i read a lot" something like that. He and jimmy would actually bond over the geek factor. I just think it would a nice little twist on his personality that would resonate well with an audience.

Loved your work on Supergirl, gonna miss you and Sterling. Best wishes on your next project, i'll be picking it up!

 

[Polux]

For Clarck, I liked Routh´s portrayal, he was a geek, but not an over the top geek like Reeve´s; I mean, I loved Reeve´s portrayal, but his Clark defeats the purpose of having a secret identity; he draws way too much attention to himself; Routh´s was a mild-manered Clark, shy, quiet, the kinda guy you don´t give a second thought to and you just ignore; that works for people not noticing that he is Superman, tho he should also be fleshed out as an intelligent and skilled reporter.

My two cents.

Polux

 

[djkris]

"Superman: Grounded" depicts Superman in a very interesting light: He is powerful, intelligent, funny, compassionate and serious at times. All these traits are shown when he is interacting with humans (and some aliens).

When he's facing villains, I want him to be confident, patronizing them as they fight, with the confidence of someone who knows that "good" and "evil" means. He represents some values (truth, justice, all that stuff) and I want him to project them into his speeches.

 

[project13]

Sorry to interrupt, but there's already a thread for it:

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=310615

Enjoy!