Reboot: Character Portrayal

[GreenKToo]

I like the idea a poster had about Clark being cocky when he was younger, then being brought down to earth somehow.

It would be something to see him in High School as the typical sports jock.
(maybe his powers would not be near 100% then (no heat vision, no x-ray vision, no flight, his strength at about a quarter level of normal) but still powerful enough to make him unstoppable as a RB on the Football team. He keeps his increased strength a secret. Only the Kents know.

Maybe a contest with another team for the state FB championship or something could bring him down to earth. His team could be up by a huge score, but the other team his no quit in them. Even the injured players on the opposing team keep fighting back. Most of them have busted lips, noses, etc, all from trying to bring down Clark.

Finally an opposing player gets a serious injury in trying to stop Clark. (Silence in the stadium as the player doesnt move.)
As they are carting the player off the field, he calls out Clarks name and says its not his fault, its just a game and that these things happen.

(you here the siren from the Ambulance start up as it drives off with the injured player)

Clark is ashamed and saddened. Here he is he thinks, with all this strength and all he has done up to now is think about how he can get what HE wants out of life, with little regard for others.
He quits sports right then and there and never looks back.

He walks off the field out of one life, and without knowing it, begins another..

 

[Master Blaster]

Those Fleischer cartoons were pretty dark, though maybe not the kind of dark people are thinking of. A Fleischeresque Superman movie would be cool to see, but probably unmakeable.

How exactly would it be unmakeable?

 

[GreenKToo]

I want Superman to be bright and full of hope. Make his enemy and the whole situation surrounding him dark.

 

[Master Blaster]

i think it'd be best if it was a dark world, crime ridden, wars...corrupt politicians...(think TODAY) and then have superman show up and inspire people...only to have someone like lex raise suspicions...about him being an alien...because hes not from here, not like us that he should be viewed with caution and some fear...hes the first wave of an invasion kind of thing...then maybe supes saves the day, but have that theme carried throughout, by having brainiac or darksied or something appear of be hinted at at the end to give lex some kind of creedence

i like how TDK showed a pretty bad city, but how batman was able to inspire someone like harvey dent, and work with gordon to help the city...i think if they went with a dark world but used supes as the beacon of light and truth, we'd definately have a winner

I'm against the Dark and Brooding route. However I would prefer that the Superman persona starts out a bit of a swagger and over confidence in terms of his abilities and what he can achieve. He has a bit of a schoolboy cockiness about him until he's humbled and once that happens he grows more into the Superman we know. I'd like the idea of him thinking he can do almost anything despite Jor-El's warnings . Once he's brought down to earth he begins to learn and become the leader that we know. I'm for him being more human ,if that makes anysense, and less the one dimesional boy scout of the past. I think giving the character more humanity would work better then making him a Batman clone imo.

So far I like those ideas. They sound great.

Look, I understand where most everyone here is coming from. When I said "Dark and Brooding" I certainly didn't mean the Rorschach or Batman kind. I don't want Superman lurking in the shadows or wearing all black or stuff like that. I mearly want a more realistic take on the Man of Tomorrow. I see him being a flawed yet noble everyman who just so happens to have amazing powers far beyond that of mortal men. His character should be similar to that of Indiana Jones or Steve Reeves' Hercules. I don't want a Batman clone.

 

[GreenKToo]

That I could see.

 

[Compi716]

I like the idea a poster had about Clark being cocky when he was younger, then being brought down to earth somehow.

It would be something to see him in High School as the typical sports jock.
(maybe his powers would not be near 100% then (no heat vision, no x-ray vision, no flight, his strength at about a quarter level of normal) but still powerful enough to make him unstoppable as a RB on the Football team. He keeps his increased strength a secret. Only the Kents know.

Maybe a contest with another team for the state FB championship or something could bring him down to earth. His team could be up by a huge score, but the other team his no quit in them. Even the injured players on the opposing team keep fighting back. Most of them have busted lips, noses, etc, all from trying to bring down Clark.

Finally an opposing player gets a serious injury in trying to stop Clark. (Silence in the stadium as the player doesnt move.)
As they are carting the player off the field, he calls out Clarks name and says its not his fault, its just a game and that these things happen.

(you here the siren from the Ambulance start up as it drives off with the injured player)

Clark is ashamed and saddened. Here he is he thinks, with all this strength and all he has done up to now is think about how he can get what HE wants out of life, with little regard for others.
He quits sports right then and there and never looks back.

He walks off the field out of one life, and without knowing it, begins another..

See, this is why Byrne's 'Man of Steel' will always be my favorite origin story. Clark WAS the jock, but he still found a way to humble himself.

 

[GreenKToo]

I have to admitt i've never read it. The Last comic I bought was the death of superman way back when.
I have bought a few graphic novels since then tho kingdom come, red son, etc.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

I want Superman to be bright and full of hope. Make his enemy and the whole situation surrounding him dark.

I think this is, hopefully, what WB was going for.

 

[manofsteel4life]

I like the idea a poster had about Clark being cocky when he was younger, then being brought down to earth somehow.

It would be something to see him in High School as the typical sports jock.
(maybe his powers would not be near 100% then (no heat vision, no x-ray vision, no flight, his strength at about a quarter level of normal) but still powerful enough to make him unstoppable as a RB on the Football team. He keeps his increased strength a secret. Only the Kents know.

Maybe a contest with another team for the state FB championship or something could bring him down to earth. His team could be up by a huge score, but the other team his no quit in them. Even the injured players on the opposing team keep fighting back. Most of them have busted lips, noses, etc, all from trying to bring down Clark.

Finally an opposing player gets a serious injury in trying to stop Clark. (Silence in the stadium as the player doesnt move.)
As they are carting the player off the field, he calls out Clarks name and says its not his fault, its just a game and that these things happen.

(you here the siren from the Ambulance start up as it drives off with the injured player)

Clark is ashamed and saddened. Here he is he thinks, with all this strength and all he has done up to now is think about how he can get what HE wants out of life, with little regard for others.
He quits sports right then and there and never looks back.

He walks off the field out of one life, and without knowing it, begins another..

i really like this idea green....its like they have so many routes to go, but yet it seems like its so difficult for them to decide where they(wb)wanna go with supes...pissh

 

[GreenKToo]

I think this is, hopefully, what WB was going for.

I hope so.

i really like this idea green....its like they have so many routes to go, but yet it seems like its so difficult for them to decide where they(wb)wanna go with supes...pissh

Thanx. Its just sad when someone with no writing talent can use a little imagination and come up with a decent story.
I've read some amazing stuff here through the yrs, some of it would make a helluva film(s).

 

[manofsteel4life]

I hope so.

Thanx. Its just sad when someone with no writing talent can use a little imagination and come up with a decent story.
I've read some amazing stuff here through the yrs, some of it would make a helluva film(s).

i know....... i mean i understand they wanna do this right, but damn

 

[The Guard]

I have no problem with, from time to time, Superman brooding, becoming angry, or almost losing control. These are realistic options, given his character and the nature of his environment and villains.

But did I just see someone ask why there hasn't been a movie that shows how alienated Superman is from humanity?

Umm, SUPERMAN RETURNS anyone?

Quite honestly, a movie that presents Superman as utterly alienated and alone misses the point of Superman as a character.

The tone needs to be serious. Not dark. The film can have dark elements, absolutely. But this should not be a dark movie.

AQUAMAN should be dark. SUPERMAN needs to be about hope and inspiration.

 

[GreenKToo]

co-signed

 

[Nightwing1977]

Glad to see one like minded person and now for the other 99% who will completely disagree!

Drum roll please.

You can say 98% now, with how I agree with you there. TDK & Watchmen work perfectly with being dark while Supes shouldn't.

 

[theMan-Bat]

I want Superman to be bright and full of hope. Make his enemy and the whole situation surrounding him dark.

That's it! That's the way it is in those Fleischer cartoons and some of the episodes of The Adventures of Superman TV show.

 

[daywalker2007]

for starters, the next director has to realise that you can't put Superman in a gloomy filtered landscape which distorts all the colors seen on screen.

They need to take a look at Chris Nolan, he used a brownish color scheme for the Batman Begins movie, then a Blue color scheme for TDK.

Superman is even more important when it comes to color schemes.

A sky blue and clear color scheme would do wonders for a superman movie.
And when Superman is at his ice cold home in the fortress of solitude, the blue and red of his costume should be striking and bright.

I really hope a director who pays attention to things such as colour schemes and how things look on screen is brought on board.

Attention to detail goes a long way in making a successful movie.

 

[Frodo]

So far I like those ideas. They sound great.

Look, I understand where most everyone here is coming from. When I said "Dark and Brooding" I certainly didn't mean the Rorschach or Batman kind. I don't want Superman lurking in the shadows or wearing all black or stuff like that. I mearly want a more realistic take on the Man of Tomorrow. I see him being a flawed yet noble everyman who just so happens to have amazing powers far beyond that of mortal men. His character should be similar to that of Indiana Jones or Steve Reeves' Hercules. I don't want a Batman clone.

I think this would help. I'd like to see him and the other characters have much more humanity then they have in the past.

 

[STC]

I wouldnt want to see Superman dark or brooding, but if we must Superman X is the darkest I want to see him go.

 

[GoblinWhirlwind]

I want Superman to be bright and full of hope. Make his enemy and the whole situation surrounding him dark.

That's exactly how it should be... Superman's the ray of hope in the darkness.

 

[BlueLightning]

I like the idea a poster had about Clark being cocky when he was younger, then being brought down to earth somehow.

It would be something to see him in High School as the typical sports jock.
(maybe his powers would not be near 100% then (no heat vision, no x-ray vision, no flight, his strength at about a quarter level of normal) but still powerful enough to make him unstoppable as a RB on the Football team. He keeps his increased strength a secret. Only the Kents know.

Maybe a contest with another team for the state FB championship or something could bring him down to earth. His team could be up by a huge score, but the other team his no quit in them. Even the injured players on the opposing team keep fighting back. Most of them have busted lips, noses, etc, all from trying to bring down Clark.

Finally an opposing player gets a serious injury in trying to stop Clark. (Silence in the stadium as the player doesnt move.)
As they are carting the player off the field, he calls out Clarks name and says its not his fault, its just a game and that these things happen.

(you here the siren from the Ambulance start up as it drives off with the injured player)

Clark is ashamed and saddened. Here he is he thinks, with all this strength and all he has done up to now is think about how he can get what HE wants out of life, with little regard for others.
He quits sports right then and there and never looks back.

He walks off the field out of one life, and without knowing it, begins another..

It was kinda explored on the animated series, that episode with the legion "New Kids in Town" if I remember correctly. Clark wasshowing of some of his abilities in a celebration or something. But it was played nicely. I think that being raised by The Kents it would be unlikely that he would act as you said.

I think "Dark and Brooding Superman= FAIL". It isnn´t supposed to be that way. Is not that he cannot be someone that a bandit don´t have to be afraid, I mean he is Superman.

If there is a characterization that could work well in the screen it would be from Superman: TAS. Then you have a WIN.

 

[Robin91939]

I want a confident, powerful, Superman. I want him to be the most powerful being on earth, but not as powerful as we've seen in the movies. Think along the lines of The Animated Series. They depowered him a bit to make him more interesting...yet, he was still immensely powerful.


Or how he is portrayed in Superman: Doomsday.

I want him to have some edge to him.

-R

 

[ross2287]

Go ask anyone on the street what they think of when they think of Superman.

I guarantee you that of all the adjectives they come up with not one will be "dark" or "brooding."

 

[ross2287]

I want Superman to be bright and full of hope. Make his enemy and the whole situation surrounding him dark.

I'm all for this.

 

[BestGirl]

It would be nice if Robinov or whichever executive said he wanted a darker Superman would explain what he meant. I'm hoping he meant what GreenKToo said.

 

[Webhead2006]

I was always under the impression he meant superman wouldnt be dark/brooding like bats but his world, and threats, and villain would be dark and all that.