Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El Characterization

[Wheels]

I think in regards to that..the creators of the show wanted to really emphasize on how "Clark Kent" was the real persona, whereas Superman was just a created persona to help people, hence why Clark really came off as a strong and stable character in front of people.

The problem imho, is that the creators and perhaps Dean Cain as well, didn't have Cain act differently that much as Superman in order to make it somewhat believable that they could be considered as two different people like how CR did with his portrayal.

Yes exactly doing something different with the Superman character would've helped alot.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

He's bound to look like he can handle himself... He's got the body of Superman!

Unless you have him falling all over himself, wailing like a girl and fainting, he's going to look like he can handle himself.

The more important thing to emphasize, which I felt they did great in Golden Age stories is that he's the kind of guy who chooses not to. He takes the careful way out, never takes risks that might lead to exposing his secret, never confronts somebody in a physical way. If someone confronts him, he tries to reason with them, not get angry with them. He comes across a pacifist.

 

[Wheels]

He's bound to look like he can handle himself... He's got the body of Superman!

Unless you have him falling all over himself, wailing like a girl and fainting, he's going to look like he can handle himself.

The more important thing to emphasize, which I felt they did great in Golden Age stories is that he's the kind of guy who chooses not to. He takes the careful way out, never takes risks that might lead to exposing his secret, never confronts somebody in a physical way. If someone confronts him, he tries to reason with them, not get angry with them. He comes across a pacifist.

Yeah I see what you're saying. I don't wan't the doofus Clark that Reeve gave us, but it would be harder to figure out Clark is Superman if he seems scared to fight.

 

[Herolee10]

I would think that a good route to go would be for Metropolis Clark to be more mild mannered; presented as the "nice guy" at work, everyday man type of person..whereas Superman is presented in a larger than life/defender of the innocent type of deal.

 

[Wheels]

I would think that a good route to go would be for Metropolis Clark to be more mild mannered; presented as the "nice guy" at work, everyday man type of person..whereas Superman is presented in a larger than life/defender of the innocent type of deal.

Yep Clark should be downplayed and Superman should be a larger than life symbol of hope to the world.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

I would think that a good route to go would be for Metropolis Clark to be more mild mannered; presented as the "nice guy" at work, everyday man type of person..whereas Superman is presented in a larger than life/defender of the innocent type of deal.

Which is exactly how I felt they handled it in LnC.

The problem they had, was not making Superman larger than life enough... throughout the show, they had him become more and more of a figure in society, attending schools, hopital openings, dropping christmas trees off to orphanages, playing golf with the mayor etc etc... which was all nice, and a way of showing how Superman is well liked and accepted by Metropolis.

But I think Superman needs to be a more distant figure, shrouded in more mystery, and generally keep out of society a fair bit.

The more people in Metropolis start 'getting to know him' as Superman, the more he acts like a human man when he's wearing the suit, the less effective the disguise is.

It should work because no one really knows him, because it's very hard to get any information about him, because he's never in one place for long.

 

[Herolee10]

Which is exactly how I felt they handled it in LnC.

The problem they had, was not making Superman larger than life enough... throughout the show, they had him become more and more of a figure in society, attending schools, hopital openings, dropping christmas trees off to orphanages, playing golf with the mayor etc etc... which was all nice, and a way of showing how Superman is well liked and accepted by Metropolis.

But I think Superman needs to be a more distant figure, shrouded in more mystery, and generally keep out of society a fair bit.

The more people in Metropolis start 'getting to know him' as Superman, the more he acts like a human man when he's wearing the suit, the less effective the disguise is.

It should work because no one really knows him, because it's very hard to get any information about him, because he's never in one place for long.

Indeed; which is even more of a reason for why I'm kind of getting excited about MOS from seeing all of these new photos. I mean it really seems like for the first time ever on film, we'll get a chance to see the several layers that Superman/Clark has as a character and get really in depth with the core of his personality and the evolution of his journey towards becoming Superman.

 

[Wheels]

I also want to say that when I say nervous or scared I don't mean Clark should act like a buffoon. He should stumble over his words and his hands could shake a little. He doesn't like confrontations at all.

 

[Krumm]

These are some good posts

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Definitely

And with the worlds reaction seemingly 'army attack!' instead of 'cheering and swooning', we might actually get to see a lot more interesting dynamics.

For example, it suddenly becomes MUCH more important for his identity to remain a secret.

 

[Marvin]

Superman doesn't wear a mask, he also flys home in the up direction, thorough the clouds and beyond. It should be no ones inclination that he has a secret identity. He's not Zorro in a mask riding an expensive horse into eastern direction. And that's how DC editors have explained his disguise working in the past.

This is further helped by the idea in Birthright that Clark is almost designed to be ignored. Not so much a clown but the incarnation of bland. With superman doing most of his talking with his actions and significance. Clark gets his ideals out by way of his larger than life writing.

In my mind Superman has one of the best and most well designed secret ID's in comics and it always makes me sigh when people joke about the glasses being silly. I hope the movie does something to combat this idea.

If my friend looked just like Jesus Christ(and JC recently return), I'd never think for a second they were one in the same. JC is a god and to most people so is superman. Who cares if he and clark are both 6,4 etc. A non disguise wearing god is just that.

 

[Rocanrol]

Excellent post Marvin!

 

[Wheels]

Yep Clark should be downplayed and not stick out.

 

[Blue Sugar]

Some great posts on this last page!

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Superman doesn't wear a mask, he also flys home in the up direction, thorough the clouds and beyond. It should be no ones inclination that he has a secret identity. He's not Zorro in a mask riding an expensive horse into eastern direction. And that's how DC editors have explained his disguise working in the past.

This is further helped by the idea in Birthright that Clark is almost designed to be ignored. Not so much a clown but the incarnation of bland. With superman doing most of his talking with his actions and significance. Clark gets his ideals out by way of his larger than life writing.

In my mind Superman has one of the best and most well designed secret ID's in comics and it always makes me sigh when people joke about the glasses being silly. I hope the movie does something to combat this idea.

If my friend looked just like Jesus Christ(and JC recently return), I'd never think for a second they were one in the same. JC is a god and to most people so is superman. Who cares if he and clark are both 6,4 etc. A non disguise wearing god is just that.

Completely agree with that.

I have always thought Batman's identity is much more obvious, especially in the Nolan movies. I mean, once you wittle it down to people with the finances to fund all the gadgets, and then you find a guy who's parents were murdered in an alley when he was a kid (giving him obvious motive) and then you note that he went missing for years and Batman appeared right around the time he resurfaced?

Duh



I've said before, it wouldn't matter if Clark Kent won a comeptition as a Superman lookalike... people still would not think 'oh, maybe that means he's actually Superman in disguise'.

Because it's just too ridiculous to them. It's too ridiculous that Superman would have a job and a secret normal life with normal American parents and friends.

He's an alien superhero.

 

[Krumm]

Ha!

 

[Kurosawa]

I used to love the "Private Life of Clark Kent" stories where Clark would solve everyday problems, fixing the plumbing in his apartment building or whatever...but this little tale concerning the old Kent house in Smallville was my favorite:

 

[TruerToTheCore]

Of course, that story ( "I Can't Go Home Again" ) is the Bronze Age Superman in a nutshell.

 

[Wheels]

Best proof that the Byrne version sucked.



He returns to being Clark Kent and even calls his real identity.

Suck!

Thought I should bring this post back up for the "John Byrne is awesome" guy in the costume thread.

Being Superman should not be treated like a chore.

 

[Kurosawa]

Thought I should bring this post back up for the "John Byrne is awesome" in the costume thread.

Being Superman should not be treated like a chore.

That page is a great example of the many failures of Byrne's Superman.

 

[Wheels]

That page is a great example of the many failures of Byrne's Superman.

I much prefer the characterisation where Kal EL enjoys being Superman, like in Morrison's stuff. Kal EL wants to be Superman in those stories.

 

[flickchick85]

Which is exactly how I felt they handled it in LnC.

The problem they had, was not making Superman larger than life enough... throughout the show, they had him become more and more of a figure in society, attending schools, hopital openings, dropping christmas trees off to orphanages, playing golf with the mayor etc etc... which was all nice, and a way of showing how Superman is well liked and accepted by Metropolis.

But I think Superman needs to be a more distant figure, shrouded in more mystery, and generally keep out of society a fair bit.

The more people in Metropolis start 'getting to know him' as Superman, the more he acts like a human man when he's wearing the suit, the less effective the disguise is.

It should work because no one really knows him, because it's very hard to get any information about him, because he's never in one place for long.

This is EXACTLY how I feel on the topic.

Which is why I feel it's important that Lois ultimately has to fall in love with Clark, not Superman. Of course she'll first be infatuated with Superman, and she gets all the exclusives/interviews with him...but she never really knows him outside those interactions - not on the intimate level necessary for someone to actually fall in love. So her feelings toward Superman equate more to hero-worship than love, meaning the "real" Clark has to shine through enough in the Metropolis Clark persona for Lois to eventually fall for him.

So I agree with the notion that Metropolis Clark has to be an act, but it needs to be a subtle act, nothing too far from Clark's real personality. I think Clark was raised to be a mild-mannered farm boy from Kansas anyway, so it shouldn't be too much of a stretch. He just keeps his natural self-confidence in check when he's in Metropolis Clark-mode, and feigns an awkward/clumsy side every now and then.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Agreed.

That's also one of the main reasons I hope we don't see them falling in love before the movie ends... because a Lois/Clark love story simply doesn't develop that quickly.

Lois falls in love with Clark Kent gradually, against all her better judgement, and it's something she should resist a fair bit IMO. That's just a part of her, and part of their dynamic.

And Clark makes it HARDER for himself by wowing her as Superman. That's always been his curse. He can't resist the temptation of enjoying the way she looks at Superman, when she's constantly pretending she doesn't have any interest in Clark (even though it's obvious to the audience.

 

[Herolee10]

Agreed.

That's also one of the main reasons I hope we don't see them falling in love before the movie ends... because a Lois/Clark love story simply doesn't develop that quickly.

Lois falls in love with Clark Kent gradually, against all her better judgement, and it's something she should resist a fair bit IMO. That's just a part of her, and part of their dynamic.

And Clark makes it HARDER for himself by wowing her as Superman. That's always been his curse. He can't resist the temptation of enjoying the way she looks at Superman, when she's constantly pretending she doesn't have any interest in Clark (even though it's obvious to the audience.

lol; what if the events of the film, for when Lois first meets Clark, takes place over a period of let's say...a year? Would that be long enough? lol

 

[Micromind]

And Clark makes it HARDER for himself by wowing her as Superman. That's always been his curse.

Agreed.

He can't resist the temptation of enjoying the way she looks at Superman, when she's constantly pretending she doesn't have any interest in Clark (even though it's obvious to the audience.

Here is where I differ with what you say, He knows that Lois Lane is attracted towards Superman as he is like a god, but in reality Clark values his human side so, he secretly hopes that Lois will somehow see good qualities in Clark kent and love Clark Kent.

But Lois Lane would not consider anyone equal to Supes, and so she just cannot give Clark Kent the same level of attention, which is the main issue with CK.