Identity crisis in Man of Steel trailer

14-Dec-12 12:55 PM by
Filed under Trailers; 2 comments.

Tis the season for superhero reboots: Spider-Man got his this past summer, and the Fantastic Four will get a makeover in 2015. Between those two will be the most iconic superhero of them all. Kal-El, the Last Son of Krypton, will become Clark Kent, then Superman, this June 14 in Man of Steel, an original film directed by Zack Snyder (300), produced by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises), and written by David Goyer (Blade II, Jumper, The Dark Knight, Ghost Rider 2). With teasers having been released at this past July's Comic-Con, it wasn't until this week that the masses got their first glimpse of Metropolis' defender with this full trailer:

Man of Steel is the first Superman film (if it can be considered that, given the movie's title's lack of nomenclature) to not be based Christopher Reeve's interpretation since he made that role manifest in 1978. Bryan Singer's 2006 sequel was both empowered and limited by its adherence to continuity, and though I seem to be one of the few who enjoyed Brandon Routh in the role, even I agree it's time for an original retelling.

And that we'll get: Snyder's version appears to focus away from the action and more on the character. Although there are hints of super-powered villains, the film's tension appears to originate from the identity crisis Kal experiences. Is he an alien, a Kansan, or a Samaritan? How will he balance his responsibilities to himself, his family, and his world? It doesn't sound like the stuff of a Hollywood blockbuster, yet with such a storied production crew behind it, Man of Steel has potential to deliver the movie franchise back into the sun.

(Hat tips to Gene Demaitre, Kevin Melrose, and Keith Shaw)

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2 Responses to “Identity crisis in Man of Steel trailer”

  1. Mike adds:
    14-Dec-12 3:15 PM

    Superman was always more just a patchwork of random powers thrown together to suit the latest plotline, than any kind of realistic well-developed character, so actually, I think a reboot would affect him less than other superheroes.

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  2. Jonathan Adams adds:
    06-Mar-13 12:49 PM

    That team of directors/producers sounds pretty great, and the cast looks amazing. How many other superhero movies have 4 Oscar-nominated actors in supporting roles? I thought I heard Superman drop into a scratchy, Dark Knight voice for a minute. Kind of hope that doesn't happen.

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