RSS

Is This the Plot for the Next Superman Movie?

— by ANDY BEHBAKHT —

So far, the upcoming Superman reboot has a cast of four actors, but one thing we haven’t heard is what the movie’s plot will be.

We know that David S. Goyer is writing the screenplay for the movie, and thanks to Movienewz, we may now know what that plot is. That site revealed a brief synopsis which sounds very interesting, but before you read this — keeping in mind that it is a rumor for the time being — consider this may contain possible minor spoilers:

    In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time. Clark Kent/Kal-El (Henry Cavill) is a young 20-something journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond anyone’s imagination. Transported to Earth years ago from Krypton, an advanced alien planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question – Why am I here? Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Diane Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), Clark soon discovers that having super abilities means making very difficult decisions. But when the world needs stability the most, it comes under attack. Will his abilities be used to maintain peace or ultimately used to divide and conquer? Clark must become the hero known as “Superman,” not only to shine as the world’s last beacon of hope but to protect the ones he loves.

But there is more – not only has a possible synopsis been revealed, Movienewz also reported two possible villains from a source of theirs and like with the synopsis, this is also just a rumor for now, but consider this as a possible spoiler:

    General Sam Lane, the father of Lois Lane, is a central figure in director Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot. This really is as Zack described in several interviews about the film, a “real world” Superman. I’m told that when Superman arrives on the scene; people don’t know what to think. He’s an alien from another planet. What are his real intentions? He’s not human and that scares a lot of people. Here’s a guy who can fly, see through walls, is bullet proof and can lift a tank. The military views him as a potential threat to national security. They find Kryptonite, pieces of his home planet, and discover its radioactive elements can be harnessed as a near unlimited source of power, both literally and figuratively. It’s a brand new form of energy that is secretly developed by the government. The military, under the direction of General Sam Lane, uses Kryptonite to power an experimental cyborg super solider named Metallo. He’s ultimately exploited as a weapon against Superman.

Personally, I love it but it’s not new to me. This is almost exactly the plot from Geoff Johns’ six-issue series “Superman Secret Origin” (which I recommend to those of you who haven’t read it) but I’m not against the idea of bringing Gen. Sam Lane and also John Corben (a.k.a Metallo) to the big screen. Neither of them has ever been on the big screen – the last time they were in any Superman media at all was on “Smallville,” where Michael Ironside (Gen. Lane) and Brian Austin Green (Metallo) portrayed the roles. I wouldn’t mind actually seeing these two as the villains for once — nothing against Lex Luthor but I feel that it’s time for a movie without Luthor for once. I know that fans out there might feel like they are ripping off another Superman story, but I think that this is actually a good move on their part.

This might be the last chance for Warner Bros. to make a Superman movie, due to a lawsuit that has been going on for years. So maybe the best strategy is to bring a Supes story that has received positive response from fans and make it into a live-action version. I remember that Goyer mentioned somewhere that his script was going to be inspired by John’s “Secret Origins,” but Snyder has mentioned many times that the movie isn’t going to be based on comics at all. Perhaps he has changed his mind, or maybe this is just a rumor – I guess we’ll find out sooner or later.

The Superman reboot — tentatively titled “Superman: Man of Steel” — is scheduled to fly into theaters in December 2012. In the meantime, discuss and leave your comments to the right. Would you like to see Gen. Lane and Metallo as the villains? Does the synopsis sound interesting to you?

And click here for more of our Superman coverage.

. . .

Follow Andy Behbakht on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Haoh93.

And don’t forget to “Like” It’s Just Movies on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/itsjustmovies.


0 Comments Add Yours ↓

  1. 1

    I have to admit, I’m not thrilled by the prospect of another origin story.

  2. Adam P #
    2

    I am also not thrilled for another origin story, because it will take up half of the running time to make him Superman, I do however like the Metallo & General Sam Lane angle, make it different, and mix-it up. Does a Superman movie NEED Lex Luthor as the primary villain? What if Lex has a small cameo and he is the one secretly funding the governments experimentation with Kryptonite and Metallo?

  3. moviefan #
    3

    For possible villains, definately would love to see metallo.

  4. 4

    I pretty much agree with the second comment. Another Superman origin story seems boring. Been there, done that – you know? But the way the story will be told seems very interesting. This reboot might be the closest Superman can come to being “real world” movie.

  5. 5

    To Adam,

    The idea of a Lex cameo is great in theory, but the problem comes in casting. A big actor wouldn’t likely do it without a breakdown of what their role would be in future films or at least the next one. It really isn’t worth it to commit to that for a cameo role (unless it’s one of those shown from behind and you only see his bald head deals).

  6. Robert D. #
    6

    I just don’t think superman is a bada** enough of a superhero to satisfy people’s thirst for action and without action people seem to stray away.