One key element from Man of Steel that Superman: Legacy needs to fix
Superman: Legacy, or simply Superman, is one of the most highly anticipated superhero movies in the coming year, with the future of the newly rebooted DCU under Peter Safran and James Gunn mainly depending on its success. After Gunn's takeover, the veteran filmmaker made some bold decisions and decided to reboot the entire DC universe with new actors in prominent roles.
As most fans know, Henry Cavill's version of Superman, which kickstarted Zack Snyder's attempt at building the DC universe with Man of Steel, is still regarded as one of the best iterations of the character. However, apart from the less-than-excellent set of films that followed Man of Steel, the character of Superman also had one big problem that could be the key to unlocking the best of America's greatest superhero.
The one thing that Man of Steel failed to capitalize on was the depiction of Clark Kent, which was not at par with the emphasis the film put on Superman. Fixing this, which James Gunn definitely should in Superman: Legacy, will automatically make David Corenswet's version stand out.
Why Man of Steel did not feel as comic accurate as it should have
Man of Steel had many elements that made it stand out, with an excellent and convincing Superman in the form of Henry Cavill, who seemed to be in the skin of the superhero throughout. However, there was a little dip in the film caused by the film's most glaring error- the need for more screen time for Clarke Kent.
In the comics, the entire dynamic of Superman is built on his two personas: the Man of Steel, who saves the world, fights aliens, and fends off Earth's biggest threats. The meek, shy Clarke Kent almost serves as Superman's interpretation of the world, as Quentin Tarantino pointed out in Kill Bill.
While Man of Steel did give an origin story to Kal-El when he arrived on Earth and grew up, there were too few instances of adult Clarke Kent, something that was also left largely unexplored in the subsequent films, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, where Cavill's character made subsequent appearances.
This also contributes to why Christopher Reeves' portrayal of the character is highly regarded. Reeves' Superman tackled both sides of the iconic character with ease and conviction, making subtle changes that showed both sides of the hero very well.
Fixing this tiny thing and maintaining Cavill's conviction in Superman: Legacy will be enough to make it a successful film.
The CW's Superman & Lois can serve as inspiration for Clarke Kent's character in Superman: Legacy
While it is clear that DCU's version of Superman will be far from the TV adaptation from the CW, which stars Tyler Hoeclin as the iconic superhero, it is a show that deals with Clarke Kent's character better than any movie that came before.
It will be impossible to fit so much in a single film. Still, the deep humanization of Kent, alongside his very human relationship with Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) in the series, is one of the reasons it stands out so well.
Adding some elements that make this version of Superman stand out in the DCU adaptation will likely help explore the Clarke Kent side very well. Adding Kent's childhood hometown and some stories around it will introduce a more realistic dimension to the story, which Superman & Lois also executed very well.
Hopefully, Superman: Legacy will be able to address the issues that have plagued the fans of Man of Steel. It will also be worth seeing how David Corenswet makes the character his own.
Superman: Legacy is set to premiere in the United States on July 11, 2025.