Man of Steel Sequel Will Be "Global," Says Zack Snyder

Shortly after the release of Man of Steel this weekend, ComicBook.com ran a story in which we pointed out that screenwriter David S. Goyer had traded quite aggressively in the idea of Superman as a global force for good in a story he wrote for Action Comics #900, but backed off of that notion on film. In the Action Comics tale, Superman renounced his U.S. citizenship, which set off a flurry of negative reactions from around comics and popular culture. DC, at the time, elected not to follow it up but there was some speculation that the film, written by Goyer, could touch on the idea. Of course, it didn't, with Superman actually saying in the film, "I grew up in Kansas! I'm about as American as it gets." And, in spite of being spurned in Superman Returns and not explicitly invoked in Man of Steel, the concept of "Truth, Justice and the American Way" was restored. While sticking to the value of that Americana feel, though, director Zack Snyder told Bleeding Cool that

"[Superman] has no choice but to become global," said Snyder of the sequel, which Warner Bros. may greenlight for as early as next year. "But for me I was really interested in – and maybe it's because Barack Obama's president now – it's okay for Superman to be American. He's quintessentially an American creature and creation. I wanted to pay homage to the superhero as coming from the heartland of America, and the 'Why?' of that." He went on to say that the casting of Kevin Costner and Diane Lane were key to the success of that beat. Whether a sequel that presumably doesn't have Costner in it and takes place mostly in Metropolis will lend itself easily to a more "international feel" is anybody's guess, but it's probably still a safe bet that the Man of Steel won't have any controversial, political monologues in the next installment, either.