The Man of Steel Trailer: Five Key Moments

The countdown is over, the second Man of Steel trailer is live, and this time we get a lot more of a feel for the movie–including the humanity in Clark Kent and the kind of challenges that he’ll face even before he starts acting as Superman.While most of the footage is the same we already saw at Comic-Con, this is the first time most people have been exposed to it, and it seemed like as good a time as any to comment on it briefly. We got a look at the destruction of Krypton, obviously a key moment in Superman’s history, as well as the first time he used his powers publicly…some events that really shape who the character will turn out to be. So what else stuck out?“What was I supposed to do–just let them die?”It perfectly communicates what makes Superman special in a sea of dudes with capes and tights and super-powers. His commitment to the sanctity of human life is key to what makes him Superman, and the only thing that really bums us out about this trailer is that Jonathan Kent, long depicted as Superman’s moral compass, offers up “maybe” as a response to this obviously rhetorical question.It does establish one of the themes for the rest of the film–that Superman is seen as some as a freak at best, or a living weapon at worst, and it’s not easy to be him. We get that same “it’s not easy” vibe from a flashback to his childhood that opens up the ad, when Ma Kent is trying to calm him down after his super-senses seem to be driving him to the brink.“You’re going to change the world”The “aw, shucks”/”I’m just a kid from Kansas” thing really worked well for Christopher Reeve, but capturing the scope and the inspiration that is Superman will be key to Cavill not only in differentiating himself from Captain America (who played that aspect of the character way down in favor of a literal “I’m just a kid from Brooklyn” approach) but also in setting the stage for a DC Universe where Batman and Wonder Woman can exist but Superman remains special.The scope they illustrate in this trailer is key, I think, to understanding not only why the military would want to take Superman into custody but also why it’s important that Superman go willingly to be questioned (see the trailer that was recently released). One of the things about Superman is that he doesn’t wear a mask, he doesn’t operate in the shadows. He isn’t Batman or even Spider-Man; he’s supposed to be an inspiration, and that doesn’t work if he’s viewed as a threat to law and order, national security or the natural order.