Matthew Vaughn Wants To Bring Back Classic Superman In ‘Man of Steel 2’

Director Matthew Vaughn is about to launch Kingsman: The Golden Circle in theaters, but fans are already buzzing about the rumor that Vaughn could be a candidate to direct Man of Steel 2.

In a recent interview with Collider, Vaughn opened up to tease his vision of a Superman movie:

“Weirdly if I did do Superman—and I made the mistake of telling someone yesterday I have spoken about it and then wallop (laughs)—I think my main take would be, it’s really boring but make a Superman film. I just don’t feel a proper Superman—I think Donner did it to perfection for that time. Just doing the modern—I wanna do a modern version of the Donner [version]. Go back to the source material… For me Superman is color, feel-good, heroic. He’s a beacon of light in darkness. And that’s what I think Superman should be.”

That’s a description that’s likely to start a wave of fan campaigning and petitioning for Vaughn to get the job. For every fan who is sick of the violent and somber Superman of the current DC Extended Universe run, this will sound like the much-needed cure.

Nicolas Cage and Tim Burton failed to bring a “beacon of hope” Superman story to the screen in the Superman Lives project, while director Bryan Singer couldn’t quite transport the Donner-era Superman into modern times with Superman Returns. Zack Snyder tried to reinvent the character with gritty outsider angst for Man of Steel, but no one has really cracked the code of conveying what the Superman ideal looks and feels like in the darker and more complicated modern age.

While it’s easy for Vaughn to speak of that ideal, it’s harder to actually pull it off — especially with the prior stumbles of DC Extended Universe films like Man of Steel and Batman v Superman already on the scorecard. However, as we’ve already pointed out, there’s room for Justice League to present Superman in a traditional light of hope and optimism, a figurative second life to go along with his literal resurrection.

Justice League will be in theaters November 17th. Kingsman: The Golden Circle will be in theaters on September 22nd.