Superman is a very tricky character to get right. On paper, he stands for everything good in the world, including truth and justice. That’s obviously not a lot to go on, and it doesn’t help his case that he’s far stronger than the average superhero. Few villains can go toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel, and even the ones who can rarely get to claim victory in the end. With all that going against him, it’s no surprise that filmmakers prefer to tackle a character like Batman, who is a mere mortal who has plenty of trauma to work through. The Dark Knight’s story is just begging to be told on the big screen.
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When Zack Snyder announced he would be directing a Superman movie, many critics and fans thought he was out of his mind and should borrow a page from Christopher Nolan’s playbook by trading the red trunks for a black cape and cowl. While Snyder did get his chance to bring his version of the Dark Knight to life, he also didn’t shy away from putting his stamp on the Last Son of Krypton. Here are three criticisms of Snyder’s Superman that aged the worst.
3) He Was Too Strong
Man of Steel is a true origin story, following Clark Kent as he discovers who he is and where he came from. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get much time to wrap his head around the whole thing because General Zod comes knocking and threatens the entire planet. Despite being raised on a farm, Superman gets the better of Zod and makes quick work of Steppenwolf in Justice League.
There’s this idea out there that the DC Extended Universe’s Superman is too strong for his own good. However, that’s a silly notion, because the story Snyder tells in his movies doesn’t ask Kal-El to wrestle only with physical threats. A lot of his fights are in his mind as he fights back against the idea that Superman shouldn’t exist.
2) He Didn’t Care About Collateral Damage
When Superman finally faces Zod in Metropolis, the gloves come off, as the titular hero is tired of watching a madman hurt the people he cares about. The fury he fights with leads to a few lapses in judgment, such as moving out of the way of a tanker careening toward a building. But it’s important to remember that it’s Superman’s first day on the job.
In subsequent appearances, Clark’s alter ego goes out of his way to help those in need and mourns those he can’t save. He’s such a good guy that he even shows up for Freddie Freeman when Shazam reaches out to him. It’s just not fair to judge someone by their worst day.
1) He Wasn’t Optimistic Enough
James Gunn’s Superman takes its main character in a very specific direction, focusing on his humanity and having him yell about it from the rooftops. The DCEU doesn’t put its Man of Steel in that position. It pushes back against the idea that a hero can be all good by taking extreme measures, such as kidnapping his mother and putting the fate of the entire world on his shoulders.
At the end of the day, there just isn’t much room for Superman to be optimistic in Snyder’s franchise. He has to roll with the punches, and that’s all anyone can ask of him. Lesser heroes would have folded instantly if they had been in Superman’s shoes.
Do you agree with these criticisms of Zack Snyder’s Superman? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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