Superman Homepage

2006 Movie News Archives

June 1, 2006: Exclusive Interview with Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty

Six U.K. based Superman fans were chosen by Warner Bros. to submit questions to various cast and crew on "Superman Returns". Most of those chosen are Superman Homepage members, and we're pleased to present their exclusive interview with "Superman Returns" script writers Dan Harris and Mike Dougherty.

Q: It seems that Superman, as a character, is criticized for being somewhat two-dimensional. Was there a conscious effort to try and add some greater dimension to the character, for example, Superman having to cope with Lois moving on with her life in his absence?

Mike: I think it's easy to write Superman off as a two dimensional character because he always seems to be a "big blue Boy Scout" who always does what's right without much personal conflict, but if you look deeper, you'll find he's a very tragic hero dealing with issues any of us can relate to. On an almost mythic tragic level, he's the only survivor of an alien race, sent here by his father to guide and inspire us. On a more personal level, he's an all-American kid who grew up on a farm, and is still trying to figure out how or if he fits in, plus trying to win the heart of a woman who only seems to love part of him. The themes of identity and finding your role in the universe are things we can all understand, so in that respect I don't think he's two dimensional at all. If anything, he can be just as conflicted as Batman, Spider-Man, or the X-Men, but in his own way.

Dan: To me Superman has always seemed two dimensional because he's able to overcome any obstacle - therefore there isn't the usual kind of struggle a person has trying to overcome something. In our movie we made some big changes to his relationships and realized that we could put him in a situation with Lois and her family which could not be overcome with his brawn; therefore he has to deal with very human emotions and becomes really fully realized.

Read the complete interview right here at the Superman Homepage.