By Steve Younis
If you thought you had an idea as to what kind of movie “Superman: Legacy” is going to be, the casting announcements made over the past couple of days has probably thrown you for a loop.
“I thought this was supposed to be a Superman movie?”
That’s the question I’ve seen a lot of Superman fans asking across social media this week. It’s a valid question. What is it about Superman that makes Hollywood think he’s incapable of carrying a movie on his own? Straight after “Man of Steel” they had to bring in Batman and Wonder Woman in to his story, and then “Justice League”. A standalone Superman sequel was never allowed to happen.
Now, with the dawn of a new era, the promise of a new Superman movie has fans excited… but the Man of Steel won’t be the sole hero of the film. We’ve got a Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mr. Terrific and now Metamorpho.
Now granted, we don’t know how large a role these characters will play in the story. But somehow I doubt actors of the calibre of Nathan Fillion and Anthony Carrigan would agree to be part of the film just to have a cameo appearance.
When director James Gunn was asked about this on his Threads social media account, he said, “They fit the story I’m telling. Story always comes first.”
On Instagram James Gunn’s response was, “Superman is a man of two worlds: Clark with Lois, Jimmy, and Perry – and Superman with his meta human compatriots. How could I tell a full story about Clark/Superman without including all areas of his life?”
So what is the story James Gunn is telling in “Superman: Legacy”?
Earlier in the week the official DC Superman Instagram account told readers that we should “Read the comics that inspired the upcoming film on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE”. The three titles were:
“Superman: Birthright” – Mark Waid’s rich, revamped retelling of Superman’s origin asks the question, how does an orphaned alien become a symbol of hope for his adopted world?
“All-Star Superman” – Famed scribe Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely are responsible for the most acclaimed Superman epic of the twenty-first century, detailing the Man of Steel’s final days.
“Superman: Brainiac” – Brainiac comes to Metropolis to add to his collection in this action-packed story by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.
I don’t recall Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner, Metamorpho or Mr. Terrific’s involvement in any of those stories. So you have to wonder if that Instagram post was just someone’s attempt inside DC’s marketing department to sell more Trade Paperback collections.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not second guessing James Gunn’s plans, I’m just a little concerned that “Superman: Legacy” will do to Clark Kent what “The Flash” did to Barry Allen. I don’t want him to be just another character in his own film. I went and watched “The Flash” to see Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, the way Batman fans probably watched it to see Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight.
I don’t mind the inclusion of other characters, as long as they don’t take the focus away from Superman.
