10 Biggest Complaints About Superman Movies That The DCU Needs To Address
While Superman is one of the most well-known superheroes of all time, there are some common complaints about Superman movies the new DC Universe may end up addressing with the upcoming reboot in 2025. Starring David Corenswet in the titular role as the Man of Steel, 2025"s Superman is being directed by new DC Studios head James Gunn. As such, this new fresh take does have an opportunity to address some long-lasting issues viewers have had when it comes to Superman films.
Regardless of whether they are right or wrong, some classic Superman movie complaints are heard over and over again with each new version. While some issues are just part of the character and how he operates in the DC Universe, others are arguably worth correcting in the upcoming Superman film. To that end, here are 10 of the biggest complaints about Superman movies that the DCU can potentially address.
11 Superman Isn't As Interesting As Other DC Heroes It's Been Said He's Boring... Close One of the biggest complaints about Superman is that he"s boring compared to other DC heroes like Batman, and even superheroes in general (regardless of the universe). To a degree, one could make the argument that someone like Batman who has no powers, or Spider-Man who struggles with the responsibility of his abilities is inherently more engaging. In comparison, Superman is often depicted as if he"s always known that he was meant to use his power for good and to protect the world.
Likewise, Superman in his most basic form in the comics is fairly incorruptible with unbreakable morals. Likewise, this has often been translated into films, most notably with Christopher Reeve"s Superman. While this is admirable and shows how Superman is truly a beacon of hope in his universe, on-screen depictions have admittedly struggled to make this equally compelling, so much so that some filmmakers have seen fit to intentionally muddy the waters of Kal-El"s morality in the name of making a more interesting Superman. As such, it will be interesting to see how Gunn intends to make this new Superman more engaging than past iterations.
10 Superman Is Too Powerful How Can There Be Stakes When Superman Is Practically Invincible? Connected to the above complaint, it"s been argued that Superman"s incredible powers can also generate a lack of interest. After all, Superman is one of the most powerful heroes of all time, possessing a range of impressive abilities due to Earth"s yellow sun. In the absence of very few weaknesses, Kal-El is practically invincible, possessing superhuman durability, strength, speed, flight, heat vision, ice breath, and more. As such, Superman"s great power can make it hard to create meaningful stakes on screen. As such, the hope is that Gunn"s Superman will present some engaging threats that pose a logical and significant challenge to the Man of Steel despite his wide range of powers.
9 Superman Isn't Interesting When He's A Hero "Evil Superman" Is Seemingly More Compelling... Close It"s also been argued that Superman is "too good" to be interesting on-screen. As such, this sentiment is a big reason why many iterations of Superman both on screen and on the page often end up becoming corrupted and/or turn evil, temporarily and otherwise depending on the circumstances and continuity. However, the "Evil Superman" trope, while popular, may have been overdone just enough in recent years that a more wholesome and back-to-form Superman might be seen as refreshing with the upcoming DCU movie coming next year.
8 Superman's Abilities Can Be Too Convenient Like Time-Travel and Super-Kissing... Beyond his typical repertoire of more common powers like flight and super-strength, Superman has been known to wield more rare and ridiculous abilities on-screen out of sheer plot convenience. This was most common during the Christopher Reeve era of Superman films, such as when Kal-El turns back time in Superman: The Movie by director Richard Donner. In the movie, Superman flies around the world faster than time itself and "reverses the planet"s rotation" so that Lois Lane never dies.
Regardless of whether they are right or wrong, some classic Superman movie complaints are heard over and over again with each new version. While some issues are just part of the character and how he operates in the DC Universe, others are arguably worth correcting in the upcoming Superman film. To that end, here are 10 of the biggest complaints about Superman movies that the DCU can potentially address.
11 Superman Isn't As Interesting As Other DC Heroes It's Been Said He's Boring... Close One of the biggest complaints about Superman is that he"s boring compared to other DC heroes like Batman, and even superheroes in general (regardless of the universe). To a degree, one could make the argument that someone like Batman who has no powers, or Spider-Man who struggles with the responsibility of his abilities is inherently more engaging. In comparison, Superman is often depicted as if he"s always known that he was meant to use his power for good and to protect the world.
Likewise, Superman in his most basic form in the comics is fairly incorruptible with unbreakable morals. Likewise, this has often been translated into films, most notably with Christopher Reeve"s Superman. While this is admirable and shows how Superman is truly a beacon of hope in his universe, on-screen depictions have admittedly struggled to make this equally compelling, so much so that some filmmakers have seen fit to intentionally muddy the waters of Kal-El"s morality in the name of making a more interesting Superman. As such, it will be interesting to see how Gunn intends to make this new Superman more engaging than past iterations.
10 Superman Is Too Powerful How Can There Be Stakes When Superman Is Practically Invincible? Connected to the above complaint, it"s been argued that Superman"s incredible powers can also generate a lack of interest. After all, Superman is one of the most powerful heroes of all time, possessing a range of impressive abilities due to Earth"s yellow sun. In the absence of very few weaknesses, Kal-El is practically invincible, possessing superhuman durability, strength, speed, flight, heat vision, ice breath, and more. As such, Superman"s great power can make it hard to create meaningful stakes on screen. As such, the hope is that Gunn"s Superman will present some engaging threats that pose a logical and significant challenge to the Man of Steel despite his wide range of powers.
9 Superman Isn't Interesting When He's A Hero "Evil Superman" Is Seemingly More Compelling... Close It"s also been argued that Superman is "too good" to be interesting on-screen. As such, this sentiment is a big reason why many iterations of Superman both on screen and on the page often end up becoming corrupted and/or turn evil, temporarily and otherwise depending on the circumstances and continuity. However, the "Evil Superman" trope, while popular, may have been overdone just enough in recent years that a more wholesome and back-to-form Superman might be seen as refreshing with the upcoming DCU movie coming next year.
8 Superman's Abilities Can Be Too Convenient Like Time-Travel and Super-Kissing... Beyond his typical repertoire of more common powers like flight and super-strength, Superman has been known to wield more rare and ridiculous abilities on-screen out of sheer plot convenience. This was most common during the Christopher Reeve era of Superman films, such as when Kal-El turns back time in Superman: The Movie by director Richard Donner. In the movie, Superman flies around the world faster than time itself and "reverses the planet"s rotation" so that Lois Lane never dies.
