Superman needs a facelift. Not literally, of course, as he's essentially ageless compared to human beings, but in terms of his cinematic reputation. Whenever Superman veers away from the classic iteration perfected by Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve, he's often presented as interminably brooding and needlessly gritty in an attempt to "ground" the character. But here's the thing; grounding a character that's renowned for leaping tall buildings in a single bound is kind of a dumb idea. I mean, Superman canonically has a dog, a cat, a horse, and a chimp that all have similar abilities to his own. The character is designed to be playful and fun.
At his core, Superman is an idea that revels in the silliness of the superhero genre while concurrently presenting a timeless story of immigration, morality, the importance of journalism, and the inherent evil of billionaires. All you have to do is make watching the Man of Steel an exhilarating thrill ride for the audience, and grounded parts of the narrative, which are already infused into the character's mythos, practically take care of themselves.
As announced in his presentation for the DCU "Gods and Monsters" film rollout, James Gunn- who is well known for crafting fun and humanizing portrayals of wacky superheroes- is set to write a new Superman film that will focus on a younger version of the Man of Tomorrow. However, according to Variety, Gunn is also going to direct the film.
James Gunn is set to direct "Superman: Legacy."
The irreverent filmmaker, who serves as chairman and CEO of DC Studios with partner Peter Safran, revealed on Wednesday that he will helm a previously-announced reboot of the Superman franchise. Gunn also wrote the screenplay, and Safran will produce.
"Superman: Legacy" also released its first plot synopsis, saying the film "tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned."
