New Superman Movie: Man of Steel Will Reinvent Superman Story

Over the weekend audiences who were showing up at movie theaters to watch Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film The Dark Knight Rises were given a first look at the latest cinematic incarnation of DC Comics other icon – Superman – with the release of the teaser trailer for next summer’s Superman reboot Man of Steel. 

The minute and a half preview immediately sets out to establish a very different tone and look than previous Superman interpretations with sparse shots of wet clothes hung out to dry on clotheslines, an old house next to an ocean coast, a bearded Clark Kent – portrayed in the film by Henry Cavill – petting a scrappy dog next to a deep sea fishing boat, and Clark hauling lobster cages out of the ocean on a boat. The color palette of these select scenes is an overcast gray that gives a sense of melancholy to this world’s young Clark Kent. Obviously, at this juncture in his life Clark has yet to fulfill – or accept – his destiny as humanity’s protector.

But then the trailer gives us archetypal-American images of Superman we are all intimately familiar with:  a little boy dressed in blue jeans and a bright white t-shirt with a red towel tied around his neck for a cape running through tall green grass and in between clothes on a clothesline. Almost everyone did that as a child, including the little boy who grows up to become Superman. A truly original way of making the Last Son of Krypton a relatable human being to the viewing audience. 

The teaser was released with two different narration tracks: one with words of wisdom from Clark’s adopted father – Jonathan Kent – played by Academy Award winner Kevin Costner, and the other with more scholarly notions about Clark’s future as Superman from his Kryptonian father – Jor-EL – acted by Academy Award winner Russell Crowe. Both men are essentially getting Clark to consciously think about being a symbol of hope to the rest of the world. Goose-bump inducing material, indeed.

The snippets of footage looks promising for this more modern and thoughtful approach to the Superman mythology. The film is in good hands with director Zack Snyder (known for his R-rated comic book adaptations Watchmen and 300) at the helm and Christopher Nolan (director of The Dark Knight Trilogy) serving as producer.

Man of Steel sonic booms into theaters on June 14, 2013.