Man of Steel was the first movie of the DCMU and to say that it was controversial would be an understatement. And that is because of the last act, in which Zack Snyder brought destruction like we've never seen in any other superhero movie - if we're not counting his other creation, the R-rated Watchmen.
So the most obvious question was: will the DC Movie Universe be built on this controversial fundament? Will it all be as bleak and as dark and as realistic (as much as a superhero movie can be) as the Man of Steel?
Apparently, yes.
Defending Man of Steel
Man of Steel
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director defended his first foray into a shared superhero universe. In his own words, he said that there cannot be a city under attack without any civilian casualties.
Making a reference towards Watchmen, he said that you cannot have a mugging in a dark alley and keep it all clean. Someone will get hurt, especially if guns are involved (obviously, the scene in which Dan and Laurie beat a gang of criminals, who were stupid enough to attack them).
The same goes for Man of Steel, according to the director. He didn't want for the first Superman movie to be like something that Marvel would produce (at least, we believe that this was the reference): “There are other superhero movies where they joke about how basically no one's getting hurt. That's not us. What is that message? That it's okay that there's this massive destruction with zero consequence for anyone?" (via Comic Book Movie) And he does have a point in here. Although we still believe that he overdid it in the final act of Man of Steel.
Check out the next page for what the Batman v Superman star has to say about this approach.
Ben Affleck talks Man of Steel
Batman
And Zack Snyder isn't the only one to believe this. Ben Affleck also said that accountability is very important in his decision to take on the cape of Batman: “One of the things I liked was Zack's idea of showing accountability and the consequences of violence and seeing that there are real people in those buildings. And in fact, one of those buildings was Bruce Wayne's building so he knew people who died in that Black Zero event.” (via Comic Book Movie).
So where does that leave Man of Steel? The movie divided not just the fans, but also the critics - with one noting that Christopher Nolan's influence transformed Metropolis into a second Gotham.
So when will we get a Man of Steel sequel? Check out on the next page what Henry Cavill says about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the supposed sequel.
Henry Cavill talks Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Not a sequel
When Batman v Superman was announced (with vs. instead of v), the studio said that it will actually be a Man of Steel sequel. But now we know otherwise. The plan was to actually have a second solo installment, with Superman facing Metallo (just like some rumors said), before even the shooting for the first Superman movie began. However, Zack Snyder revealed that, during brainstorming for Man of Steel, he came with an interesting idea.
The end of the movie was supposed to feature the Wayne Manor, where a crate filled with kryptonite was delivered.
And thus the idea for a Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was born. And thus, the supposed sequel ended up being something else - an introduction of Batman in the shared universe, with Superman playing a second fiddle.
Thus, Henry Cavill said: "As far as the individual character is concerned, this is not a Superman sequel. It's more of an introduction to Batman, an opening to Justice League, and an expansion of the world that was created in Man of Steel." (via Screen Rant).
Check out on the next page when the sequel will actually happen!
Man of Steel sequel? Not so soon"¦
Not so soon
According to Henry Cavill, there won't be a sequel for Man of Steel too soon. How come? Well"¦ "There's plenty of time for individual Superman sequels. He's a tough character to tell. People like the darker vigilante. I think it speaks to the human psyche more easily rather than the god-like being that we can't really understand." (via Screen Rant)
While we don't agree with what he says in here (the fact that Batman is more relatable than Superman because he is a human), we surely understand that it would be difficult to present a story about Superman on the grounds set by Man of Steel (for the obvious reasons).
The actor also added: "Once we have a more expansive universe we can delve more into the character of Superman and hopefully tell more stories." (via Screen Rant). It is obvious why, isn't it?
On the next page, check out why we need to wait for the DCMU to get bigger.
Powerful villains
Bizarro
Superman is basically a god among humans. Having him fight Metallo, as the studio wanted, would have been something interesting. However, it would have still been a downgrade from fighting Zod and other Kryptonians.
By letting the universe expand, Warner Bros and DC are giving some powerful villains the chance to make their presence felt.
The rumor is that Batman v Superman will introduce, in the end, one Green Lantern who comes to warn the heroes of Earth about an impending cosmic threat. Whether it is Brainiac, whether it is Darkseid, whether it is someone else, the DCMU will become bigger starting from the next movie.
Only after this immediate threat will be dealt with we can assume that a Man of Steel sequel will happen. Maybe it will finally be Doomsday, one of the most powerful cosmic threats Superman has faced (the chances for this villain to appear next year are getting slimmer as the days pass). Maybe it will be Bizarro as a creation of Lex Luthor. Maybe it's someone else.
It makes sense to wait for the universe to expand, for actual threats to appear – 2019 maybe?
On the next page, the sins of Man of Steel!
