EXCLUSIVE
This is a longer version of my story that is on the Wednesday cover of the Los Angeles Times Calendar section…
The topic at the Batcave on Monday night was the future of that other superhero — you know, the one from Metropolis. “It’s very exciting; we have a fantastic story,” Christopher Nolan said while sipping tea in the sleek editing suite that fills the converted garage next to his Hollywood home. “And we feel we can do it right. We know the milieu, if you will, we know the genre and how to get it done right.”
Nolan was standing next to his wife, producer Emma Thomas, his partner in all of his films — including “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” the grim franchise that pulled in more than $1.3 billion at theaters worldwide — and he was explaining their plan to take on a challenge that has frustrated Hollywood for two decades: getting another Superman film franchise off the ground.
Nolan, speaking about the Superman project for the first time, is pleased with the excitement stirred but, like the magicians in his 2006 film “The Prestige,” sees no value in revealing all of his tricks before the curtain goes up. Still, he wanted to answer some of the early questions about his plans for Superman — as well as his third visit to Gotham City.
There was a spasm of fan excitement when word leaked last month that Nolan, who is now viewed as the Hitchcock of superhero cinema after his two Batman films, would be the “godfather” for a reboot of the Man of Steel, acting as producer and mentor to an as-yet-unnamed-director who will be making a movie based on a story by Nolan and frequent collaborator David S. Goyer.
The Internet flurry included reports that, according to Thomas, might be better described as fan fiction. The dispatches revealing that the film will be called “Man of Steel”? And feature Lex Luthor and Brainiac? Or the one about it being a period piece with something like a low-fi version of the hero?
“I don’t know where this stuff comes from,” Thomas said with a chuckle, although, as with any good poker player, it’s hard to say where the bluff starts and ends.
This much is certain: The couple are completely focused on the movie-of-the-moment, which is “Inception,” which opens July 16 and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a dream thief of sorts in what may be Hollywood’s first metaphysical heist film. The movie is the most complicated undertaking of Nolan’s career — it was shot in six countries and tells a tale that flips between reality and three levels of dream-time — and, well, all things considered, he’d rather Superman stay in his Fortress of Solitude and off the front page for a while longer since that project is a matter for 2012 or 2013 at best.
But of course Superman, first superhero of them all, is an American pop culture icon on a par with Mickey Mouse and Elvis. But after the close of the Christopher Reeve era with “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” in 1987, the property became one of the most frustrating in Hollywood. A dozen different reboots were started through the years with names attached such as Nicolas Cage, Kevin Smith, J.J. Abrams, McG and Brett Ratner, and plans were trotted out to kill Superman, strip him of his powers or pit him in battle against Batman.
Finally, director Bryan Singer, who had earned credibility with comic book fans with his two “X-Men” films for Fox, delivered with “Superman Returns” in 2006 starring Brandon Routh. But the finished product was viewed as oddly lifeless by many critics. The $200-million film finished its theatrical run with a respectable $391 million worldwide but it wasn’t heroic enough to earn a sequel.
Nolan said that he admired Singer’s film, especially the way it connected to director Richard Donner’s version of Superman and the first two movies starring Reeve. Nolan added, though, that this new movie will stand on its own.
“A lot of people have approached Superman in a lot of different ways. I only know the way that has worked for us that’s what I know how to do,” Nolan said, emphasizing the idea that Batman exists in a world where he is the only superhero and a similar approach to the Man of Steel would assure the integrity needed for the film. “Each serves to the internal logic of the story. They have nothing to do with each other.”
Still, it was a frustrating moment in the Batman franchise that led to this new Superman revival. Nolan and Goyer, a key collaborator on both Batman films, were at a story impasse on the third Batman film (which is now picking up steam as well) when, as a distraction, Goyer gave the filmmaker a daydream version of how he would tackle a story about the last son of Krypton.
“He basically told me, ‘I have this thought about how you would approach Superman,’” Nolan recalled. “I immediately got it, loved it and thought: That is a way of approaching the story I’ve never seen before that makes it incredibly exciting. I wanted to get Emma and I involved in shepherding the project right away and getting it to the studio and getting it going in an exciting way.”
Goyer is now writing the screenplay and Nolan is keeping it close to the vest.
It’s interesting where inspirations originate. Nolan put together an especially deep cast for his Batman films — the first one, for instance, featured Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman and Tom Wilkinson in supporting roles. That, he said, was an idea imported from Metropolis.
“I went to the studio with the analogy of ‘I want to cast the way they did in 1978 with ‘Superman,”’ where they had [Marlon] Brando and Glenn Ford and Ned Beatty and all these fantastic actors in even small parts, which was an exotic idea for a superhero movie at the time. It really paid off too. As a kid watching ‘Superman,’ it seemed enormous and I realized later by looking at it that a lot of that was actually the casting, just having these incredibly talented people and these characterizations. And Marlon Brando is the first guy up playing Superman’s dad. It’s incredible.”
Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, was an instant success when he arrived on the publishing scene in June 1938 and he more or less created the American comic book and its signature concept, the superhero. Superman made the leap to radio in 1940 and then to the silver screen in 1948 when Kirk Alyn became the first of many actors to wear the cape. George Reeves was the face of Superman on television for 104 episodes in the 1950s while Reeve and his work in the 1970s and 1980s may be the definitive version of the hero for most fans. But the youngest fans have a view of the hero shaped more by the award-winning animated series in recent years and “Smallville,” the CW series that just got re-upped for a 10th season, making star Tom Welling the Clark Kent with the longest tenure.
Nolan, for the record, also won’t confirm that he is actually directing the third Batman film, but, well, of course he is – however “Inception” isn’t in the can yet and it’s against his code. He can’t be easily tricked, either. Asked if Superman as a franchise has to overcome a deficiency of truly great villains, unlike, say, Spider-Man and Batman, he won’t bite. “That’s a very sly way of asking a question I’m not going to answer.”
Nolan says he has no idea who will direct the Superman film (there has been conjecture that it may be his brother and frequent collaborator, Jonathan Nolan) but his role appears to be comparable to Peter Jackson with “District 9,” which was directed by newcomer Neill Blomkamp but benefited greatly from imprimatur of “The Lord of the Rings” auteur. Jackson is also stepping into a similar role in Middle-earth as Guillermo del Toro takes over as director for “The Hobbit” films.
Nolan established himself as a bold and cerebral filmmaker in 2000 with “Memento,” has made a specialty of rooting stories of the fantastic in a gritty reality with psychological undertones and an emphasis on using practical effects and stunt work as opposed to the magical paintbrushes of the CG era. All of that made him an ideal filmmaker for fight-time in the brutal gutters of Gotham but it doesn’t make the filmmaker the first obvious choice for flight-time amid the gleaming citadels of Metropolis. Warner Bros. executives seem confident that he is — and they need him to be the right man with the “Harry Potter” franchise — and perhaps Batman — nearing an expiration date.
Sitting in his edit bay, which is decorated with posters of Ledger as the Joker and has a skylight that rolls shut with mechanical screeching that adds to the Batcave ambiance, Nolan said he knows about storytelling and it’s difficult to dissect his work beyond that.
“We’re approaching it in a not dissimilar way in terms of trying to find an incredible story in a way that audiences can engage with it the way they engage with contemporary action films,” Nolan continued. “I think David’s approach is a very good way of doing just that.”
And that third Batman film? Jonathan Nolan is “now doing the hard work” of writing the script based on the story by his sibling and Goyer. “My brother is writing a script for me and we’ll wait to see how it turns out…. He’s struggling to put it together into the epic story that you want it to be.”
“Batman Begins” was the origin and back story of the hero, while “The Dark Knight” found the hero reeling as his Manichean, good vs. evil worldview was upended by a new villain, the Joker, who was a wild-card agent of chaos going up against order, be it a police department or the mob. The second film ends, literally, with Batman on the run, a fugitive.
So what happens next?
“Without getting into specifics, the key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story,” he said. “And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story.”
Nolan said the key surviving characters from the two first films and the actors who play them will be back. “We have a great ensemble, that’s one of the attractions of doing another film, since we’ve been having a great time for years.”
Perhaps. But the great challenge is to find a villain (or villains) who can not only match up with the Caped Crusader but also with Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning portrayal of the scabby, demented Joker. Fans have churned up the rumor mill for months now (Johnny Depp as the Riddler? Angelina Jolie as Catwoman? Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Penguin? Ben Kingsley as Hugo Strange?). But Nolan, no fan of letting cats out of the bag, declined to play along.
His villain choices to date have steered clear of strongly supernatural or super-science characters (no Man-Bat, Mr. Freeze or Poison Ivy, for instance) but he shook his head when asked if that was a trajectory he would continue. He did however concede one tidbit: “It won’t be,” he said, “Mr. Freeze.”
Batman has been throwing punches in the pages of DC Comics since 1939 and as the decades passed, much of the core of the character stayed the same even as Bruce Wayne’s sideburns or the profile of the Batmobile changed. Not so with film.
“I’m very excited about the end of the film, the conclusion, and what we’ve done with the characters,” Nolan said.“My brother has come up with some pretty exciting stuff. Unlike the comics, these things don’t go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful. Viewing it as an ending, that sets you very much on the right track about the appropriate conclusion and the essence of what tale we’re telling. And it harkens back to that priority of trying to find the reality in these fantastic stories. That’s what we do.”
– Geoff Boucher
DO YOU SPEAK GEEK? TRY THE HERO COMPLEX TRIVIA CHALLENGE
RECENT AND RELATED
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“Inception” hits the streets of Downtown L.A.
Forget crossovers: Nolan says his Batman doesn’t play well with others
Nolan on his billion-dollar Batman: “It’s mystifying to me.”
“Dark Knight” producer talks about the next Batman film
Heath Ledger’s Oscar won’t go to his parents after all
Christopher Nolan on his favorite scene in “Dark Knight”
Heath Ledger and his “gentle way” remembered
How to follow “Dark Knight”? Angelina Jolie as the purrrrfect Catwoman
Photos: From top, Christopher Nolan (Liz O. Baylen/Los Angeles Times); Superman by Jim Lee (DC Comics); Christian Bale as Batman in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.); Nolan and Aaron Eckhart on the set of “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.); Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent (Warner Bros); Superman by Alex Ross (DC Comics); Nolan (Liz O. Baylen/Los Angeles Times)
[UPDATED 11:11 a.m.: An earlier version of this post had the incorrect release date for "Inception." There were also some sections that had been garbled due to an imperfect importation of the story from The Times system into Typepad.]
I am all over this!
I have heard buzz that they don't want Superman flying, sounds like Smallville. I really hope that they will stay true to his character…but give the man of steel a set of nads and make him tough. He is an ICON!!!
THIS IS AMAZING BATMAN 3 IS THE MOVIE I AM WAITING FOR THANK GOD ITS COMING OUT!
I'm trying to figure out how $391 million isn't "heroic enough" to earn Superman Returns a sequel, and my recollection is that it was fairly well received critically. In any case, I can only hope that when he creates his new Super-universe, Nolan keeps the same face for Superman. Brandon Routh did a fantastic job, and I'm still hoping to see him don the cape and tights again.
Not gonna happen. A new face needs to be introduced. This new movie won't work with Routh in it. This movie won't fit the type of Superman that they are going to re introduce us to. Routh was great in Superman Returns but I doubt he will be asked to reprise the role.
It was nice too have an update to Superman's mythology,the story was so-so and Brandon was too, too plastic. New Movie,new Direction, new Superman.
Routh was wooden and boring. In fact, all the actors in that movie were. I have been reading Superman comics for 40 years so I have a decent perspective on the character. The only fun part of the movie was when he caught the plane from crashing.
His child was a distraction and completely idiotic. Superman is an alien. He could not get Lois Lane pregant. I realize it is fiction, but it is has to be believable.
Routh was boring. Actually, the entire cast was boring. The only interesting part of the entire movie was when he saved the plane. Otherwise, you could fall asleep watching it. If he allows Routh to stay as Superman, he would be making a huge mistake.
One problem with “Superman Returns” was that the cast was too freaking young. Routh and Bosworth were in their early twenties, which hurt the “gone for five years” storyline. It’s Superman, not Superboy. Routh copied Christopher Reeve well, but he was just too young (and frail) for the role.
They wasted Routh when he could've matured into the role bringing a better performance had they made a sequel at least in 2008 or 2009. But he still looks good for the role and could be of age as a leader of the superheroes for a JLA movie. After all, he seems to be the tallest and beefiest amongst all these stars today. :D
I really thought Routh was great…but I have to admit that I wondered about the being "too young" look myself.
I agree A. Jensen. I just watched it again this afternoon on AMC, although I've seen it many times…the first time being on the wide screen at the local theater. I thought Brandon Routh was fantastic. In fact…it set up a conflict within me. I've always been a big Reeve fan…and I found myself thinking Routh may have been better.
If Routh doesn't play Superman…I'll not go to the theater to see it…UNLESS I hear from people who do go that it is FANTASTIC…and more than worth the price of a ticket.
Also…they had better keep the soundtrack!!!
Geoff,
Very interesting article. Unlike many writers/blogs/columns out there, you have written something that provides a good background on superheroes and adds the new information without getting things incorrect, dumbing it down, talking down to comic/superhero fans, or acting superior. Congrats!
I think the things I found most interesting were:
1) Nolan’s concepts of “one hero for one story” – it is an interesting take that each of Batman and Superman stand alone, and after Nolan is all done with them I wonder how DC/WB will handle a Justice League movie; and
2) His idea of having a contained Batman story. It makes me think of LOST, BSG, and Babylon 5 and how they each had a more defined, planned story than most TV. I think this will work out well for Batman and (hopefully) Superman and will probably help avoid franchise decay, but will make it that much harder for the next group of people to have a go at these properties down the road.
Morgan
I think it's a mistake not to tie in the characters a little. How else would they hype up a JLA movie like marvel is doing with The Avengers. Come on how spectacular would it be at the end of the Superman movie say-Clark is going on with his normal life and suddenly you observe him in an over head view that pulls away to the sky. You realize it's coming from a satellite and see it on a computer screen. Pulling away you see the back of Batman's head watching. SPINE TINGLING!!
The great mystery to me is when are the Superman producers going to put Mr. Mxyzptlk to full time work as a villain – a great, nasty jokey type villain whio is also great with the ladies
I am all for a new Superman and with Christopher Nolan directing and his brother writing it sounds like a winner. But first, Chris. should focus on the next Batman movie. Personally, I find the Batman world more believable then the Superman world, but Nolan can make anything successful.
That would be great to have Nolan head the next Superman movie. I'd hope they would stay with Routh as Superman though. He bore a similar resemblance to Christopher Reeve, and it would also keep conituity throughout the movies to keep this as such. I think Routh did a great job in the role. And I think he would do an even better job if the script was written that much better.
I have nothing against Tom Welling, I love watching Smallville, I bet he could fill the movie role perfectly since he's been doing it for so long. But I like the idea of Routh just a little better.
TOM WELLING ROCKS AS SUPERMAN!!!! HE IS THE ONLY CHOICE.
@A. Jensen:
"I'm trying to figure out how $391 million isn't "heroic enough" to earn Superman Returns a sequel, and my recollection is that it was fairly well received critically. In any case, I can only hope that when he creates his new Super-universe, Nolan keeps the same face for Superman. Brandon Routh did a fantastic job, and I'm still hoping to see him don the cape and tights again."
AGREED. We already have a Superman in Brandon Routh. Please, bring him back.
No we don't. Brandon Routh was Bryan Singer's Superman. If I know Chris Nolan, we're going to see a new face. Remember this is not a sequel, this is a reboot of the franchise. Reboots never have the same person from previous films. As much as I love Superman, I'd rather see someone new.
yeah but whos to say that you cant use Brandon i think he was the next best superman to Reeves
I think we're forgetting the fact that the new Superman movie is not a sequel for Superman Returns, is a remake of the story, so i don't think it would be the best idea to see Brandon again. It needs to be a different actor. (same thing with Tom Welling, it's not Smallville: The Movie)
Well, $391 million isn't "heroic enough" to do a "Superman Returns" sequel because the production budget was $270 – cut in advertising and then start splitting the dividend between studio, producers, and everybody else that got points on it and nobody walked away from that one any richer. Batman Begins did less, but did it on just over half the budget. Once you break that $200 million mark on the budget, the studios would really like to see $500 or more in worldwide box office.
It's also pretty dismal when you consider that The Dark Knight pulled in over a billion. Makes sense that they'd take the franchise away and give it to someone that obviously knows how to make a phenomenal superhero movie.
I can't wait to see a darker, more twisted Superman story.
It all sounds good to me! The 3rd Batman flick will shatter every opening weekend box office record in the books!
I don't think so. The Batman movies are great but the death of Heath Ledger is the reason The Dark Knight did so well. I mean, he played the PERFECT JOKER and everyone wanted to see his last big role. I think he had one more movie done but not sure.
THIS IS WONDERFUL NEWS. HOWEVER WHERE NOLAN STATES THAT BATMAN IS IN A WORLD WHERE OTHER HEROES DON;T EXIST AND NOW HE IS APPROACHING SAME IDEA WITH SUPERMAN…. LETS REMEMBER MARVEL COMICS HAVE MADE MOVIES LIKE THE HULK AND IRON MAN WHERE THE 2 HEROES DO RESIDE IN SAME UNIVERSE THUS RESULTING IN THE MUCH ANTICIPATED AVENGERS MOVIE THEY HOPE TO MAKE. IF WARNER BROS , OLAN AND DC COMICS FOLOW NOLAN'S APPROACH–THEN I CAN;T FORSEE A JUSTICE LEAGUE MOVIE WHICH WOULD BE VERY SAD.
Can you just interview Christopher Nolan every week? I find reading his quotes to be fascinating. It's like picking the brain of a genius. I'm incredibly excited for the final chapter of the best set of Batman films ever. Only to get official word that the same team will work on my other favorite character, Superman? I can not contain my excitement!
WE WANT TOM WELLING FOR SUPERMAN! =D He's going to have played Clark Kent for 10 years, he deserves the role!
No he doesn't. Besides, they won't cast him anyway. He's the TV version of Superman, not the movie version. Why don't we just beg them to ask Dean Cain? (sarcasm over now)
I agree that Tom should be the only choice for the new Superman movie. Should cast Erica Durance as Lois Lane as well.
Think he needs to tone up alot first as he is pretty chunky
I agree. I am all for Tom Welling playing the part. I am not so sure that they need to bring in the rest of the cast but remember the Welling/Reeve episodes… they are more similar than any other two actors and Tom is closest to Reeve height. Routh was not too bad but not as good as Welling.
@ Mitch
They're said to be going with the Fleischer Superman Cartoons of the 1940's so that means he will still fly, be faster than a speeding bullet and be more powerful than a locomotive.
So that's just leaves out his x-ray vision, heat vision, ability to wipe off someone's memory, ability to turn back time, ability to blow off a star like it was a candle, super sight? (that zooming thing he does), exhale icy cold and steamy hot air, throw the 'S' shield at bad guys when he feels like it?
@A. Jensen
$391 million is so small compared to what Spider-man made. I think more than $800 million for each movie. Even Iron man who is a second-tier hero made much more than that.
I'm rather nervous about this Nolan reboot. Nolan is a terrific filmmaker, but has he ever made anything that wasn't dark? And Superman isn't dark and tortured. I'm not sure its a marriage made in heaven.
I would really love Tom Welling to be used for the reboot though. For me, he is this generations Clark Kent/Superman. Talk about being born for the role!
Wrong again. I wish people would get off this Tom Welling bandwagon. He's not going to be cast so get over it. He is definitely NOT this generations Superman. If anything that title goes to Brandon Routh. And I don't even wanna see HIM return to the role. And Chris is not directing. David Goyer is writing the movie. Chris is producing.
"Nolan said the key surviivng characters" – errr??
I would love to have Superman back on the big screen, but for me, the only actor for the part is Tom Welling. Put him in the role and I'll stand outside the theater all night if I have to for the premiere. Heck, I'll see it several times.
Good luck with that. You might be the only one standing there waiting cause Welling won't be cast!
I don't agree with you. I would have went to the theaters to see Welling in Superman Returns but I caught it on rental because I wasn't keen on Routh. They should consider Welling!
The problem with the Smallville concept is that they have twisted the basic story around so much that is has lost its connection to the actual Superman stories. They have basically had him fight everyone Superman fights before he dons his uniform. He meets Lois in Smallville High school? It is just a mess. Which is not to say i dislike Smallville, but it is not the storyline people would expect to see in a movie version.
SORRY about the typos and some of the sentences getting garbled, we had the story moved over from the Los Angeles Times in-house computer system to Typepad (where this blog is produced) and the transition did NOT go well.
If WB and the Nolans are smart(and I believe they are) then they would contact Routh's reps to make a deal for Supes asap. He was the only good thing about SR. He has the chops, the gravitas, the pathos to carry out the character. Not as good as Reeves, but good enough to sit at the same table and that's saying a lot. And by casting him it will also carry those who were fans of SR into this new reboot with more ease and a lot of goodwill. If he's not in this reboot then I'm just not interested. You can have a great story and all the bells and whistles in the world, but if you cast Kal-El wrong you're movie is done. Period.
Mr Thau please, create in CGI this film doesn't suck scene. Try to do it please.
This gentleman has a very tough time understanding what he's dealing with. He made two good superhero movies, but along the same vein as Tim Burton's Batman… a vague idea about the character and a story to tell that has nothing to do with the universe the character comes from. Essentially, he will be remaking the Christopher Reeve Superman, just as Singer did. Someone needs to take Singer, Nolan and Raimi into a room and explain to them that superheroes come from another world– and it's not their province to pick and choose what works and what does not.
DC will never get anything off the ground (aside from these art nouveaux versions of heroes in their unimaginative trilogies) until they get with the Marvel idea of filming in a larger world of imagination. These fellows are wonderful filmmakers with incredibly limited, self-absorbed visions of properties that don't belong to them.
Just imagine if Spielberg had been given the rights to the Harry Potter movies…
Then the Harry Potter movies would have all made billions and not millions! The point here is that if WB/DC decide they like this story and think that it will work then they will approve. Nolan has made them BIG time money so I doubt he will disappoint when it comes to the story. We're not in the business. We're just people giving our critique.
Yes but the MARVEL characters are grounded in a more reality based universe. Stan Lee envisioned his characters in the real world, which is why his characters live in cities we all know.
The MARVEL heroes all suffer from the human condition. They are not all nigh invincible and powerful. These were the differences, aspects and character traits that Stan Lee explored at MARVEL COMICS from the very early sixties and it set them apart from anyone else.
The idea that a reader could empathize and relate to what their favourite super hero was going through was a monumental step in the literary progress of comic books. That you could imagine the heroes as real with stories that included current social commentary rather than just heroes (good versus evil scenarios) in a far flung parallell universe made all the difference.
By the late sixties, DC COMICS also began to tackle issues that included social commentary.
I couldn't care less for Singer's treatment of the X-Men, nor Raimi's overblown cartoon rendition of Spiderman.
Tim Burton's Batman was a step in the right direction and Christopher Nolan has wonderfully presented the Batman mythos.
I don't think some people understand that when Batman and Superman were created, they were all by themselves. There was no justice league for years. They were in their own world with their own villains. I kind of like the Marvel movies and where they're going with the Avengers, but they do seem cheap and shallow (for lack of a better word) compared to the DC heroes. I love the Justice League and wide world of superheroes in cartoon form, such as the DC animated Universe, but you have to admit that that was after the characters got to run around by themselves for two really good series in the 90's. Admittedly, I haven't gotten into the comics, but I know enough to know they started out there by themselves too.
What I love about Batman and Superman in film is the newness of it. Everyone in Gotham is fascinated by a man dressed up as a Bat fighting crime. Metropolis has their minds blown by a flying, invincible alien. I want to start out with that before involving others. Superman and Batman can't be "just another superhero." They have to be the first.
@ Randell,
Seriously, this is why it's called an 'adaptation'. You have no proof whatever so ever that Nolan is taking Superman down the wrong direction since the script is not even done yet. WB understands why Singer failed with Superman and what Nolan have to do to make Supes a winner of a film. Why rethread the same waters if it didn't work before in 2006?
And don't think Marvel movies (directly from them or co-produced) are perfect. Nothing will please the purists or the hardcore geeks so the goal here is to make a genuinely good movie.
I really believe that you're probably one of main reasons why filmmakers and studios shouldn't listen to fans.
I agree 100000000% with this.
I know that he 's 5'10, almost 21, is too short and young and has no acting experience whatsoever, but I want Joe Jonas,and not Tom Welling, to don the red-and-blue costume and play Superman/Clark Kent. Welling has said for years that he's not interested in wearing The Man Of Steel's suit, so let first-timer Jonas wear it and fly across the sky with it. Pick a true a superhero/comic book fan, not an actor who's played CK on TV for 10 years. Let Joe Jonas do it. He looks and fits the part and resembles the character. Plus, he's big, strong, slim, tall, tough,muscular, handsome, gorgeous, beautiful, good-looking and sexy. Please cast Joe. And keep Routh away from it. FAR AWAY.
Jow jonas is wayyyyyy too young. Superman is supposed to be around thirty five, forty years old! chris nolan himself would do a better job playing Superman than joe jonas. Joe jonas proably hasnt even had joe jonas cross his mind.
Actuallt Tom Welling has said He would like to do the movie!!
Joe Jonas will be the best Superman ever! He's fit,he runs, he works out, he's healthy, he's a good role model and he'll do an amazing and terrific job. Please cast him. Please. And he looks a lot like Brandon Routh. A LOT BETTER.
Seriously? Joe "im so gay" Jonas? You seriously need to stay the hell away from anything related to Superman. This isn't Disney kid.
i agree. who the hell wants joe jonas… he aint superman in a billion years
Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL …he is 5' 9" :)))
No way on that…
Honey, you aught to be slapped by each and every Superman Fan in existence for typing this.
Great and informative article. Shame to hear that there won't be a Bats/Supes crossover though. I mean, it's good in one respect, but after how cool Superman/Batman: Public Enemies was, it's also a crying shame to not think of the opportunity to get to see a Goyer/Nolan crossover in live action!
Sorry guys Im not sure if I am alone in this but, other than looking somewhat similiar to reeves at only a certain angle, Routh has no business being the man of steel. He did an "eh" job, not bad just "eh".
More over $391 Million is bad when the movie cost you $200 million, that is anywhere from low to below average in the industry. This is bad when a franchise as huge as Superman is suppose to rack in alot more, or rather expected to.
I believe Tom can execute a great man of steel in how i believe Nolan's direction is going.
Having the idea that superman or batman have a world in their own, can justify the creation of a fantastic stand alone movie i.e batman. I think because of this reason he was able to execute such a great story and films that we have all loved.
FYI @Randell: Directors are most of time given a huge amount of creative input, rarely full input, or sometimes non. which means that those characters belong to the director for those 90-120 mins or how long their film is.
I.E Spiderman, Raimi was given some creative input but was forced to use a character he never intended on using. Venom, the producer wanted to sell toys so he forced the character and thus raimi kills him off. (or did he….small piece of symbiote left with the professor).
Once you grab the rights to a character you are free to do whatever you want with that character as long as you dont hurt the integrity of the character.
so in essence yes Raimi, Nolan, and Singer owned the characters as much as their producers let them.
and im dont know about you, but besides the producers greedy idea of Venom, the spiderman franchise was impressively addapted wel as the batman. Unfortunately Superman Returns is the weakest link but non the less I believe Nolan has the ingredients to create a great Man of Steel.
Come on guys!!! Focus on the far-and-away most interesting part of this article, and let's see what we can figure out…..what is Goyer thinking?????????
“He basically told me, ‘I have this thought about how you would approach Superman,’” Nolan recalled. “I immediately got it, loved it and thought: That is a way of approaching the story I’ve never seen before that makes it incredibly exciting
@ mad monkey
Actually, the Fleischer Superman did have x-ray vision. I don't have a problem with that, or with being able to see great distances, as those are just greater degrees of existing abilities like greater strength or speed. The Fleischer Superman was also more of a leaper rather than a flyer, although I think he did fly at times. While I think heat vision and cold breath are cool, they are kind of far-fetched and not based on greater enhancements of existing abilities. I think a lot of Superman's powers could be explained as coming from telekinesis, which would open up a fair amount of abilities, but I don't see how yellow sunlight could tie into that. Just food for thought!
First off let me say that i can not wait for the next batman movie to come out. I love these movies even the not so good ones… But heres a little heads up for everyone. Nolan is lying and is going to work the superman movie into the batman movie.This will be his last batman movie but that just so he can focus on the superman movies and other projects..If you dont believe me then take a look at the I am legend movie at the beginning where Will Smith is driving around in the mustang you can actually see the movie poster for the next batman movie.. Sorry if you don't believe me but it will happen, Nolan has been planning it since the first batman movie.
I hear that Justice League will no longer be done.
I think what ever Nolan does with Superman will be great! As for who ever Nolan decides to cast will be great. Do I think Brandon or Tom will be good to carry a film. Probably not.
Tom does well for small screen. But people would associate him with Smallville not Superman. And it's a reboot not a continue of Superman with Brandon. Therefore there would be no need to have the old Superman. But I guess only in time we will see.
Superman needs all the help he can get . . . he's a boring character.
Personally, I'd love to see a retro Superman done like "The Minutemen" sequences in the Watchmen movie BUT an entire movie couldn't be done like that . . . the general public would never swallow it.
Brandon Routh was dull as dishwater IMO and nowhere near brawny enough.
Wow, what a nothing interview. This wasn't journalism, it was marketing for the studios.
Wait, you mean to tell me he's pushing back the BATMAN 3 MOVIE for superman, seriusly? and he knows for a fact that 3 will be the last, why? im glad hes doing superman and all and hope its alot better than the last (which with him directing im sure it will be) but dont push batman to the side for it. if i were you id keep batman coming while Christian Bale is avaible for the role. no one can compare to him for it hes the best. just like u cant replace Robert Downey Jr. in iron man. those guys fit those charactors perfectly. FORGET SUPERMAN FOR NOW I WANT MORE BATMAN!
To all of you saying bring back Brandon Routh, why? He's trying to make a stand alone movie, bringing back Routh would not help that effort.
kate beckinsale as catwoman and jude law as the riddler anyone? anyway, i'm greatly looking forward to chris nolan's final batman story.
What part of reboot don't some people understand. The guy from Smallville will not play the man of the steel on the big screen. Get over it, we need a man of steel not a young man of steel.
joe jonas??? ahahahaha com'on I thought we wanted to out do the first crappy superman movie!!!??? we got rid of a horrible director,brian singer sucked thanks god!!!!
No body wanted to see the old superman movie because it had already been done and thats why the new movie sucked. you had all the money in the world to make something truelly revalutionary with it and what we got was terrible sure it made money, it was superman but its not like people went again and again to see it, it didnt change anything. Chris seems to get something that we all know we want inside and thats realism and darknight as joker says, changed things, lets just hope they watch matrix revalutions to see what flying around should look like. Batman3 to me should have joker back, not as main villain but as someone like hannibal for clarece, i love that idea. Daniel day lewis can take joker and honor heath
and i cant wait for inception. LEO should be in all his movies, kid is the greatest.
You know, it's funny when people call Tom Welling "this generation's Superman", considering the fact that Welling is actually two years older than Brandon Routh.
Welling, born in April 1977. Routh, born in October 1979.
I could see either actor doing it, though. Smallville has to end at some point, and Welling may see it as a natural step to do the character on the big screen to close out the TV Series. Then again, he may be sick of being Superman and want to do something else…you never know.
I agree that with a better script, Routh would be a much better Superman than he was in the original, and I don't think he had anything to do with the bad taste that movie left in people's mouths, so bringing him back wouldn't be a bad idea.
I prefer Routh.
Jonas for Superman? I cant stop laughing. Tom Welling is the only logical choice for the Superman role.
Agreed!!
Well Xander, teenagers associate Tom Welling with Superman. Not surprising since the show is aimed at teens. He is the only Superman they've ever really known. The show started when they were in middle school, went through high school with them and now those teens are off to college. Some people behind Superman Returns have even blamed exactly that effect for SR's under-performance. Warner Bros' president Alan Horn talked about how teens refused to turn up for SR and how that impacted SR's take and grim future prospects.
For the next batman film you should stay away from the villains that have already been done. In the comic's one of batman's biggest and hardest villains to fight is " Clayface ". Now with the graphic's of today you can make a action pack, kick ass film.
Here's one question I have: How do you "end" BATMAN? One of the core points of the character is that his lust for justice is never fulfilled.
Anyway, I have high hopes for a Nolan version of Superman. Has potential to make me a Superman fan again.
I admire this man. He doesn't compromise on his [good] principles. I hope that the third film ends with Bruce Wayne hanging up the cowl until he's a cranky, middle-aged Libertarian.
;)
Frankly, Chris Nolan has been a tedious, wannabe-"gritty," wannabe-"cerebral" almost-filmmaker from his beginning. It's truly strange that so many people worship his and Dave Goyer's geeky, transparent, showy-but-unsatisfying efforts.
Tim Burton — while admittedly no whiz with story — wanted to conclude the Batman "trilogy" with Bruce Wayne finding a new balance and hanging up the cowl. Warner Bros. cut him loose from the franchise instead, but that would have been excellent, would have made sense, would NOT have been punishingly adolescent like Nolan's movies are, and you know what? It would have been fun. Instead of the long, loud, tedious geek-porn Nolan makes.
Is there even the slenderest thread of a reason that, at the end of Dark Knight, Wayne does THE STUPIDEST POSSIBLE THING and makes himself an enemy of the people? Come on, Nolan. That's basest wankery, and you know it.
Nolan's also got it wrong-wrong-wrong about not mixing Batman and Superman in one movie. First of all, people would LOVE THAT. And second: Probably the very best Batman story of them all is Frank Miller's comic, The Dark Knight Returns — which, of course, features Batman and Superman together. No movie has come close to how cool that was. If you've read it, you know I'm right about this.
Go ahead, be hateful in response. But I think Nolan's a poseur. And I think if you really look at his wanky movies, you'll agree.
Very exciting. I like how he is approaching the third batman movie; that he is seeing it as a finale. Can't wait.
I'm sad to hear only a third batman. Nolan's take on the series has been nothing less than amazing. When a director and writer turn a comic book icon into a billion dollar movie that takes amazing talent and understanding of your audience. I say roll em out until the money dries up. Honestly, who could say another 3 batmans movies made by these guys would be a bad thing? I still get goose bumps watching Dark Knight.
Just thought of this: Batman and Superman are suppose to opposites. Batman is dark, angry, and brooding, while Superman is the All-American savior. In Chris Nolan's mind, Christian Bale is the obvious and perfect choice for Batman. SO who's the opposite of Christian? Based on his previous movies, Chris Nolan likes to work with the same actors. Opposites of Christian based on this theory would include: Cillian Murphy, Aaron Eckhart (fun connection between Batman and Superman), or (dare I say it?) Leo DiCaprio. If its someone new I'd love to see Johnathan Rhys Meyers…or even better Matt Long!!!! Matt Long would be a dream come true! excited for all the upcoming Nolan/Bale projects…they're my fav! what do you guys think?
I'm still waiting for batman 3!!!
I hope they continue the Two face story like they did with the scarecrow in the beginning of the dark knight, or have some kind of explanation of what happened after the funeral. It's too bad they couldn't continue the trial story they originally had planed for the 3rd film.
Really looking forward to Nolan's next works. But I'm not getting my hopes up that they'll even come close to matching the Dark Knight's dramatic scope. I made that mistake with Bryan Singer. Then I saw Superman Returns and was so disappointed by that film that I almost lost hope in mankind. But since Nolan works w/ some reliable people who'll keep him honest like his brother, wife, and Goyer, at the worst these next films should be better than most of the schlock that Hollywood pumps out as the cost of business.
I have been a huge superman fan for as long as I can remember. I even had a superman cape as a kid. The thing about the two last movies as was said before me superman needs some ca hones. As he was seen in the comic books he was a bad ass, but I feel the two movies made him look much softer than he was originally portrayed. HE'S THE MAN OF STEEL FOR CHRISTS SAKE!
really nice article, Huge Nolan fan and can not wait for these movies…
It's such a shame that they had to go and ruin Mr. Freeze… he could've been such an awesome villain, too. He DOES have a good backstory, don't ever forget it! It's just……. ah, god…. Arnienator. Why.
Regarding Superman – Bring back BRANDON ROUTH! He IS Superman.
He just needs the right movie and director. But they probably won't since it links people's minds to the Bryan Singer version.
Tom Hardy will be the next villain, see Bronson for the reason why.
How can people be so blinded by money, rather than the integrity of character creation??
Batman had robin in his second year. but did Nolan see fit to have him in dark knight? nope. did that tick off actual fans that want a robin/nightwing/teen titans spin off? …yep. fans that wont pay money to see a dark knight with out hope by his side.
also batman works as a tactician in the justice league of America. to say that in the crud that is becoming the Nolan verse that batman is on a separate earth than superman or the black canary, or wonder woman, is pathetic, and unwarranted. batman works well with most of the justice league. and when he is at odds with superman, it creates a legitimate realistic dynamic. people don't always get along, but for the greater good, they get the job done together. this is what fans of comics will pay to see films about. batman and superman together with robin, and the J.L.A.
THEREFORE, Nolan SHOULD LEAVE COMIC BOOK FILMS ALTOGETHER, if he cant understand what is actually set in stone in comic book continuity.
all characters can be made darker. the creator of batman BOB KANE would want robin in the films. this serves as a reminder of what DC and time Warner regularly do to the creators who actually put the work in, to create the icons that are now allocated to be trampled on. by supposed directors who only care about capital gain, and not the characters themselves.
I think whatever Superman project comes down the pipeline the talent of Mark Hamill should be used. He's proven his genius as a voiceover talent on Batman animated and gaming videos – I think his talent would serve any Superman villain extremely well. The behind the scenes of how he does voiceover work, the folks say he actually develops the character in his body and is a visual sight to be seen while voice over acting.
Comic fans would die. Especially those who actually pay and buy and own all comic licensed media (DVDs, Games, and Books.)
Just a thought.
Bring on Bizaro Superman!!!
For the next Batman film, no Catwoman…Bruce isn't over Rachel yet. The Riddler should be played by Christoph Waltz from Ingorious Basterds. Think about it for a sec…it works doesn't it?
@A. Jensen:
"I'm trying to figure out how $391 million isn't "heroic enough" to earn Superman Returns a sequel, and my recollection is that it was fairly well received critically. In any case, I can only hope that when he creates his new Super-universe, Nolan keeps the same face for Superman. Brandon Routh did a fantastic job, and I'm still hoping to see him don the cape and tights again."
''AGREED. We already have a Superman in Brandon Routh. Please, bring him back.''
I agree also.Brandon Routh did an amazing job,cast him.He'll be perfect.
personally ill agree with Nolan. i think that having each hero deal with their own world is the only way to go. marvel may combine stories but it makes it more interesting when you have inner conflict. i so think that the next batman will shatter any record there is. its the most anticipated movie of our time. RIDDLER! for some reason IMBD has already posted a cast member to play the part. weird.
I cannot wait for this! I think it's really going to pull off well =)
I hope the new Lex Luthor is the cool Smallville version and not the goofball version of the last movie. I really can't take anymore of goofy Lex. Give us the Smallville smooth criminal or don't bother bringing back Lex.
It's obvious. The next villian is Catwoman and the return of Raz Al Gaul.
A filmmaker who literally needs staff on set to explain to him the significance of elements of a character's world should not be making comic book adaptations. Plain and simple.
Nolan and Bale both said they wouldn't make a movie with Robin because they don't get it. Nolan won't use a science-fiction based villain because he doesn't understand science fiction.
Sam Raimi changed Spiderman, giving him web spinnerets in his forearms, simply because the concept of someone constructing 'web-shooters' didn't work for him. The fourth Spiderman movie was scrapped, and Raimi was fired, and thank God… because it reportedly included a character called 'The Vulturess', since they needed a spot for Anne Hathaway!
Favreau has stayed true to the Marvel universe, and not only did he make a good movie in 'Iron Man', but more importantly he made a FUN movie.
Nolan fans are fans of his movies, not the source material.
No, WE do not want Brandon Routh or Tom Welling as Superman… it's supposed to be a new story, new beginning and new universe, so no old actors, who played Superman before!
Nolan makes great movies. But I have serious doubts that his adaptation of Superman will be anything near faithful to the history of the franchise / the character.
Batman Begins and Dark Knight were great movies, but they weren't Batman movies. Nolan wants everything to be realistic but doesn't acknowledge that the source material is completely based in fantasy. I'm especially iffy on 'ending' Batman… In the comics, Bruce Wayne never quits and pretty much adopts Batman as his true identity (There are various versions, but this pretty much sums up his attitude). I can't see Bruce Wayne ever quitting unless he was killed.
Furthermore, these rumors about having a realistic non flying Superman really worry me. If you want to make a movie about a guy who can't fly, who's discovering he's different and having trouble adjusting to his surroundings (which sounds like the approach they're taking), call it something else. Don't call it Superman.
It'll be interesting to see what approach Nolan takes with it. It'll be entertaining no doubt.
I think Hush or Black Mask would fit in very well for Batman 3. They are not big names known outside the comic fandom, but they really fit the realistic tone Nolan has set out. The Penguin is just too goofy and Catwoman isn't evil enough to be the MAIN villain. Hugo Strange would be OK, but not much action. Or they could use David Cain to tie off the Ra's storyline. And bring back Mr. Zsasz as a supporting.
Although I did not mind Routh as Supes, I cannot see him coming back. He's tied to the Bryan Singer "Returns" movie, and trying to pick him up and drop him into a re-boot of Superman would confuse a lot of people.
I also do not believe Tom Welling will play the character, which is sad, as I can see Smallville ending without seeing the final transformation into Superman, and a big screen outing could do just that, but I cannot see Nolan under those constraints.
He did well with Batman, both Begins and the Dark Knight. He may prove me wrong here, but I have serious reservations about him helming a Superman project, especially since there are so many ways to do this that don't involve a "wipe the slate clean" approach.
'Returns' major problem was the script was WAY to dry. Luthor as the villain made sense, but the concept was ridiculous. A far better idea would have been Superman vs somebody like Metallo and/or Bizzaro, with Luthor in the back ground, building up LexCorp and pulling strings and welding unseen power, creating enemies to destroy Superman and becoming more of a psychological villain, like he is in the comics.
I guess I am one of the few who actually liked Superman Returns?
I mean I think Routh sucked as Superman, but I really enjoyed the story. I "got" where Singer was coming from.
Even though I have seen Dark Knight a dozen or more times, I still love the ending. Captivating and chilling stuff. Heath Ledger as the joker is thee best portrayal of a comic book character EVER.
I've been a comics fan since childhood and to see what Nolan has done with Batman as a film is deeply appreciated by me.
I fully trust Nolan with Superman. And would love an origin story from he and his troupe, with maybe a Lex Luthor appearance thrown in?
Superman is the authentic, iconic American story and should be told by an American director and writer! No apologizes, no bro-mances, or silly plots constructions.
Truth, justice and the American way. If one does not want to tell that story…tell another one!
BTW…Brandon Ruth was great…it was the movie that was awful.
Tom welling for SUPERMAN,He is the best Choice BY FAR.
I can't wait to see Superman under Nolan's supervision. It's sure to be better than Superman Returns.
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moniqueblog.net
societybook.wordpress.com
Chris Nolan knows how to make solid, captivating films.
I've been a fan of all of Chris Nolan's movies. He did the seemingly impossible by reviving the batman franchise. The Prestige was a brilliant movie, and Insomnia is also a grim, dark yet fantastic movie.
I can't wait to see Inception this summer, and I really hope the Nolan team outdoes The Dark Knight. That would make Chris Nolan's Batman trilogy one of the best trilogies of all time in my books! Right up there with Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Back to the Future.
In my opinion I like to see Bryan Singer direct the Superman sequels. Brandon Routh was mentioned that he would star in the upcoming Superman sequels. Christopher Nolan who is directing "Batman 3" need to leave the rest of the options to Bryan Singer. Because, Bryan needs to make the decisions for Brandon Routh to stay on track to play "The Man of Steel". "I read in the "Superman: New Krypton" series on the The New Origins of "The New Krypton" on Brainiac who kidnapped the citizens of Kandor in the city bottle and shrunk it to size. That story was written by Cary Bates from the original "Superman V". Superman V did had problems from the past that Christopher Reeve did mention that he wanted to see if anyone out in Hollywood is going to be in the next Superman sequel. See in 2005 Brandon Routh stepped in the Red and Blue costume with the Cape on the filming sets, and the whole Movie just hit the theatres in 2006.
The Supporting Cast from the SUPERMAN RETURNS has mention that they wanted to return are Kate Bosworth (Lois Lane)Kevin Spacey (Lex Luther), Frank Langella (Perry White), Sam Huntington (Jimmy Olsen), and James Marsden (Richard White). In that movie Lois Lane moved on and decided to get married to Perry White's nephew Richard and they wanted to start a family. Lex Luther creating a gloomy mist of "The Fortress of Solitude" and he was trying to kill Superman at the end. Superman has a son at the end and how does that apply to the next sequel. The fans wanted to find out How Superman was absent from Earth ? in this movie. We dont have any answer til Bryan Singer mentions it.
Also, Blake Lively and Taylor Swift are the actresses were rumored to star in the spin-off remake "SUPERGIRL" but the fans said there were lies. Supergirl is not tight up to the Superman sequels yet, til the "Next Superman film" is ready to be on target.
Daniel Day Lewis = The Riddler. Joseph Gordon Levitt = Joker = awesome
Nolan is an excellent film maker…but superman isn't dark, batman is…if u want an idea for a three part superman movie franchise, feel free to contact me…I've been working on them since superman returns came out and was terrible…
Spoiler alert:
film 1 is called : superman (the og 1978 film was called superman: the movie)
film 2 is called : the man of steel
film 3, the finale of the trilogy is called: last son of krypton
trust me…this is the way it should be)
DANIEL CUDMORE WOULD MAKE A GREAT SUPERMAN.PLEAAAAAAAAASE MR.NOLAN CAST HIM.
DANIEL CUDMORE,DANIEL CUDMORE,DANIEL CUDMORE!!!!!!!!!
BRANDON ROUTH AS SUPERMAN! He was the only thing I liked about Bryan Singer's movie.
The Alex Ross picture of Superman is how they should make him. Mature…rough…with attitude. Exactly how George Reeves played him. George was the greatest Superman. He didn't take crap from anyone as Superman OR Clark. Only Perry White could tell Clark what to do, and only to a point. He didn't kiss Lois' butt all the time either. No more "nerds on steroids!"
i know that the films have to end. and im glad that its only 3 parts and not being beat to death like the original superman films but they cant end the batman films by ending batmans crusade agianst evil. even bruce wayne says that the world needs batman. he doesnt even think of himself as bruce wayne in most stories. he is batman. bruce is the fascade, the masqurade, not batman.
he continues till he is an old man and in fact the reason he ultimately trains terry mcguines to be batman. that was always the thing that killed me about nolans batman is that you could tell that he didnt get it. he didnt understand that gotham will always need batman. even the people that new the truth about him new that he IS batman.
ok folks if nolan creates a whole new superman not based on singers version then they cannot use brandon routh as superman. people will be extremely confused. is this a sequel, is it not. . . it would not work. new story then new man of steel and singers was weak. too weak. over 20 years since the last superman film and you want to create a quazi-sequel to it? STUPID is the only way to describe that. they were both such girls, and i mean reeves and routh. they all portrayed superman as ultimately useless without powers. like they werent even men at all. like clark kent had no personal grit. how stupid. this new superman needs some real grit and it would be best if it stood on its own without brandon routh behind the shield.
to john concerning the future of a justice league film, if they make justice leage live action feature chances are it will have nothing to do with the batman and supreman created by nolan. nolan can only create a universe per hero cause its the intersection of too many genres and theologies for him to find believeable in one world. thats crossing magic, science,mythology, and religion and nolan wont mix all that into one pot and feel like people could suspend their belief for an instant. he cant stand back and say "well its really all fantasy anyway" he wants you to almost believe it. and he cant do that with the justice league.
I'm sure this will break ALL box office records !
I was an extra in Dark Knight…
How can I find out how to participate in this next movie ???
I'm in the Chicago area, but happy to travel…
Thanx, Mike Adler ~
Could Batman 3 be the first Bat-Movie to kill the title character or at least out his alter-ego? "Finding the reality" coupled with talk of the story concluding, may lead to the inevitable confrontation between Wayne's many lives.
The tragic end of one Bruce Wayne may be in the cards. Maybe. Nolan has constantly surprised me so I'll let my fanboy sit back and relax on this one.
I will reserve judgment about Nolan's involvement with Superman until I hear his top pick for director…
INCEPTION looks too good to be true!!!
Im excited about supermans return again. but, please make the story around the most powerful superhero of all time. Build the story around his incredible infinite powers, not the recent bull where his powers are half stripped like in some of the recent cartoons or smallville and every tom, dick and harry with a little 'extra power' can give him a fight or nearly beat him . Let him be 'superman' …he is 'not spiderman,you know.' Give him the full powers he had in the original Christoper Reeve movies. … He is, afterall, the only superhero who has the strength to spin the whole world backwards, not be touched by nuclear explosions and move at speeds that only 'the flash'can possibly beat.
Please, keep the concept of superman close to the original and don't mess it up forever by modifying him in any new way. The genius of a writer is to comeup with a great story that fits around him in his maximum glory ,not by fitting him and modifying him around a story.
Other superheros like the HULK and SILVERSURFER seem to be getting stronger in their new stories. WHY are is there this trend to slowly try to cut some of SUPERMANS powers? If at all, he should be made stronger and better to keep his reign as the best and strongest superhero of all time. He should always remain ahead of all others. It is not right for any writer to try to change that . That is pop culture history and should never be allowed.
I don't know where the emails will end up but hope they get to Nolan and related people…plese keep superman a true superman, not some modified 'hybrid of spiderman' or a 'weak' one like in "Smallville". In the show Smallville everone from his 'cousin' to the 'martian' to other "Kryptonians' are flying around and the 'real' Superman looks up to them and just runs around on the ground. Agreed, that he is growing up in the show and getting his full powers along the way but its about time he becamew a 'MAN'. I give credit to the original Superman movies and even the 'Superman returns' movie to keep his strength and powers at full. The Superman returns movie was very well made. It was a good introduction to the new generation. The next one needs just more power and more action.
The other superheros are getting stronger. the trend to cut supermans powers back is wrong. They think that since Smallville did well that might be a way . Honestyly, I love smallvilee becasuse its about superman as a kid and he is 'growing' into his powers . but all my friends who watch it constantly make fun or complain that he is a weak superman on that show .I'm one of the biggest fans of Supe from childhood and I also feel that it is it is sometimes disgraceful for "superman' to be so weak and vulnerable as they sometimes show in Smallville. Initially we used to think that every season on the show his powers are growing and and watched it with that in mind.Now its becoming stale that he is in the city and still at half powers, unable to fly and gets whiped pretty often.That is not attractive for the most powerful superhero of all time. Its understandable that if a supervillian like zod or braniac gives him a good fight but not every little earthling with a few extra powers. Let superman be superman. The reason that superman returns didn't make too much was because of less action and a sort of not too exciting story. not because superman was too strong. Actually that was one of the things that kept it going…people did say that at least they showed his full powers. The Chris Reeves movies did so well initially and that was superman with all his glorios powers at "full". Give superman a worthy apponent to fight like Doomsday or someother super villian but dont mess with history and screw up the 'king' of the superheros.That will never be right.
i can tell you this much,if they screwup superman any more they will kill the frenchise.every tom dick and harry superhero is flying around and showing incredible acts and they are trying to make the strongest and mightiest superhero of all time weaker!!! 'superman returns 'was very good and so were the chris reeve movies with his powers as a god and not some weak hybrid superhero. the reason' dark knight' did so well was because the villian was incredible. superman needs bigger more evil villians.the problem with 'superman returns' was that he saved a lot of stuff which we sort of have seen him do in the past and was sad over lois lane and got a dose of kryptonite from from lex,which we also have seen him do. superman needs more action. more scenes showing him do the impossible not less power.if the creators let him be who he is, things will turn out good in future movies. i have been a superman fan since childhood and watched and read more about him than most of the new people who write the new stories. please dont slowly destroy the man of steel.
A Justice league film would be a the absolute worse product DC can come up with its on par with teaming up the lord of the rings characters with narnia, its just too much backstory and characters to deal with in order to realistically make a good and interesting film. The JLA idea only works for cartoons and comics. In a live action medium such as motion pictures it reads as too farfetched, and too messy. I already know the Avengers film is gonna suck because of the same reasons.
If a superman film is made they should have his movements in the action resemble the ease of movement displayed in the Max Fleisher Cartoons.
i don't see how the fans would want Angelina Jolie to portray Catwoman. Can't they at least think of somebody who fits more to Michelle pfeiffer's profile?Angelina Jolie is the worst idea.
Geoff
If 2012 is the year of Hero's, then why not cease that opportunity and introduce new superhero's. Tiffany Herndon, Creator/Writer/Producer has in her possession a script by Marcus La Don Smith that does just that.
The topic at the Batcave that Monday night should have been about the future of other superhero's that are out there serving truth, justice and the integrity of humanity and yet are still waiting to step into the light.
If the Hitchcock of superhero cinema, Mr. Christopher Nolan truly loves to take on challenges, then I have one for him. It's easy to do a film about a hero that already exist in the public's eye, now let's see a film about a hero whom the public has never met. Let's talk about "The Pharoe."
Geoff,
Sorry I forgot, for those who are interested in "The Pharoe" then please contact Tiffany Herndon: Tiffahtv@aol.com
Please!!!
Begins of Begins of the Superman. New planet Krypton, New History, New Design, New Actors.
"Superman Returns" was a complete joke! Seriously, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane? Ah ……no. Don't even get me started on Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor…Michael Rosenbaum was and is a way much better Lex Luthor. Granted, no one can touch Gene Hackman, but Michael is completely convincing as Clark Kent's frenemy on "Smallville". Wish he would return to finish out the series, but that's just wishful thinking. Hopefully this new Superman movie takes a cue from Richard Donner's version..which just recently aired on AMC this past weekend. New everything is the way to go. The fact that "Superman Returns" wasn't the blockbuster of that year speaks volumes. Oh, and Mr. Tom Welling, if you just happen to glance at these comments, you sir are seriously 7 hates of "hot". Christopher Reeve would never have appeared on "Smallville" if he didn't agree with the show, the concept and "Clark Kent". So, maybe you aren't the right guy for this new Superman movie..but you are the right guy for so many, many things.
Ooops, meant, that Tom Welling is 7 different kinds of "hot".
My heart skips a beat and my fingers forget how to type just thinking of him. Wish he would stare directly into my eyes as he talked very, very slowly– so I could remember the moment…..ala Comic Con 2009. ;o)
First of all, I mean no disrespect to the Man of Steel, but in my opinion the problem with all of the different versions of Superman that exist, is just that. All those versions. This guy played this and that guy played that, she's doing this and she's done that. It's getting to the point where it's like a contest of which actor/actress can deliver a more effective dramatical, physical and sexual version in their role portraying the same character of a story that's been told over and over . We all know that superman's birth name is Kal-EL a Kryptonian sent to earth as a child escaping his exploding planet of Krypton. he grew up in Smallville as Clark Joseph Kent, being raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent. Moved to the big city and became a writer , met a girl (named Lois), fought for the city of Metropilis . . . Had problems with a guy named Lexl. . . . You get my point. It's the same story so all you can do is make different versions by changing the tone and changing the actors. Other than that, what else can you do? There are lots of good movies out there. Making good movies is about making a good variety. So instead of using the same old stories and participating in a competition, why not use those fabulous skills and know how to create new stories of that genre and spice things up a little. With creativity to our advantage, we can take advantage and create.
Whatever 'superman returns' made at the boxoffice it made because of the incredible feats done by superman . i saw the movie a few different times and the crowd cheared when he caught the plane ,the bullet deflected of his eye or when he picked up the whole island and threw it off into space.it lost because the story showed superman sad weeping weakly over lois ,didnt have a worthy apponent.and had a kid out of wedlock. people had negative thimgs to say about that and because the story didnt have a real new punch. superman has survived generations and is still the most well known and beloved suprhero of all time . he doesn't need reinvention. his powers dont need to be cut [i guarantee you that if the creators screwup his immage anymore it will seriously harm the franchise]. he should be shown with all his incredible powers without compromise, like in the original movies but the story needs to be good ,full of action and heroic feats with him taking on some incredible villian and saving the world in the process. we need the thought of superman in our lives. please dont castrate the man of steel. give him his glory back and put him on top of every superhero as he rightly deserves.
The only way Superman can successfully work on screen is as a non-flying, non-alien "Superman". Someone anyone can relate to.
hasib
"Survived for generations," "most well known and beloved superhero of all time." I would say that depends on who you're asking. Superman has survived for generations because his story is one that's been told the most over and over again. Then there's the Batman, oh yeah, and then Spiderman. The Incredible Hulk has also graced the silver screen. Within recent years we have had the courtesy of meeting The X-men (included one black super heroin), The fantastic Four, and now Ironman. Next year I even hear there's talk of The Mighty Thor and even Captain America. All these heroes are great in their feats of heroism. One question comes to mind though. Why are they are all white, with the exception of The Hulk (he's green). I bring this up to ask the question, what about black superheroes? Are there any other than Meteor Man, Blank Man and Hancock? I tell you what, why not take a glance at BlackSuperhero.com and see what they have to offer. I've checked it out for myself and some are far fetched, however, there are a lot of them that could make for a good movie with the right know how and effort behind them. In this country we've just elected our first black president, Disney has finally given us our first black princess. When are we going to get our first black superher0? I'm not talking about a comical black superhero, but I mean a righteous superhero. One or ones that can start a new franchise. No disrespect to anyone, but is there anyone else out there that feels as I do?
He's called a Green Lantern Not the Hal Jordan version
uh oh! Looks like I might have offended some people.
It was truly not my intent. No disrespect to the man of steel and it's creator. It's just that my mind wonders on what it would be like to use Hollywood magic to create new heroes to grace the silver screen with feats of heroics in the name of justice and freedom. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that has thought this way. I grew up reading comic books based on all sorts of heroes and now that they are coming to life on the big screen I'm looking for a lot more even new ones.
Now it is my intent to push for the release of black superheroes because all the heroes that have graced the silver screen have been white. With the exception of the Hulk and from the X-Men the Beast (He's blue and fury), also the Night Crawler (he's blue with body art).
I've heard some talk about Beyonce playing the role of Wonder Woman. Now that would be a mistake. It would make me feel like Hollywood is trying to pacify the black community by casting Beyonce in the role instead of a white actress whom we all know would properly fit the role since Wonder Woman was white. Plus the fact that Beyonce is not athletic enough to play this role. She's sexy in all and would look nice in that fancy costume with all those legs showing and rump curved out, but who are we kidding? If they want Beyonce in a superheroin role, then they should create one for her that would fit her steelo. Anyway, as stated when I opened this comment, no offense to anyone, just looking for some fresh dark meat to star in new franchise roles instead of the old ones.
What about hancock, the movie with Will smith. That was an awesome movie.
"Now it is my intent to push for the release of black superheroes because all the heroes that have graced the silver screen have been white"
What about "Hancock"? It was the fourth highest-grossing film in America in 2008, finishing ahead of both "Twilight" and "WALL-E." And what about Halle Berry as Storm in three "X-Men" films? Or Don Cheadle, now appearing on moive screens and billboards across America as War Machine in "Iron Man 2," which is merely the biggest movie of summer 2010?
Geoff
Yes, Hancock did well at the box office, but not because of what it was about. It did well because of who was in it. The question comes to mind is why did the black superhero in a starring role have to be a drunk. They might as well have called him Ned the Whino. Storm in the X-Men franchise was a black heroin, but it wasn't about her, it was about the X-Men and she just happened to be on the team. Don Cheadle's role in Iron Man 2 is unclear to me (even though I haven't seen the movie yet) because if you're a comic book fan as I am, then you know that Iron Man fought alone and not along side others that are equipped with the same suit of armor as his own. Still Berry and Cheadle did not capture a starring role.
The Blade franchise and the Spawn franchise did cast black actors in the leading roles, however, these roles were of a dark nature. Almost evil in fact. I'm waiting to see leading roles that deliver the black superhero or heroin out of the darkness and into the lime light.
This is not a dis toward any white actors or actresses, but rather a call for help to Hollywood to launch other franchise films that cast a black actor or actress in a serious role of heroism.
Geoff, please visit, if you haven't yet, Black Superhero.com and take a look at how many heroes there are. I know some are far fetched but there are more than enough to introduce some new faces of heroism. After all, film making wasn't always about what it grossed at the box office, but what it delivered to the audience. A good movie. With what Christopher Nolan has at his disposal to produce a good movie, I'd just like, no, I'd love to see some of those special effects and colors in a more creative effort. Give us something new and unexpected. Let's tell a new story instead of adding or altering an existing one.
Well Geoff, are you there?
Yes I'm here.
First on your point: "…if you're a comic book fan as I am, then you know that Iron Man fought alone and not along side others that are equipped with the same suit of armor as his own."
Actually, Rhodey first appeared in Iron Man comics in 1979 and War Machine in 1992.
Also, I thought the character in Hancock was flawed and troubled but absolutely heroic (in the end) — the story arc was just like the lost-his-way portrayal of Tony Stark in "Iron Man 2." And the presence of Will Smith means somehow that movie's success doesn't count? I don't get that at all. "Iron Man" wouldn't suceed without Downey but you don't discount that film or it's popularity as being part of the problem that you perceive.
Forgive me for my oversight, in 1979 I was a kid still ripping and running for the most part and in 1992 I put away my comics while occupied with other ventures. Anyway, forgive my oversight.
In regards to "Hancock", I must have been misunderstood. Will Smith is an excellent actor with many credits to his name. Also, "Hancock" was not a bad movie, it's just that I'm looking for more out of a film with a black actor or actress cast in the leading role. Trust me Geoff, I mean no disrespect to any actors or actresses, black, white, red, green, or yellow. If you can act you can act and if you can't, then you can't.
Robert Downey, Jr., is an excellent actor with many credits to his name and has done a great job in the role of Tony Stark. Actually, I'm not discrediting anyone who has acted in the role of superheroes, I'm just wondering and looking at the possibility of expanding the inventory of superheroes and mix some color in the development of some new heroes with more superhero drama. I guess I'm saying this right. What do you think?
Better yet, Tiffany Herndon, Creator/Writer/Producer, Tiftahtv@aol.com has in her possesion a script that introduces a character named "The Pharoe". It sounds pretty deep and could use the efforts of the Hitchcock of superhero cinema, Mr. Christopher Nolan to bring it to the screen in the manner in which it deserves as do all superhero films. I can only imagine what the finished product in Chris Nolan's fashion would present. WOW
A "deficiency of truly great villains???" Metallo, Brainic, Bazzaro, Lex luthor, and the almighty Darkseid. Those are all worth one film each. As a matter of fact, Darkseid is so powerful that he should be left for the Justice League movie. It'll be great to see how it'll take everyone to beat him.
Brandon Routh is currently the best Superman because he is tall and has a good build. Tom Welling is too short (sorry) to play an adult superman. Christopher Reeves was a good superman because he was tall too. I remember, as a child, my favorite scene was when superman walks through the reporters to tell them about disarming all nuclear warheads, and when he walked through them he towered over everyone.
If they make a Green Latern movie, they should do it about the black Green Latern, John Stewart. He's the best Green Latern, in my opinion, anyways. Plus, people like Sarah will be happier.
Whatever Christopher Nolan does for the next Batman movie…(He says the next movie "Batman 3" will wrap up the movie series)…he had better not kill off The Batman….if he does…he stands the very good chance of losing his audience for his other movie projects…Fans are not forgiving…and i am a fan..if Batman dies…i will no longer go to Christopher Nolan movies…
WOW. thats kinda creepy and weird. a while ago I posted on imdb a superman story idea about it taking place in the 30's and 40's and how the movie should be called "Man of Steel" I also posted that he shouldnt fly at first and how it is completely different from previous versions in that he doesnt wear the costume and the usual superman cliches. this is very very weird….
I can't wait to see what Nolan & co do with Superman. For me personally, Superman is the ultimate superhero… Before any of Marvels characters were created, the man of steel ruled supreme. I can't understand why hollywood just seem to be having trouble with getting him back on the big screen…This character deserves only the best! Superman Returns was a good flick, and I was really excited for it in the run up to it's release. However, after seeing it a couple of times, I know there were a few little glitches here and there, I think Kate Bosworth was cast wrongly as Lois Lane (I always pictured Rachel McAdams in the role). I think Brandon Routh did a fine job, and it's a pity we may not get the chance to see him as Supes again, I think the guy had potential. If they are doing a reboot, and are not considering bringing Routh back, then stick to what Richard Donner and Bryan Singer did, cast an unknown actor. Casting an established actor as Supes is wrong, go with an unkown… it worked before! Lets see how this turns out…And give Superman the glory he deserves!
There you go Darkseid,
That's really what I'm talking about. Bring in some of the old or new villains and old or new heros, as long as it's somebody new instead of the same ole same ole. Like you, I'm also a fan of the best Superman which was portrayed by the Late Great Christopher Reeves. In my opinion, he was the best Superman, and not only because of his look. Christopher Reeves acted like Superman. Let's use some fresh faces along with fresh villainary (spelling) and heroism.
Like Bruce said, you can't just go off and kill The Batman, our Darknight, oh no! That would be an absolute mistake. Aye, I'm a huge fan of Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, the Hulk, even Thor just to name a few. We're not going to kill these heroes off, let's just give them a break while having some cinema fun with other inventory. lol
I think Superman was over at Superman 2 and the franchise doesn't need a re-boot. I've always thought superman was a lame superhero anyway. To many abilities for one guy. He's like a superhero that is aimed at an audience of little kids. Batman is way more identifiable because he is a regular guy, who is kinda flawed and dark in persona. Superman is a boyscout that never gets down and dirty and I always picture him saying something lame like "You know, you should never play with matches, Billy". I know people won't agree, but I just never saw the appeal. Plus his costume is beyond gay. Love Christophor Nolan though, and if anyone can save it, he's the man. Love to see David Fincher do a comic book movie.
I'm bummed that the guy who made that well produced and directed but miserable and depressing movie the Dark Knight is in charge of the next Superman movie . . . Batman and Superman have NOTHING in common. They turned Batman into a stupid self absorbed clod and the Joker into a genius killer – what will they do to Superman?
Thank goodness I've got my George Reeves collection to keep me happy.
Nice characters for superman!
If you see this guy in glasses, he is so Clark Kent.
Tom Welling as Superman period.
Tom Welling has never reminded me of Superman. It's a teenage thing I guess with tom Welling. Now, Mr. Brandon Routh had every woman in the world
wanting to see more of him over and over again. That includes me! Brandon Routh = Superman!
Superman is the best and most powerfull superhero of all time .Also, the most popular. There have been more movies and tv shows about him than any other superhero. He doesnt need reinvention. He needs a good story. Ironman and some of the other superheros are not of the same stature , Anyone who has read comics knows that. A lot of the superheros who had successful films recently were second class heros. its just that the makers made good movies.People go to see Superman for the incredible feats he can do and not to see some ordinary guy or lame superhero. I remember a cartoon when they showed Superman struggling to stop a boing from crashing. kids watching changed the channel saying thats "bull ' he is much stronger than that . Smallville is starting to suffer too because Clark has grown up but still without full powers of flight. Superman returns was a good movie with Superman in all his powerful glory.It suffered a bit because of less 'action' and because Superman not having some new unique challenge. We need a powerful Superman with a powerful story.
Superman is not about black or white. He is loved by all equally. Favorite of many black superstars includind Shak O Niel. Tons of black kids and other kids from different races love him and lookup to him. He is still the most copied superhero and enjoyed by all ages. Superman Returns was a good reintroduction. Now we just need a new movie with with some solid fights and action. People dont want to see Superman get beatup,they want to see him kick the ass of some alltime powerful supervillian and do feats that no one else can do.
Superman Returns was a worse film than the discarded attempt at the Hulk before the last Hulk – it should be discarded and forgotten as well.
Superman should be:
1) Thicker, a wrestler's build – thick neck, large jaw, clean cut
2) NOT look like a teenager. He should be late 30's, possibly even have touch of grey on the sides
3) Be GOOD – a paladin's moral code, not dark and shady like they like to make all heroes today, without being corny though. There is a lot of drama potential in trying to be a good person in a bad world – see Spiderman.
4) And it would be cool, though not required, if the whole thing took place in a 1950's Metropolis (which would look like a stylized 1950s New York) – the birth era of the character. BUT with awesome effects, maybe crumbling buildings, giant robots, etc
Welling's a mediocre television actor, perfectly suited for the whiny emo portrayal of Clark Kent on "Smallville." But this will be a Superman MOVIE. Not "Smallville" jumps to the big screen. And for that, you need an actor with some presence and talent. I always liked Dean Cain from "Lois & Clark," but I recognize that they're not going to use him in a big budget movie.
Routh was fine in "SR", but he was doing a Christopher Reeve impression in Bryan Singer's retread of "Superman II." I'm sure Nolan has an entirely different take on the character, and he should be free to cast whomever he (or his brother) feels would best bring that particular vision of Superman to life. (So long as it's neither Rob Pattinson or Taylor Lautner. We DO want people who look like heroes who can also act.)
And I can't believe I've been reading suggestions on this board that Joe Jonas play Superman. You might as well suggest John Mayer, Justin Bieber, or Kanye West.
I think he will come up with a good superman story – lets keep our fingers crossed.
It’s only after editing when I realize what I’ve done. There’s defiantly a lot of great tips here I’m going to try to be more aware of.
Personally I hope routh does get the job in the Superman reboot. He did a great job in SR, and if he has a better script he will be even better! Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Welling and Smallville, but making Welling the new Superman will make it seem like a Smallville spinoff and I doubt that what they're looking for.
[...] (something I am very much looking forward to seeing, by the way), he seemingly suggested that the same approach would be adopted with the Man of Steel: “A lot of people have approached Superman in a lot of different ways. I only know the way that [...]
A sequel to the Dark Knight should cast: Christian Bale as Batman, Tom Hardy or Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the Riddler, I do not think they should re-cast the role of The Joker, as it would become a mockery of Heath Ledgers performance. Also Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and so forth reprising their roles in the sequel aswell. Would love to see some new faces and hope they do not overdue the Riddler where as to make him similar or more over the Top than The Joker. Which might be hard seeing as how they are both crazed lunatics with very similar characteristics. All in all i can not wait to see the finished product of this amazing franchise. Further more, I believe Nolan will pick the Superman franchise back up onto its feet as well as many others to come..
Nolans the new burton and just like burton he isn't right for superman…… at all…..never ever in a million years.He's great for dark gritty smart thinker movies but superman should be the character that gives you hope and that's why burton failed because he was trying to do what he did with his past films.I'm not a hater but nlans getting to much hype an love and to be honest he's going to fail and just like rami everyone will blame studios then realize "holy crap it was us and rami!".And singer didn't even do a bad job superman returns was one of the highest selling dvds for a long time have to look it up but it was selling well.returns was a box office bomb simply for the fact it was superman… this is a guy who's not even as popular as before he's the lame brother you keep in the closet to alot of people.
I hope there will be 3 Superman films, and will be in continuity with the 3 Batman ones, but not directly. I hope the villains in the first film will be Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and Mercy Graves. For the second, Parasite, and Bizzaro. And finally, for the third film, DARKSEID!!
[...] Christopher Nolan on Superman: “We have a fantastic story” [...]
I wish these movie companies would stick to the same casts. Its bad enough Katie Holmes wasnt in the 2nd Batman. How many others were Batman before?!! What are they going to do with the Superman reboot ? The first Superman generated $391 million !! Thats no small change! Keep Brandon Routh and Kate Bosworth and Bryan Singer!!!!
[...] [...]
[...] a few minutes to read this outrageously awesome article by Geoff Boucher at Hero [...]
why don't you go listen to justin bieber.
thanks for article kablo tv
[...] scenario, but it really depends on the story. Back in March, Christopher Nolan spoke to the L.A. Times about his new Superman film and third Batman film. In the article he emphasized the return [...]
Tom Wellington is the man! I don't like Smallville but even Christopher Reeve said that he's the best actor for a reboot!
I’m wondering why everyone is forgetting about Superman’s greatest Super Villian, Darkside!
I really believe that you're probably one of main reasons batterie,
labatterie,
r4 ds,why filmmakers and studios shouldn't listen to fans.
Tom Welling would be a great Superman..he has been playing Clark Kent for 10 years now and knows the role. Joe Jonas is not someone that should be considered for this at all, I am a livid Superman fan and I would be appalled if Jonas got the job instead of Welling.
This gentleman has a very tough time understanding what he's dealing with. He made two good superhero movies, but along the same vein as batterie,labatterie,
r4 ds,… a vague idea about the character and a story to tell that has nothing to do with the universe the character comes from. Essentially, he will be remaking the Christopher Reeve Superman, just as Singer did. Someone needs to take Singer, Nolan and Raimi into a room and explain to them that superheroes come from another world– and it's not their province to pick and choose what works and what does not
[...] Jonah, and it’s based on a story by the director and David Goyer. Earlier, I got Nolan to take Mr. Freeze off the list and, yes, this is like pulling teeth but don’t think for a minute that I mind. Nolan makes [...]
[...] and it’s based on a story by the director and David Goyer. Earlier, I got Nolan to take Mr. Freeze off the list and, yes, this is like pulling teeth but don’t think for a minute that I mind. Nolan makes [...]
[...] for those Man of Steel fans, here is another piece on Nolan’s envovlement with that movie as [...]
[...] also tells Hero Complex that The Riddler will not be the villain in the third film. When Nolan eliminated Mr. Freeze from the running, it wasn’t a big surprise, but The Riddler is a character who seemed to fit [...]
[...] other villian the LA Times reporter managed to get him to rule out is Mr Freeze, although that’s no great shock, as Freeze really [...]
[...] Secondly, Nolan eliminated another Villain after elminating Mr Freeze in a previous Hero Complex article. [...]
[...] Jonah, and it’s based on a story by the director and David Goyer. Earlier, I got Nolan to take Mr. Freeze off the list and, yes, this is like pulling teeth but don’t think for a minute that I mind. Nolan makes [...]
[...] Nolan breaks silence on Superman film [...]
[...] Jonah, and it’s based on a story by the director and David Goyer. Earlier, I got Nolan to take Mr. Freeze off the list and, yes, this is like pulling teeth but don’t think for a minute that I mind. Nolan makes [...]
The red-and-blue costume and play batterie
labatterie
r4 ds,I LIKE.
I think everyone would agree on a few things, first, Tom Welling is doing such a great job with "Smallville" and makes a great superman. In his latest episodes in the last season he is really starting to take shape, the only downfall is we waited 10 seasons to see him become Superman, now everyone of us is dying to see what he will do as superman. I speak for a lot of people when i say not only do I want to see Tom Welling play this new Superman roll, but play it in a "Nolan" film. Second, Superman Returns was a decent movie, the special effects were good but Routh is no Superman nor does he deserve the roll. Superman is a roll that has influenced people for almost 100 years, you have to do it right or its blasphemous.
Let's be honest, NO actor has sufficient physical presence to play Superman. That's why they should use motion-capture, like in Avatar.
[...] and he’ll certainly choose a good man or woman with the perfect bad plan. We know the villain isn’t Mr. Freeze, [...]
LOL !!! Joe Jonas is 5' 9" :)
This artical basically said nothing.
I think 'Superman Returns' was well made and did reasonably well . The only thing it lacked was real high powered action. It showed Superman with all his glorious powers correctly but mainly showed him saving people and not in solid action.A lot of the stuff they showed was similar to saves in previous movies but better done. Superman is the greatest superhero ever created. he is the best and strongest DC comics has to offer. Marvel comics has been making there heros like the Hulk,Silversurfer,Thor more and more powerful.There has been some talk to keep Supermans powers the same but trim them down a shade to add more challege to the story or stories.That is never the answer. You cannot mess with the real thing and weaken the mightiest hero of all time. If people want to see a weaker superhero with different challeges they can see Ironman or Spiderman or Batman or whoever. People go to see Superman for what they know him to be.The thing to do is creat challenges or villians worthy of his powers not bring him down to the level of lower class superheros. Please. there has been enough experimentation with the franchise. We just need a solid Superman movie like the recently released 'Doomsday' cartoon version,
very much agree.
I agree wholeheartedly!
tom welling should be superman only because most generations have already seen him as clark on smallville. so it would only seem far if he was the new superman cus he already is superman.
Christopher Nolan is good guy. i think he deserve it.
drivers
Really its fantastic story.. Superman character i like that one..
ewww dont pik the nolan dude..cmon be 4real now
I personally am so hoping for a new Superman movie .. with Routh returning as Superman .. The Man of Steel is the ultimate DC hero , the most powerful
but the most respectful and caring of all . He could easily do anything he wanted , but puts himself in peril and harms way for humanity all the time . I have seen many blogs
I would love to see Routh return as Superman " Excellent choice " given a strong story line and writers .. and no more Lex Luther with a laser , power suit or missiles .
They should pull out Brainiac , and or Bizzaro and end a series of movies building up to Darkseid the ultimate villain .. NO other Super hero could even dream of slamming it out with either Bizzaro or the mighty Darkseid .
BRING US " THE MAN OF STEEL "" !!!
Let,s build up for the " Justice league" !!
i think that tom welling would make a great superman in the 2011 batman 3 movie, that would be so great says brandin lee detroy, from mesquite, texas, says, bring it, he deserves the role, yes, do it, but he needs more characters like big grown big breasted tailsko in the movie, please nolan, do it for sega's sake, and big grown big breasted female sonic hedgehog in the movie, yes, do it, nolan please, for sega's sake, and with christian bale as the dark knight in his gray dark knight costume, yes , nolan, please , do it, and with micheal ansara as mr. freeze in the movie, yes, do it,
in 2011 batman 3 movie aaron eckhart as two face, sarah michelle gellar as harley quinn, tom welling as superman , halle berry as catwoman,… mark hamil as the joker, yes, hugh laurie as mad hatter, yes, the arkham inmates , yes, philip seymour hoffman as the penguin, yes, and christian bale as batman dark knight, in his gray dark knight costume, yes, that would be fantastic,
When will Hollywood learn – we don't want you to rewrite the story. We want you to tell the story as it is told in the comic books.
That is why people love the characters, because there is a connection and continuity to be found with them.
That is why Spider-man and the original X-men were a success – they stayed close to home in regard to the what the comics showed. The more you move away from the comics, the more you move away from the fan base into 'WTF-sville" and into less boxoffice returns.
The best superman not only for the fans but also for pure profit reasons would and is Tom Welling. I hear WB's rumor that Matthew Goode for Superman. I can't believe that is the case. I am alomst in pure outrage that you can't see past the artistic reasoning of a pure mad man. The only reason Tom Welling is not given this movie is because you simply can't get the fact that the crap you put in the movie theaters lately is the worst crap I have seen in my life. I mean I went to see the latest Harry Potter movie. No offense but I would rather read the book. I mean Tom Welling was meant to play the Superman and if you all can't see past your buddy system and see that the actual profit margin for making the new Superman is the best with him in the title roll. You don't deserve to be in the jobs you have. This is amazingly wrong. Everyone at the WB need to get off their high horse and see the stupid reasoning that has gotten them in the bankruptcy business.
I am sorry Rebecca but Joe Jonas as superman is the worst Idea I have heard of in my life time ever. He is a singer that is all and that is all he will ever be. Tom Welling has palyed Superman in Smallville for 10 years now. There is no one else better to take the role. Tom has the right eyes, build, acting ability, character, and knowledge of superman. He is total package and if WB doesn't see that it will make the new movie a total nightmere. I heard they want to make Matthew Goode as the new Superman. I know Mat is tall but he is about as skinny as my girlfriend. He is a stick figure. Tom is the true Superman and even Chritopher Reeves if he was alive still would be demanding Tom as Superman. Chris even palyed a role in Smallvile for awhile and gave Tom pointers while there. I mean who could be better than the man given blessing from the original Superman.
[...] Nolan breaks silence on Superman film [...]
Christopher Nolan certainly can't do any worse than Bryan Singer's cinematic abortion "Superman Returns." I can write a book about everything that was wrong with that one! I'm still trying to figure out how Superman was able to lift a whole mountain laced with kryptonite when he was weakened just by standing on it. And instead of a decent hero vs villan showdown, they went with a wussified "villans get their karma" ending. SR tops my list as worst film ever! It was so bad, it made "Superman 4: The Quest for Peace" look like "Supernam 2." Singer did to Superman what Joel Schumacher did to Batman–only ten times worse! If "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" are any indication, Nolan is bound to do an excellent job of it. As for casting, I think they should have an unknown actor play Superman, and have Evangeline Lily as Lois Lane. She is bound to do a better job than Kate Bosworth. Hey, Jerry Stiller would have done a better job as Lois Lane than Kate Bosworth did.
[...] Nolan breaks silence on Superman film [...]
[...] Nolan breaks silence on Superman film [...]
They need to keep Brandon Routh as Superman,he actually has the original Clark Kent's(Christopher Reeve) Dimeanor & Body Laguage down to a tee.For instence,in the movie where he haled Lois Lane a cab,he push his glasses up as they slid down his nose,a classic Clark Kent moment,it was a small thing,but Brandon Routh did it great!!!,Little things like that,that make him the perfect candindate for that role,I say keep him.I really enjoyed the Superman movie he was in.
ZOE SALDANA FOR LOIS LANE!!!! It's time for color blind casting with regards to iconic American heroes. Besides, Zoe would make a great Lois. She's talented, she's strong, she's intelligent. She'd be perfect!
I don't care who they sign as Superman. If they throw out the same uninspired, tired storyline, count me out. No more passionless Lex Luthor with his brain-dead girlfriends and retarded sidekicks. No more stupid, camp humor. With 73 years of great Superman stories and characters to choose from, I refuse to spend my time and money on the same crap. Give us Superman in something like the last two Batman movies, and you can't lose. It's all in the story.
Am I the only one that thinks a Frank Miller "Sin City"-like Batman would be frickin awesome?
Henry Cavill is the new Superman. http://bit.ly/fahhI8
Henry Cavill is the new Superman. http://bit.ly/fahhI8
Superman returns was a good movie . Brandon was a good superman and they showed superman's powers correctly. The movie did miss out on action .. The fans need an angry Superman thrashing around a monster enemy and a battle that can be remembered for a long time or a whole army with all the latest weapons crumbling against the mightiest superhero of all time ( or something like that ). The fans need Superman to show his might , punch and kick for a change , melt something with his eyes or save the world from something extremely powerful . The fans don't need a weak Superman with adjusted powers to write a story but a mighty foe to challenge him .
Essentially, he will be remaking the Christopher Reeve Superman, just as Singer did. Someone needs to take Singer, Nolan and Raimi into a room and explain to them that superheroes come from another world– and it's not their province to pick and choose what works and what does not.
[...] Nolan breaks silence on Superman film [...]
Christopher Nolan fans This is Sick … it's a bunch of the best Nolan's movies mashed up : http://bit.ly/fn3D0J
Nolan did a excellent job with the last 2 batman films. Batman in the films chooses to give up on revenege and focus on what he can do but not as a man as a symbol of hope. " Its not who you are underneath its what you DO that defines you." And going into the dark knight Batman keeps up that role choosing whats right and good for the sake of everybody and not whats good for batman. This transformed Batman into a Legend. I thought the story was great and everything about it.
I hope Nolan does the same kinda moral codes with Superman.
Id personally like to see Superman do 3 films then have him in a JLA film then make a Doomsday movie with the death of Superman. Why? Because in the classic comics Doomsday was so powerful he ran threw the JLA and only Superman could take him down but it wasnt till Superman had to draw the line and give up his own life for the sake of the people he loved that he was able to stop the monster. And then the return of Superman which brings in a new era.
In the old richard donner films Jor-el said "the son becomes the father, and the father becomes the son." Superman surpassed his father and became something more when he gave up everything he wanted for the sake of the whole planet. It transformed him into a Legend.
What I remember when i was little and reading the comics was how powerful doomsday was and how nothing could stop this monster and how big of a struggle it was even for Superman. And seeing Superman having 2 fight for like 5 issues was crazy and you didnt know what was going to happen and then at the end Superman died. Im a very prideful person and even I had a tear coming down my face after reading that Superman died at the end of his long struggling battle. Thats all thank you.
Well worth to read. Thanks a lot~!
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[...] Nolan breaks silence on Superman film [...]
Change up Superman with a new approach all you want Nolan, just PLEASE keep the John William soundtrack music the same
Joe Jonas Sucks. Now go back to the Disney site
[...] Bale y a Henry Cavil de nuestra lista.Primero fue Nolan, quien afirmó que el Caballero de la Noche vive en su propio universo, desconectado de la continuidad. Por su parte, Zack Snyder declaró en la premiere británica de [...]
[...] Bale crossing and Henry Cavil from our list. First it was Nolan, who said the Knight Night living in your own universe , disconnected from the continuity. For its part, Zack Snyder said in the British premiere of [...]
I’m still waiting for some interesting thoughts from your side in your next post thanks.
this is my favorite superhero. he can fly, such as steel-bodied and eyes release a laser beam. original character looks geeky and not arrogant. I like him.
SR failed misserably most epic fail of all Superman lifting a gigantic island of kryptonite and still have his powers long enough to take it and launch it into space… i trust the Nolan brothers to fix wat singer almost completely destroyed
Think superman good magic ah, I also superman
[...] Christopher Nolan on Superman’s ‘fantastic story’ More in: TV, DCGreen ArrowSmallvilleSupermanTelevision [...]
Do the 1978 viersion. same story just diffrent people. stay with what worked in the first place. and this time please keep the original style of the reeves costume. go d.c comics syle. Superman returns was a joke. the suit the big heavy boots he wore im surprised he got off the ground. the fortress in the 1978 version was bright and majical kids loved it. Slick boots bright cape bright fortress. superman returns was to dark. Bright & good. uplift peoples spirits. Its not as if we couldnt do with it these days. You get the kids hooked,, your on to a winner. they grow up with it.
needs to be tom at least to many changes gets old
Please Please PLeeeeeaaase let the Man of Steel be Tom Welling! He's the only person I will accept as Superman since Reeves. I really dont want to be disappointed like Brandon Roth, ahhhhh. I knew soon as I watched the Dark Knight, that I wanted Chris Nolan to direct a new Superman movie and dreams really do come true. Please, I'm begging let Superman fly.
I'm not sure anyone can do a Superman movie nowadays without screwing it up and ruining the basic story line. If they stick to the 1939 comic story I could buy into that. It is more realistic. But don't deviate from the original story. This is Superman, not your creation.
Nolan is a legend so i trust him
they need to make a other superman moive staring moive acter mr joey sisco
joey sisco as superman
They should basically bring doomsday into the picture. We all know he kills Superman but also that his spirit ventures out into other would be super heros to keep the idea of there might be a Superman out there.
Seriously…why do the same scripts/characters …over and over and over again.
It’s disgusting and offensive to ever try to make superman after Chris Reeves, Gene Hackman, The old world special effects, music, and Richard Donner’s work.
LAME… Write something original and quit remaking classics that have earned their place in true innovative film history.
AS MUCH AS WELLING WOULD BE GREAT AS SUPES THIS NEW GUY LOOKS GREAT BETTER THAN ROUTH WHO WAS SHIT IN THE PART. ASLONG AS THERE IS A REAL VILLIAN & NOT A ROCK. LEX IS ALWAYS CLASSIC UT WE NEED TO SEE HIM GO BLOW FOR BLOW WIT SOME ONE AS POWEFUL AS HE IS DESTROY SOME BUILDINGS
[...] but I can’t be too mad at the reboot. I’m a huge fan of Zach Synder (for 300 not for Watchmen), Christopher Nolan, Diane Lane, and Henry Cavill. But back to Sam. If you don’t recognize him from that movie, you [...]
[...] this but I’m relieved to know that Chris Nolan will be involved in this reinvention. He is also producing Man of Steel. This is very good news in my opinion and means that the character is in capable [...]
Superman is supposed to be a perfect genetic specimen. Henry Cavil has good facial features but crooked bottom teeth . I hope the hollywood people find some movie magic to fix that for the film .