Nearly a decade after the current run of DC movies kicked off withZack Snyder’sMan of Steelin 2013, it finally looks like we might possibly get another solo Superman film. This comes after years of uncertainty surrounding ifHenry Cavillwould even return to play Clark Kent again. Following the major controversy surroundingJustice League, it seemed that might be the last time we ever saw this version of Superman again. This went as far as Superman having faceless cameos inShazam!andPeacemaker, clearly still holding out hope that he would return. After a quick cameo inBlack Adam, it looks like this Man of Steel could conceivably grace the silver screen again in the (hopefully) near future. But where do we go from here? What do we exactly want from aMan of Steel 2?
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A Strong Villain
What is a superhero without a villain? Superhero movies in general often have a villain problem. Some are packed with too many to juggle correctly, fumbling what would have been great adaptations if these villains received their own stories. Others have had villains that fall flat, often changing them so much that they no longer resemble their comic book counterparts. When it really comes down to it, most fans are looking for action within a superhero movie, and it needs to deliver on that, while retaining smart and worthy villains.
Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) may be an obvious choice. The last we saw of him, he was plotting on a yacht after having broken out of prison. While Luthor is definitely the most iconic foe for Superman, they already did explore this dynamic inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Jesse Eisenberg played a very divisive version of the character, one many comic book fans felt disappointed in. Not to say they cannot do more with Luthor and Superman’s dynamic, but the state of the DC slate should look to the future, not the past. A new villain would work a lot better, but who?
Bizarro could be a potential candidate for a villain. In the first official Superman storyline, Bizarro is created by Lex Luthor in an attempt to clone Superman, but Luthor is unable to control him, resulting in chaos. Perhaps this could be easily explained as a failed experiment to bring back Superman after his death. Other stories include a Bizarro Lois Lane, and creating a whole world of Bizarros. These would take massive swings to the audience, yet it would give Henry Cavill a lot to do. Cavill would have to play both roles, hero and villain, which wouldn’t be too much of a stretch, since we’ve seen villainous Superman in other DCEU films. Bizarro is a very memorable villain, striking to look at, with the opposite powers as Superman as we know him (such as freeze-vision) that would allow this sequel to toy with Superman’s powers. Bizarro could work as a fairly tragic character, just like Frankenstein’s Monster, that would really match well with Superman’s themes of hope.
Another candidate for the villain role could be Brainiac. Originally an alien who shrank cities into jars to rebuild his home world, Brainiac has evolved many times over the years, even becoming a robot with a skull-like head (and a spaceship modeled like his head). Brainiac has had many iterations, too many to ever streamline into one story forMan of Steel 2. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as the writers would have more freedom to make their own story, on take whatever Brainiac story they believe would fit best for a live-action adaptation of the character.
Perhaps the most likely, however, at least for right now, is Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson). Now in theaters,Black Adamseems to be one of the most powerful characters we have seen yet in this DC universe. Dwayne Johnson himself has mentioned how eagerly he wants his version of Black Adam to go up against Henry Cavill’s Superman (giving us a little hit of that within the movie itself, even). This most likely depends onBlack Adam’s box office success. If it does do well, maybe this is where the nextMan of Steelwill go. Regardless, thisMan of Steelsequel needs a strong and well-developed villain.
More Kryptonians
AsMan of Steel 2would be coming after the current lineup of announced DC films, the company has time to introduce more Kryptonians into the films.Sasha Calleis set to play Supergirl in the upcomingThe Flashdirected byAndy Muschietti, coming out in 2023. This would be another potential project for her to appear in, even as a small cameo, though she could serve a larger role, likely setting her up for her eventual solo film as well.
Another character that could be introduced is Kon-El, otherwise known as Conner Kent or Superboy. Conner Kent had a very similar creation to Bizarro, as he is an attempted clone of Superman by Lex Luthor, except the twist this time is that he also has Lex Luthor’s DNA. Comics history has shown a complicated and strained relationship between Conner and Clark, the latter of whom is blindsided by the creation of this boy and generally doesn’t want much to do with him. Eventually, Clark does relent and takes him under his wing. Conner would provide a moral dilemma for Clark, who did not ask for what is essentially a son, but would make for a great emotional arc for both of them.
Lois Lane and Humanity
Perhaps the most important character other than Superman is his love interest Lois Lane (Amy Adams). She played a major role in the first film and has already gone out of the way to find out his secret identity. Unfortunately, her character took more of a backseat in later films, as she’s barely inJustice Leagueat all. ForMan of Steel 2, it would be great for her to have a larger role once again, and it is time to take her character in new directions. It is unclear if this Lois is still working at the Daily Planet following Clark’s “death,” though it looks as though Martha convinces her to get back to work inJustice League.Nevertheless, she deserves to be more than just a woman to be saved. She’s a quick-thinking reporter that grounds Superman, and she should be just as involved as she was inMan of Steel.
Lois also brings a lot of humanity to Clark that is needed for this character. Compared to the likes ofChristoper Reeve’sSuperman, we don’t see much of Henry Cavill’s Superman attempting to live a more human existence. That has always been a part of Superman: he represents the best in humans, despite not being one. He works a normal job, and he lives a bland existence on the outside. We could potentially be him, and that makes him more relatable. This has been unfortunately a bit lost in this version of the character. While his god-like powers are epic to behold visually, they need to be contrasted with his gentleness as Clark.
After nearly a decade wait for news for this film, anticipation is high for aMan of Steel 2after the events ofBlack Adam, and fans would not want to be disappointed in this long-awaited sequel.
