There’s now less than two months to go until Warner Bros. attempts to kick-start its DC movie universe with Zack Snyder’s eagerly-anticipated Man of Steel, and there’s a growing air of expectancy amongst fans that Snyder, producer Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises) and screenwriter David S. Goyer (Batman Begins) could be set to do for Superman what Nolan and Goyer done for Batman with The Dark Knight trilogy. Of course, at this point in time we know little about the plot (and even less than we think we do, if The Dark Knight Rises is any indication), but if a report over at Entertainment Weekly is correct, it seems the trio could be planning to make a major change to the established Superman mythos. If you’re wanting to avoid any potential Man of Steel spoilers, now could be the time to hit that back button…
So, according to the article, Henry Cavill’s Last Son of Krypton isn’t actually the last son of Krypton, seeing as the planet hasn’t been destroyed: “In this iteration, Clark Kent’s heroic tendencies would rise to the surface only when the threat was great enough. It would have to be a global menace — one that might also trigger an internal conflict about whether he belongs on Earth even as he yearns to be among his own kind. That’s what pits him against General Zod (Boardwalk Empire’s Michael Shannon), a Kryptonian tyrant who wants Clark to join him back on Krypton, which would mean abandoning his post as defender of the weaklings of Earth.”
But wait? If Krypton hasn’t been destroyed, why does Jor-El (Russell Crowe) send his only son to Earth? Well, if rumours are to be believed, it’s because Kryptonians are genetically engineered, rather than being born naturally… except Kal-El (presumably because Ayelet Zurer’s Lara Lor-Van just can’t resist Jor-El’s rugged charm), which makes the future Superman a huge threat to Kryptonian society. Should it prove true, it’s certainly offers up an interesting new angle, with Superman essentially an exile and a fugitive from his own world and a hero on ours…
Update – According to Jor-El himself, there’s no truth in the rumour that Krypton has been saved from destruction:
ahem…as I was saying…my name is Jor El, of Krypton, as my planet dies I send 2 you my son, Kal. So he may live. He will arrive June 14
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) May 4, 2013
How do you feel about this potential alteration to the Superman story? Let us know your thoughts…
Originally published May 3, 2013. Updated April 10, 2018.
