Man of Steelwas great, but I’m still upset that the debutDCEUmovie’s reputation was tarnished by a controversial moment that just one deleted scene would have justified.Man of Steelwas the first movieto launch the DCEU back in 2013, setting the tone forwhat to expect from DC’s first cinematic universe. At this point, the MCU had been in full swing for five years, even tying together its constituent narratives with the hugely successfulThe Avengersin 2012. This put extra pressure on the DCEU to differentiate itself from its rival franchise.
Man of Steelsucceededin that regard, bringing a level of gritty realism to the latest Superman movie that flew in the face of the MCU’s more lighthearted take on its comic book adaptations. Unfortunately, this garnered mixed reactions, with some struggling to reconcile the inherently fantastical nature of Superman with the darker story that it was trying to tell. I loved it, and I think the early reviews may have been too quick to criticize now that hindsight sheds new light on the debut movie.
Some Audiences Were Put Off By Superman’s Fateful Decision
Much of thecontroversy surroundingMan of Steelconcerned General Zod and his battle with Superman. Their battle tore through Metropolis and caused enough devastation to warrant legitimate questions about whether Superman truly benefited the world. This was, after all, part of the reason Batman decided to try and take him down in the sequel,Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice- which fared much worse in the court of public opinion than its predecessor.
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Superman’s inability to take the fight away from the most built-up areas of Metropolis may have drawn some flak from those less inclined to recognize that he tried, but fans of the movie were more concerned about how it ended. Specifically,Superman was forced to break his no-killing rule in the space of his debut movie. This was unacceptable to many fans of Superman who were looking for a debut movie that established him as a beacon of hope and virtue but were instead faced with something that felt decidedly bleak.
Man of Steel was no Iron Man, but it followed six years of brightly colored, slightly irreverent superhero movies and established itself as a breath of fresh air.
It got things off on the wrong foot, and I think that’s tragic.Man of Steelwas noIron Man, but it followed six years of brightly colored, slightly irreverent superhero movies and established itself as a breath of fresh air. That’s not to mention howHenry Cavill’s depiction of Supermanremains one of the best casting decisions in superhero cinema, andit’s sad that the controversy surrounding Superman’s fateful decision overshadowed his debut.
Why Superman Killing Zod Was So Controversial
The Writers Could Have Made Different Decisions
Off the bat, it’s important to establish thatSuperman killing Zod is not unprecedented. Although it was also a controversial move at the time,Superman #22saw Superman make the difficult decision to kill Zod via lethal kryptonite exposure to prevent him from killing more than the five billion humans he had already massacred. Even 1980’sSuperman IIhad Superman kill Zod by throwing him into a crevice in the Fortress of Solitude. With that in mind, the backlash to Superman making the same call (under much duress, I might add) inMan of Steelmight be somewhat confusing.
Christopher Nolan, who worked on the story forMan of Steelstraight off the back of his Dark Knight trilogy, was initially against Superman killing Zod but was later persuaded by Snyder.
YetSuperman’s decision to kill Zod divided many DC writers.Detractors pointed at the myriad alternative routes Superman could have taken- such as covering Zod’s eyes and flying away - as a way of ensuring his legacy was unblemished heading into the DCEU. Supporters of the decision point to the same justification used inSuperman #22, wherein Zod’s death prevented the death of billions of innocents. The family threatened by Zod’s heat vision was ostensibly supposed to represent this notion inMan of Steel, after all.
Ultimately, the fact that Superman might have made more strategic decisions to prevent Zod’s death glosses overthe true gripe some audiences have with the moment: the fact it was written in to begin with. The wanton destruction of Metropolis helped to set up Superman’s bout with Batman while absolving Superman of wrongdoing in his attempts to draw Zod away from the city. Having him kill Zod, however, could have been avoided through some other MacGuffin like the Phantom Zone. I’m frustrated, however, by the fact that the decision might have been more palatable if one deleted scene remained.
One Deleted Scene Explained Zod’s Death Scene Perfectly
Jonathan Kent Was Supposed To Teach Clark About The Responsibility Of Taking A Life
Man of Steelwriter, David S. Goyer, revealed on theHappy Sad Confusedpodcast that a deleted scene forMan of Steelwould “tee up” Zod’s death and help contextualize it. The scene, Goyer explained, depicts a young Clark Kent and his adoptive father, Jonathan Kent, hunting a deer. After Clark shoots the deer but fails to kill it outright,Jonathan finishes the job and uses the moment to teach Clark a heartfelt life lesson about the responsibility of taking a life.
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Zod was no wounded deer, but I think his death would have felt a lot less out-of-the-blue with this moment of foreshadowing. Cavill does a stellar job of conveying Kal-El’s anguish after killing Zod, but I think Goyer is correct in asserting thatthe deer-hunting moment would have helped justify his decision with the life lesson of his father ringing in his mind. It’s sad thatMan of Steelstill suffers under the weight of this narrative decision, but inserting this scene into my own head-canon helps to make this already great movie even better.
Man of Steel
Cast
Man of Steel is a 2013 reboot of the Superman franchise, directed by Zack Snyder. Henry Cavill stars as Clark Kent, who discovers his extraterrestrial origins and extraordinary powers.
