Things are shifting for Superman. For the last several years, his persona of being an embodiment of hope tended to be forgotten. Writers everywhere changed that drastically by making the Man of Steel tyrannical, evil almost. This made fans upset. However, the hope is coming back. James Gunn is shifting things back with Superman. The film is projected to do well. If that were to hold true, it will give DC a much-needed boost of confidence. More than that, Superman will finally get some fame. Even though Superman is the most famous superhero, his icon status has gotten a bit dim in the presence of Batman and even with lesser-known Marvel characters. The film will help to get him back in front. That fame could come back. Finally, it would feel as if Superman is in the spot he should have been the entire time when superhero content has been as popular as it’s been. But where does Superman go from there?
There has been sporadic times where Superman did spike to compete with the fame of other heroes over the past couple of years. Man of Steel finally gave audiences a powerful version of the character that other movies didn’t or couldn’t do in the past. His appearance in Justice League was speculated enough where that in of itself got some life. Once Zack Snyder’s Justice League was finally announced, fans were thrilled to see him return in his black suit to reflect his return in the comic books after his death. My Adventures with Superman has pleased fans and critics. Has been on its own successful run. Then on the comic book side of things, Absolute Superman is also pleasing fans. By introducing brand new elements to his character like his cape made up of star dust or just by tweaking some of his character, fans are flocking and approving of this interpretation. The Man of Steel is cared for, by fans and writers. He isn’t just a character that is there for DC to access. He’s still looked after and part of plans when DC wants to refresh or promote. Superman still sees and capitalizes on his fame.
However, it has been clear that Superman hasn’t been fully utilized though. When the superhero genre really took off, it would have made sense if Superman rode that wave. But again, only sporadically. During that time, lesser-known Marvel characters quickly got to the same level of fame as Superman. And they took advantage of that. None more than Iron Man. Iron Man was a little deep down Marvel’s list of characters. But by not only including him in successful movies but by having him as the center, many people have looked passed Superman and to Iron Man. Other Marvel characters who have seen this fame are Captain America, Thor, The Guardians of the Galaxy and Dr. Strange. These are characters, to put it bluntly, should be in Superman’s shadow. That’s no longer the case. Even within the DC universe, Superman has been a little pushed to the side by Batman. Batman has definitely taken advantage of the fame of the superhero genre. Films, movies, cameos, video games and comic books have all been part of Batman’s rise to even higher levels. He has been at the center of a few huge events in comic books. He was the one bringing the Justice League together in films. Many of these stories have been successful so that means it brings attention. Attention to none other than Batman. That makes the space he occupies a bit wider, pushing Superman to the side. But that is about to change.
A refreshed wave of attention will swing to Superman. Fans and even on the corporate side, will focus on the Man of Steel. Anticipation, demand, interest, curiosity, and requests for Superman will enter a new level that the character has not seen in some time. Superman could very well become a major player in the superhero genre in a short amount of time. It’s highly possible that fans and newer fans will consume as much as his lore that they can. Superman’s popularity will soar high and fast just like him. It will be up to DC to respond. The first thing they could do is to officially announce a sequel to Superman. It would be a few years out but it would ride the momentum of the success of Superman and keep fans engaged. DC once dominated the animated side of superhero storytelling. So going down that route again to make more animated shows to join My Adventures with Superman could be a plan. Or go a bolder approach and make further adventures with David Corenswet’s Superman in an animated format. James Gunn did say he is working on a DCU project that he wants to keep secret because he doesn’t want the idea stolen. If an animated show is based on James Gunn’s Superman that fills in the gaps, that is an idea that hasn’t been used. That could also fill the newly demand interest for Superman. Another project that could be worked on is the elusive Superman game. An overlooked element of superhero video games is that fans could BE the hero. The Batman Arkham games and Marvel’s Spider-Man games did a great job in making fans feel like the titular character. Fans of Superman have yet to feel that way. There has been some things that have denied a Superman game. But with such high potential demand and interest for Superman, that could be more than enough to spark a greenlight for a Superman game. Absolute Superman will hold fans over on the comic book side. Other comic books that inspired Superman could be found, read, and enjoyed and perhaps lead novice readers down a comic book rabbit hole. Regardless of how DC responds to Superman refreshed interest, the Man of Steel will receive a spike of newly found attention. Superman could bring that. It’s a very good problem for DC to have. A new chapter for the Man of Steel is coming after the movie.
A renaissance for Superman is near. It could bring hope for a character whose whole mission is to provide hope. Finally, Superman will feel as if he has a seat at the table instead of a reserved seat. The Man of Steel could very well take his rightful place at the head of the table. Superman could do great things for everyone involved, and that does include the character himself. Die hard fans will finally get the Superman they’ve been desperate to see on screen for some time now. Novice fans will get an accurate and true Superman. And anyone who respects the character could very likely want more for the character. A new era for the character is on the horizon and it does look bright.
