Why Superman Works at being so Optimistic
Ever since it became available on digital, I can’t stop watching Superman. For the first time in years, we have a DC movie that was worth seeing in theaters instead of waiting for streaming. And while people will debate whether Superman or Fantastic Four was the better movie this summer, I think that they’re both awesome. But how is it that Superman managed to succeed when DC went from hit to miss in the last decade? After watching the movie multiple times, as well as hours of reviews and video essays, I think the answer is simple: it’s optimistic.
People Forgot what Superman is about
On the one hand, there’s the more obvious reason why being optimistic works for Superman. After The success of the Dark Knight trilogy, DC tried to replicate its grounded, realistic, and grimdark setting with Man of Steel. Some people think that it worked, and had things gone differently, it might have. But in their impatience and hubris, Warner Bros and DC tried too hard and too fast to catch up to Marvel. They immediately jumped from Superman to him fighting Batman to introducing the Justice League. And while those films will always have their fans, we have to accept the truth: DC made a mistake. They tried to make Superman something that he wasn’t, and as a result, he became a bit of a joke.
People started to forget who Superman is at his heart: a symbol of hope rather than fear. While that did give Amazon the encouragement they needed to turn InvincInvincibleible and The Boys into hit shows, it did have an unfortunate side effect. Homelander showed us a wannabe Superman corrupted by power. Omni-Man started off having more in common with a Saiyan than a Kryptonian, and while he’s changing, he’s still got blood on his hands. And let’s not forget the Injustice version of Superman, who crashed out after Joker tricked him into killing his wife and son. With all these parodies and corrupted versions of Superman, it’s easy for people to forget who the hero is meant to be: the best of humanity. And that is on full display in Superman.
Being Good for Goodness Sake
At its core, the main conflict of Superman is one of optimism vs realism. The whole film starts when Superman intervenes to stop a war. He spends the entire film getting flak for that, and it only gets worse thanks to Luthor’s manipulations. People ask him what gives him the right to stop a war unilaterally. They call him naive and overstepping his bounds. His own girlfriend thinks he should have talked things over with the President or thought things over first. His response? “PEOPLE WERE GOING TO DIE!!”
When I first heard that line in the trailer, it stuck with me. It’s so pure, straightforward, and impossible for Superman’s critics to argue against. People can argue he was overstepping his boundaries and going too far, but that doesn’t change the simple fact. People were going to die to satisfy one man’s greed and ego. Superman had the power to stop that, he knew more people would die if he waited, so he didn’t wait. He did what he thought was right and stopped a war. He did the right thing, simply because he could. He chooses to be good and optimistic, and in the end, it works! Not only for him in the story, but thematically for the story itself. But why does it work in the first place?
I think it’s because people are tired of being cynical and jaded about everything.
People are tired of being so cynical
There’s no denying it at this point. Over the last two decades, the world has become a much more cynical and jaded place. Wars, the increasing polarization of politics, and the seeming failures to make things better. Not to mention the pandemic leaving an emotional drain on everyone. Little by little, the optimism that came with the dawn of the new millennium has given way to harsh reality. And that is a trend that has been both fed by and bled into what we enjoy for entertainment. Game of Thrones was a thorough deconstruction of the medieval fantasy that everyone loved at first, but by the end, we couldn’t stand it. Man of Steel tried to make Superman into Batman, but that didn’t work. Everywhere you look, people are getting fed up with being cynical and jaded about everything, but at this point, we don’t remember how to stop thinking like that. But Superman did, and it was something that I was able to recognize from the moment the trailer came out.
I don’t mind enjoying a story that’s grounded in realism or deconstructs tropes in fiction. That can be a fresh way to enjoy something that I already like. But the longer you read and watch stories that show the world as it is, the harder it can be to remember what the world could be. That’s why some of my favorite characters in fiction are ones that are optimistic and pure like Superman. Take Luffy from the popular Shonen series One Piece. He’s incredibly powerful, but not the brightest bulb out there. Yet despite his childish nature, he’s got high levels of emotional intelligence. If he sees someone doing something wrong to his friends, he won’t think. He’ll just walk up and make them stop. He won’t care if they’re an officer of the law, a king, or a god. He’ll stop them, regardless of the consequences. And his actions usually end up being the right thing to do. Luffy might be a pirate, but he’s an inherently good person who uses the freedom his power gives him to help others, intentionally or not. Granted, he only acts to help his friends, but since he’s such a nice guy, that ultimately encompasses a lot of people.
Sounds familiar? Because that pretty much describes Superman in his latest film. He might be smarter than Luffy, and more selfless, but he acts in pretty much the same way. He’s incredibly powerful, and when he sees people suffering, he will act to help them. Because it’s the right thing to do. The older we get, the easier it is for us to forget about doing the right thing. Superman, though, never forgets about that. He actively tries to do the right thing, even if others hate him for it. And in the end, he’s proven right.
Everyone can be more like Superman
While I have nothing against how Snyder wrote Superman in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, I think he ended up focusing on the wrong aspects of the character. He had him as this angsty man constantly trying to remain in touch with his humanity, and it didn’t help that the Snyder version of Jon Kent didn’t encourage him to use his powers. In the new DCU, though, it’s largely thanks to the optimism and kindness of his adoptive parents that Superman is the good person that he is. Snyder’s man of steel gets there, but it’s very reluctantly at first. Yes, it’s supposed to be more grounded and realistic, but that’s not who Superman is. He’s the paragon of superheroes; he’s been the paragon since he was created. He may stumble and fail, but he always bounces back. He keeps being nice for the sake of being nice, and it ultimately pays off.
Seeing someone else do good can inspire others to do good. That’s true in fiction and in real life. Ultimately, Superman’s optimism is proven to be the right answer when those he knows are inspired to do good in turn. Lois helps save him from Luthor. The Justice Gang is inspired to stop the renewed war when they can’t. Granted, Hawkgirl killing the President of Boravia was overkill, but he did have to be punished. Ultimately, Superman’s optimism is proven right in the end. Especially when Luthor is ultimately forced to pay for his crimes by being hauled off to prison.
Ultimately, Superman was a movie made with a mission in mind. In a world that has become increasingly jaded and cynical, many have questioned the need for heroes like Superman. Yet it’s when the world is like this that we need heroes like him to inspire us. Is it realistic? No, it isn’t, but that’s not the point. The point is to see someone with the powers of a god and still choosing to be an ordinary person. More importantly, they choose to use those powers to help others. Can you imagine the kind of will it takes not to abuse that power? Most people wouldn’t be able to handle it, but they don’t need to. Superman is a beacon of optimism to remind us of what we can be if we choose to do good. That’s something that people have started to forget, and I’m glad Gunn reminded us of that. Hopefully, the message of the film will stick with people! Heaven knows the world needs the reminder right now.
Yes, I believe you have found the truth at its core.
As a kid I loved the Christopher Reeve Superman movies. I used to think it was just because I was a kid and what kid doesn’t want superpowers?
But, after I grew up and the cinematic rivalry ensued between Marvel and DC (remember 2008? Iron Man and The Dark Knight both in the same summer), the competition seemed to breed this frenzied race of who could top the box office and score more fans.
I think that perhaps by the time DC made The Man of Steel, the spirit of the character of Superman was lost. The old Christopher Reeve movies, as hokey as they were, at least understood that Superman ( and by proxy the mild mannered Clark Kent) were above the pettiness of humanity.
This latest iteration of the franchise had me cheering Superman. James Gunn has a knack for knowing how to get the audience to love his characters. Even if you say that his methods are formulaic ( invoking emotions through a combination of character suffering and loss with the icing of everyone’s favorite Motown or Yacht Rock hit song playing during a crucial scene).
It works.
Whether its Superman, Groot or even Harley Quinn in the 2nd Suicide Squad, Gunn will have you cheering their victories and mourning their losses.
I particularly enjoy Gunn’s use of humor in his superhero movies.
In Superman, Lex unleashes a tiny creature (that is so ugly that it is cute). During an all night eating binge it emerges as a giant Kaiju. In Suicide Squad, when Starro finally escapes from its prison, I couldn’t stop laughing at this giant pink and purple starfish! It was like, let’s combine the dorkiest monster the Power Rangers ever fought with Barney the Purple Dinosaur.
The ridiculousness of this sight is hilarious.
Gunn knows how to make us experience the whole spectrum of emotions. At the end we emerge both exhausted and exhilarated.
But, perhaps most importantly, our sense of hope is renewed.
This is why Superman 2025 works on all levels.