'Man of Steel' trailer shows character exploration, big-budget visuals (+trailer)
'Man of Steel' will explore the character of Superman before he has fully assumed his superhero identity.
'Man of Steel' star Henry Cavill (r.) and director Zack Snyder (l.) speak at Comic-Con.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
You’ll hear some people claim that we’ve seen the origin of Superman before, but the truth is, it’s only been in recent years that the iconic character’s origins have been re-examined on the comic book page, let alone on film. As such, there’s plenty of room for Zack Snyder’s reboot film, Man of Steel, to offer the world a modern and complex look at Superman like they’ve never seen before.
Judging from this Man of Steel trailer, what we’ll be getting is a mix of deep character exploration and the sort of big-budget blockbuster visuals you’d expect from a summer tentpole crafted by Snyder (300, Watchmen).
The story and script for the film come our way courtesy of Dark Knight Trilogy scribes Chris Nolan and David S. Goyer, who are seemingly drawing from some recent (and seminal) Superman comic book storylines like Mark Waid’s “Superman: Birthright” and Geoff Johns’ “Superman: Secret Origin” – both of which re-examined the Man of Steel’s formative years – and decision to become a worldly protector – within the context of the modern era.
Man of Steel will similarly delve into the period of time in which “Superman” wasn’t yet a persona adopted by Clark Kent/Kal-El (Henry Cavill), as the young man was still lost between his identity as a superpowered extraterrestrial and the all-too “human” son of Smallville, Kansas residents Ma and Pa Kent (Dian Lane and Kevin Costner). The arrival of Zod (Michael Shannon), a militant figure from Superman’s home planet, presumably pushes Clark/Kal-El to a decision about which planet his loyalties (and considerable powers) lie with.
After the disappointment of Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, a lot of moviegoers are still waiting on a film that can truly reconnect Superman with a wider cinematic audience; the question is: will Man of Steel be that movie?
What is seen here is certainly convincing that it can be.
Kofi Outlaw blogs at Screen Rant.