There are a few key moments in every superhero’s story. Uncle Ben has to die. Thomas and Martha Wayne have to die. Howard and Maria Stark have to die. And Jonathan Kent has to die. But the way they all die matters.
Watching The Man of Steel, one thing shocked me: Jonathan Kent’s death. Not because I did not know what happened to the Kent patriarch, I’d seen all of Smallville and grew up loving Superman. No, what I was shocked by was watching as Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) walked into a tornado and Clark (Henry Cavill) just watched it happen.
Why, if Jonathan Kent still died, is this so upsetting to me? Because it completely negates the reason for Jonathan’s death in the comics. Clark had to watch his father die and know that there was nothing he could do about it. He can stop a speeding bullet, he can reverse time to safe the love of his life, but he cannot stop a heart attack from happening. That is an important lesson that he has to learn.
A tornado is not enough to stop Clark. I know it feels silly and I do, generally, love Man of Steel and what Cavill did even if I do think those movies were more “hopeless” for Superman as a character instead of bring the beacon of hope the world needs. But having Jonathan Kent just walk into a tornado felt like a really idiotic change to Superman’s origin story just to try to make it “different.”
Not every superhero has to have a dark feel. I think because of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, people saw the chance to have a gritty version of a superhero story. Superman doesn’t need that.
I can’t wait to have my Superman back
When I grew up learning about Superman, it was with things like Superman: The Movie which, sure, a bit cheesy, but an inspiring film that celebrated all the qualities of Superman that really mattered. Even when he was sad or upset at something happening around him, he was still the hero we all needed. I never felt that way watching the Zack Snyder take on the Man of Steel.
But it does feel like James Gunn’s world is getting ready to change that. David Corenswet’s Superman feels like he’s that beacon we’ve been missing in our superhero stories. To be fair, this is me going off the trailer but it is enough for me to be really excited about it.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
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