What seems to have happened with Superman returns and "Man of steel" was they couldn't nail down what they wanted.
In the late 90's it was one weird idea after another.
In
Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman, Jon Peters admitted that the Superman franchise was problematic for him: "The elements that I was focusing on were away from the heart, it was more leaning towards
Star Wars in a sense, you know. I didn't realize the human part of it, I didn't have that."
So WB tries a different more safe approach.
Superman Return- A homage to what people fondly remember. Crystal fortresses and bumbling Clark Kent to name a few things
The suit is an updated version of the classic suit
In the end the movie gets blindsided by the second "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie
"Superman Returns" makes money but WB wants more.
OKAY.
Attempt number 2
"Man of Steel" more realistic with elements that could have come from rejected 90's Superman movie ideas(Warring Krypton and a morally gray John Kent)