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How would you make the next "Superman" movie?

How would you make the next "Superman" movie?

  • Sequel to "Superman Returns"

    Votes: 13 16.9%

  • Soft Reboot/Loose Sequel with Brandon Routh

    Votes: 18 23.4%

  • Complete Reboot

    Votes: 38 49.4%

  • "Smallville" movie

    Votes: 4 5.2%

  • Hire Mark Millar

    Votes: 4 5.2%
  • Total voters
    77
JacksonArcher

JacksonArcher

Vice Admiral
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So Alan Horn of Warner Bros. has just handed you the keys to the Superman franchise, and given you a couple of options. You could:

  • Continue on from Superman Returns in a sequel with Bryan Singer and his creative team.
  • Using the Superman Returns continuity, you find a new director, a new creative team and cast, but retain star Brandon Routh. The term "loose sequel" or "soft reboot" applies here.
  • Or, using the mold established by The Incredible Hulk and Punisher: War Zone, you do a complete reboot, with new cast, new crew, new story, and ultimately new Superman.
  • You cancel Smallville after its ninth or tenth season and do a spin-off movie starring Tom Welling and the series' cast.
  • You go the really idiotic approach and hire Mark Millar.
Which one is it?
 
Always fun to be the first person to vote.

I'd stick to what's been done so far, but I'd obviously retool some of the casting (let's get a new Superman in there) and rework the overall pacing and atmosphere of the film. I'd even consider putting together a different team of writers and a new director. Story-wise I don't think there were any problems. It was just in the way that story was told that some of the film's problems surfaced.
 
No Origin story or mention of it whatsoever. Enough of that !! Everybody, fan or not, knows about it and it has been done a million times!!
No Smallville cast or ties.
No Luthor as the main villain !!
Kryptonite to a minimum.

Other than that, just recast it if you must (I wouldn't mind Routh returning) and give us a great story with Superman doing more than lift huge things.
Brainiac or Darkseid should be involved.

I guess I'd go with Soft Reboot/Loose Sequel with Brandon Routh from the choices given
 
I don't think I'm against a retelling of the origin if it played a part in the bigger picture as opposed to just getting Kal'El to Earth.

I'd make it a period piece albeit looking like something designed in the 50s to look futuristic. I'd have gizmos and gadets, robots and rockets, pen and paper reporting and typewriters and everyone wearing hats. I'd make the science completely absurd with things like the Earth being dragged into the Sun or something. I'd have Luthor in there, but the villain would be Braniac, with possibly Metallo turning up.

The outfit would be lifted straight from the comics regardless of how silly some people think it looks.

I'd steer well clear of and Batman Begins/Dark Knight vibe.
 
Personally i would go the "complete reboot" route. I had no problem with Brandon Routh, thought he made a great Kent/Superman. However keeping him would likely result in the audience thinking of my film as a sequel to Returns, prompting a whole heap of problems (like where is Super-brat?).

Story-wise, i'd ditch Real Estate Luthor, and either use a different villain or make Luthor a credible threat. One idea i liked from the god-awful Superman Returns videogame was the idea of Metropolis as Supes' healthbar. Perhaps instead of having the villain gunning for Superman, lets make Metropolis his target. Sure Luthor cant physically hurt Superman, but he can sure as hell destroy everything he cares about.

I would also shamelessly copy the intro credits for Spider-man 2, and use it to show the origin story - comic-like images of Clark arriving on earth, running faster than a train etc.
 
I have a list of things I'd like to see:
  • Keep Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Frank Langella and Sam Huntington.
  • Abandon story elements from Superman Returns, including Superman's son.
  • Create a new visual style for the film in order to emphasize difference with Superman Returns.
  • No Lex Luthor. It's time for some super-powered villains.
  • Offer directing job to Bryan Singer if he's willing to be part of such a quasi-reboot.
  • Starting filming by Spring 2010 for a 2011 release.
 
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Complete Reboot. Lose Routh. Lose Singer. Lose the Super-Baby. Lose the Super-Stalker. Give him someone to actually FIGHT. A Darkseid, a Mongul, a Doomsday. Make Superman an uplifting and happy character. Someone who inspires others to greatness!
 
I agree, let's just reboot the whole thing to get rid of the baggage.

Do a faithful reboot( no suit in a can or homicidal superman)

From a studio's point of view it's been 31 years since the original so a reboot would be only natural.
 
Reboot ... and a reboot doesn't necessarily have to be an "origin" story ... it could begin in medias res, a bit like Batman ('89) and go from there.

But without question, no one from the Returns flick should, well, return. New writers, director and actor.
 
MeanJoePhaser said:
A prequel set on Krypton. Because everyone loves prequels! :p
Click to expand...
Superman: For the Man Who Has Everything? ;)

I actually think Moore's story would make an outstanding film. Visually, I expect it would be amazing.

You'd have to get rid of Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman, of course, but that's easy enough. And it'd probably be best to replace Mongul with Brainiac--this would make it easy to link together the devastation of Kandor that plays a big role in Krypton's recent history, and the "real world" plot of an alien trying to neutralize Superman.
 
Wow, my favorite topic. Like every other rational person in the world I would just start over. Everything would be on the table.

Time Warner, I just so happen to have a script here. Email me and I will have it to you tomorrow. :techman:
 
As much as I originally wanted to see a sequel to SR... at this point so much time has passed it would be better just to start fresh.
 
Complete reboot. The younger generation is not overly familiar with, nor has some great "this is a godfather-esque iconic film" attachment to the original Donner film. I'm sorry but, it's beloved in 'geek circles' but it's really not THAT beloved to the outside world. It's well regarded, people have some warm fuzzy memories of it, but that's really it. To say nothing of the 21 and under crowd, many of which I'm sure have never even seen it.
 
Samuel Walters said:
But without question, no one from the Returns flick should, well, return. New writers, director and actor.
Click to expand...
The studio could conceivably dump Routh and give the role of Superman to someone totally unexpected--Emile Hirsch, Joseph Gordon-Levitt or Justin Timberlake, for example. Wouldn't that be something? The ensuing controversy would make the 1988 announcement of Michael Keaton as Batman seem like nothing.

Be careful what you wish for. And I hope you enjoy your Superman reboot.
 
Bad Bishop said:
Samuel Walters said:
But without question, no one from the Returns flick should, well, return. New writers, director and actor.
Click to expand...
The studio could conceivably dump Routh and give the role of Superman to someone totally unexpected--Emile Hirsch, Joseph Gordon-Levitt or Justin Timberlake, for example. Wouldn't that be something? The ensuing controversy would make the 1988 announcement of Michael Keaton as Batman seem like nothing.

Be careful what you wish for. And I hope you enjoy your Superman reboot.
Click to expand...

Actually, on some level, Emile Hirsch and Joseph Gordon-Levitt wouldn't be that bad. Maybe five years ago had you suggested that, I would have rolled my eyes at you, but both Hirsch and Gordon-Levitt have proven themselves very capable actors (Hirsch in Into The Wild and Milk; Gordon-Levitt in Mysterious Skin and (500) Days of Summer). Anyone can bulk up. That's not the problem. Justin Timberlake, though? Absolutely not. I'm baffled he was even considered for Green Lantern, let alone made the top three.

However, I have to side with Bad Bishop here that I would much prefer a "soft reboot" with some of the core Superman Returns cast remaining but with a different feel and perhaps with a different creative team behind the scenes. I remember the rumors that Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie) was rumored to write the new Supes film after Harris & Dougherty went out of the picture, and I think that would be fantastic. I think people shouldn't write out Singer just yet. I think he has a Wrath of Khan in him. X2 proved that.

Regardless, if push comes to shove, which I ultimately think it will, I'd be okay with a complete reboot. Not intensely happy, but okay. Too bad Matthew Vaughn is doing Kick-Ass. I think he'd be great for Superman.
 
Shazam! said:
Oh yeah, and I'd cast someone in their 30s to play Supeman.
Click to expand...

I think Henry Cavill, who is 26 but looks much older, should be an automatic frontrunner if Routh is let go. He's been a contender for almost every major fictional hero (Batman, James Bond, Green Lantern, and Superman back in the McG/Ratner days). The Tudors has proven his talent and he definitely has the looks. He'd be my number one choice if they let go of Routh, personally.
 
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