The Superman character has always struck me as a perfect romantic mixture of hope and tragedy, and while I love the Richard Donner films and a few key sequences in Superman Returns, the only Superman story that did that balance justice was Tom De Haven’s novel It’s Superman!, a work that looks to have inspired Man of Steel in all the right ways.
While Superman Returns asked whether or not the world needed Superman, the real question, the most important question, has always been this: does Superman need the world? What keeps him from leaving, or worse, simply deciding to save us by ruling us? Kal-El’s journey toward understanding his own need for acceptance is a key part of any Superman story, and director Zack Snyder looks like he’s facing that head on. He’s also tackling the larger than life action that only Superman can really play around with, and I’m excited to check this all out in 3D IMAX next summer.
Man of Steel hits theaters on June 14th, 2013.
