With the final part of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy arriving in theaters last Friday, Warner Brother is already readying their next attempt at a superhero cash cow for next summer. Accompanying “The Dark Knight Rises” was the first trailer for Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel,” the studio's second attempt at relaunching the Superman franchise.
Nolan, who will be the film’s executive producer (and co-plotter), has set a high bar for superhero films, showing that movies featuring costumed heroes doing ridiculous things could still feel both epic and serious. Based on this trailer, that’s clearly what Snyder will be going for with Superman. Always a strong visualist, sometimes to a fault, the director seems to have been absorbing a lot of Terrence Malick's aesthetic. The trailer's handful of images -- a boy wearing a cape, a butterfly hanging out on a swing set, shots of the harsh fisherman life, and, finally, Superman (from a very far distance) bursting through the layers of earth’s atmosphere -- have a serious “Tree of Life” vibe. It’s hard not to get caught up in the beauty of it all.
We don’t get a clear shot of Henry Cavill in Superman's iconic costume, and nor do we get much of an idea of the story. It does seem as if there will be a focus on Clark Kent's alienation, which makes sense. We’d imagine being an, um, alien, plus the most powerful man on earth, might make anyone lonely. We're also guessing that young Kent’s search for belonging will be a bit of a struggle.
Surprisingly, Warner Brothers actually released two “Man of Steel" trailers. Though shot-by-shot duplicates, they both feature different voiceovers -- one from each of Superman’s fathers. The first features Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, Superman’s adopted earth father, expressing a sense of uncertainty about his son, but also hope that he will chose to do the right thing with his power. The second, featuring the voice of Russell Crowe, takes a completely different tact. Speaking as Superman’s biological father, Jor-El, he tells his son that while it will be difficult, he will help the people of earth. It seems that just like Nolan’s Batman films, Snyder’s will focus on what it means to be Superman, not just the character's exploits. Considering how the approach worked for the Caped Crusader, it sounds like a pretty solid plan.
Kevin Costner Version
Russell Crowe Version