Summary
- Zack Snyder’s darker take on Superman in the DCEU was an attempt to avoid making him a perfect, propaganda-like character.
- Marvel’s Sentry, who may debut in the MCU, shares similarities with Superman but has flaws and a destructive alter-ego called The Void.
- The new Superman in the DCU could explore the human element, like Snyder attempted to do, while still introducing high stakes and complexity.
Though his depictions had its flaws, Zack Snyder had a big hand in shaping the DCEU and its most popular characters before it was cut short to give way to the DCU reboot – but his Superman dream could still become a reality in the MCU. Henry Cavill’s Superman was largely a hit, even if the movies he appeared in weren’t always as consistent. The praise was far from universal, however, as Superman and the wider DCEU drew criticism for being too dark, acting as an over-weighted counterbalance to the lighter MCU.
Superman is one of DC Comics’ most iconic Superheroes, but he is also a difficult one to handle in the context of a movie narrative. Superman is the quintessential superhero in every traditional sense, with a litany of powers that renders him a god among men and a squeaky-clean moral compass to boot. Yet this also makes him a character without flaws, which can make Superman very hard to empathize with. This is what shaped Snyder’s depiction of the Man of Steel, but there is a character in the MCU that comes ready-made with that baggage.
Thunderbolts Cast & Marvel Character Guide
Several MCU characters return for Phase 5’s Thunderbolts, a team of antiheroes and reformed villains attempting to follow in the Avengers’ footsteps.
Sentry’s MCU Debut Can Answer Zack Snyder’s Superman Dream
Snyder’s reasoning for delivering a darker take on Superman was the desire to avoid making him a “piece of pure propaganda” and irreproachable in every way. By most metrics, Sentry is Marvel’s answer to Superman. While there are many Superman-adjacent MCU superheroes like Captain Marvel or Adam Warlock – Sentry is by far the most godlike of them all. Yet what Superman lacks in shortfalls, Sentry makes up for in spades thanks in no small part to the world-ending alter-ego he harbors inside of him, applicably dubbed “The Void.”
Rumors suggest that Sentry will make his MCU debut in Thunderbolts, which will put the comparatively underpowered team of anti-heroes through their paces, to say the least. Yet the nuances surrounding pre-established notions of good and evil are baked into the narrative from the jump. It didn’t take long for the DCEU to get stuck into the “what if Superman was the enemy” question with the arrival of Batman V Superman, but with one movie under his belt, it felt somewhat hasty. With Sentry, the implications of having a nigh-omnipotent being running rampant on Earth (and beyond) is already a central pillar of his character.
Steven Yeun is believed to be playing Sentry in Thunderbolts, but Marvel has yet to officially confirm this.
Sentry Can Explore An Old Superman Idea
The prospect of someone – or something – as powerful as Superman simply existing in Earth’s atmosphere isn’t as unprecedented as it may first appear. Superman’s ability to level a city on a whim is what spurs Batman to shore up countermeasures in Batman V Superman to a somewhat surprising degree of success – but it’s also something that humanity has emulated in the real world. Namely, in their response to the threat of nuclear weapons.
Superman being an allegory for nuclear threats is an old idea that has been explored through the likes of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and its debut of the hammy supervillain and Superman clone, Nuclear Man. This is why Superman’s inherent virtue is so important, as his power levels must be counterbalanced by the assurances that he would never use them against humanity. Sentry, however, has no such assurances and is instead a “ticking time bomb” that threatens humanity wherever The Void is prompted to emerge – which is always a big concern.
How DC’s Next Superman Can Be More Like Sentry
While the DCU is projected to depict a more traditional iteration of Superman and other DC heroes, it isn’t a foregone conclusion that the latest take on the Man of Steel will be the paragon of virtue that largely eluded Cavill’s rendition. DCU CEO James Gunn has already spoken about focusing on the human element of Superman’s character, bringing his relationship with Lois Lane to the fore while exploring the nuances that come with it. With that in mind, it is hard to see how the new Superman will embody the infallible alien being that Snyder was also attempting to bypass in his version of the character.
Superman: Legacy: Release Date, Plot Details & Everything We Know
Superman: Legacy is the first entry in James Gunn’s much anticipated new DCU, and here is everything we know from cast to story and release date.
Introducing high stakes is important to make this new take on Superman as compelling as possible. Sentry constantly balancing on the precipice of disaster is still something that the DCU’s Superman can emulate. For instance, Clark and Lois’ relationship taking center stage sets up a pretty consequential question to be answered if a villain decides to put Lois in danger or use her as a bargaining tool. Whatever the case, there is plenty of scope for the DCU to introduce a Superman that isn’t as dark as Snyder’s but is no less complex.
Key Release Dates
