DC Comics Just Fixed the Worst Scene from Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel, & I Can’t Wait to See What Happens Next

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We are on the precipice of a new vision of Superman arriving in theaters, as James Gunn applies a lighter touch to the Blue Boy Scout and also drops him into a world that has been dealing with superheroes for years. It’s an interesting take on Superman, and one that differs from the darker, more grounded and science-fiction-inspired version that Henry Cavill played for director Zack Snyder years ago.

Snyder made several controversial narrative decisions while at the helm of DC’s Superman franchise, from having Kal-El kill his nemesis Zod (Michael Shannon) to pitting the Kryptonian against Batman in their initial meet up. One scene from Snyder’s Superman run, however, always struck me personally as false on a root level. So it was encouraging to see DC Comics writer Mark Waid address the issue in the most recent issue of Action Comics, when Jonathan Kent actually encourages his adopted son to be a hero, and save people from danger, no matter the consequences. That, to me, is the Superman that I know. And apparently, the one that Waid knows, as well.

Kevin Costner’s Pa Kent Changed Superman With One Word

Back in 2013, comic book movies were chasing after the tone that became known, collectively, as “darker and more grounded.” This was a direct reaction to the success of Christopher Nolan’s Batman series, which made the Dark Knight feel more real than audiences were used to seeing in the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher movies.

Sadly, not every comic book character falls into this category of grim, brooding and dark storytelling. And certainly not Superman, who generally is meant to be a beacon of hope for humanity. Still, Nolan handpicked Zack Snyder to reinterpret Superman for this new age of comic moviemaking, and Snyder (with his screenwriters) broke down Kal-El to find alternate ways through his mythology.

One element that Snyder dwelt on was the fear that humanity would feel at the arrival of an alien on our planet. Jonathan Kent (Costner), in a rare moment of honesty, explains to his adopted child that he is the answer to, “Are we alone in the universe?” His arrival to Earth is going to create way more questions than most people have answers to. And in a dramatic scene where young Clark Kent rescues a schoolbus filled with classmates, people start asking questions about the boy’s abilities. Which gives Jonathan pause.

Here’s the controversial part. Jonathan speaks to young Clark about the incident. Clark asks his surrogate father, “What was I supposed to do? Just let ‘em die?” I can still remember exactly how I felt in this moment watching Man of Steel in a movie theater. My brain told me that Jonathan would reply, “Of course not.” Because Clark has powers. And with great power comes great responsibility (apologies to Peter Parker for stealing that).

Except Snyder’s Pa Kent didn’t say that. Kevin Costner replied, “Maybe.”

I hated that then. I hate it now. I’ll hate it forever, even though I understand what Snyder wanted to explore with that human, uncertain response. Pa Kent wanted to protect his son as long as he possibly could. It led to Jonathan making the ultimate sacrifice later in the movie. You know the moment.

DC Comics icon Mark Waid has defended Snyder’s take on the material over the years. Waid played both sides of the fence, saying that out of context, he might have hated Jonathan’s “Maybe,” and also Clark’s willingness to let his father figure die in a tornado. But in the context of Snyder’s story, Waid thought they worked.

But when given the chance to fix it in the pages of Action Comics, Waid did just that.

Clark Kent Becomes The Hero He’s Meant To Be

DC Comics is in the midst of the Summer of Superman, which leads up to the release of James Gunn’s Superman movie on July 11, and encompasses several titles in the DC Comics library. In Action Comics #1087, on shelves now, Superman reflects back to when he was 15, and traveling with Jonathan and Martha to a science and tech expo in Metropolis. Eventually, Superman will face off with his first villain in this story. But not before he’s admonished by Martha and Jonathan for wearing his suit on the bus to the city, and getting ahead of their plan on when to reveal his identity to the world.

“You and your ma and me, we’re sitting on the biggest secret in the world,” Jonathan says. “That means we have to roll it out right. We have to be fully prepared whenever you make your big debut so we can (control the narrative).”

Very similar vibes to the conversation Kevin Costner had in Man of Steel 12 years ago. Only, Mark Waid pivots. Later in the Action Comics story, a supervillain attacks the expo. People are in danger. 15-year-old Clark looks back to his adopted parents, as if to say, “What do I do here?”

And Jonathan replies, “Go. Make us proud.”

It’s a complete reversal from the controversial take that Zack Snyder used in Man of Steel. The Kents’ hand was forced, and when given the choice between protecting Clark’s secret identity and allowing people to die at the hands of a villainous mad man, Waid’s Pa Kent made what I think is the right decision. He told Clark to go do what he does best. Save people. Be a hero.

Now, Snyder was right. There will be consequences to this revelation. And as Action Comics concluded, several important figures were reacting in kind to the identification of this powerful teenage alien. And I can’t wait to see where Mark Waid and his team take this story next.

James Gunn Will Put His Own Unique Spin On This Relationship Soon

Even though it looks like there’s a lot going on in the Superman trailers, there are staples that have to be part of every Superman story. We get The Daily Planet, and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). We get Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and an array of villains. And we get Clark Kent (David Corenswet) at home with his surrogate parents, Jonathan (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and Martha Kent (Neva Howell).

What role will these Midwestern farmers play in the development of Superman as a moral standard? We’ll find out soon enough, though there’s a line from Jonathan in the official trailer that already suggests where Gunn stands on all of this. Jonathan tells his son:

“Your choices, your actions, that’s what makes you who you are.”

This suggests that James Gunn aligns with Mark Waid when discussing the Kents’ beliefs regarding Clark’s powerful secrets. Make sure you have your tickets ready for Superman to find out when the latest DC Films story opens everywhere on July 11.

“}]] 12 years later, a scene from Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel remains controversial. Now, Mark Waid fixed it.  Read More