Pitch ideas for Superman solo

[Boy Scout]

Those ideas sound very pulpy. Put them on my screen.

 

[elgaz]

My pitch would involve plotlines which stem directly from the events of BvS & Justice League, and the central villain would be Cyborg Superman. One of my favourite onscreen Superman moments was good vs evil Clark/Superman in Superman 3, and it let Reeve have some fun playing dual versions of the character - although not a direct comparison, Cavill would get to do something similar here.

The character would be introduced as follows:

• Hank Henshaw is a NASA Scientist carrying out quantum experiments aboard the International Space Station.
• As we saw during the events of BvS, Superman carries Doomsday into orbit and the US detonate a nuclear warhead in a futile attempt to kill Doomsday.
• The ISS is blasted by neutron radiation from the detonation. Although the vessel itself is shielded to a degree, the neutrons unexpectedly cause a reaction in the quantum experiments carried out by Henshaw and an ensuing explosion destroys the ISS and seemingly everyone onboard.
• Months later (in a scene probably slightly reminiscent of Dr Manhattan's birth in Watchmen) Henshaw's consciousness reconstitutes itself, and finds that it is still sentient - albeit floating aimlessly in space - but without physical form. It heads in the direction of Earth.
• On Earth, Henshaw finds that he can interact with electrical systems but can't find a suitably advanced body. He gravitates towards the Kryptonian vessel in Metropolis and uses a mixture of armour and nanotech aboard the vessel to construct a new body. As the nanotech requires a biological host to operate it, part of his body is created in the amniotic pool in the genesis chamber using DNA from its most recent subject - Superman.

Now with a body, Henshaw attempts to make contact with former colleagues and his wife who all believe him dead. But they are horrified by his appearance and struggle to accept that it's him. Frustrated by this and with his perspective growingly increasingly warped due to the Kryptonian nano programming interacting with his own consciousness, he lashes out and a major incident ensues.

Superman arrives on the scene and is shocked to discover a cyborg doppelganger. His attempts to contain the situation lead only to further hostility on Cyborg Superman's part and they spill into an all-out battle, with Cyborg Superman discovering during the battle that his new body can reform limbs and so on into weapons. Superman only just gains the upper hand before Cyborg Superman flees.

This would set the stage for the rest of the story; with Henshaw's mind bordering on insanity and unable to accept his new reality, he seeks instead to mold reality to fit his perspective - attempting to use the Kryptonian nanotech to reconstitute human infrastructure, cities and eventually people. He increasingly sees this as the next step in evolution and views Superman as the antithesis of what he now stands for, a powerful but biological throwback who failed to use the Kryptonian tech he had access to to do what Henshaw deems necessary.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

In terms of visual direction, I keep coming back to the recent Gleason/Jiminez stuff

Superman should feel like a joy to watch.

Also, the movie has to feel modern. Clark is in the media world. But it doesn't really feel like that. Shouldn't be hard to include more of the social media world that revolves around Superman. Make Cat Grant a main character. Have her bring up a recent smear campaign, later discovered to be the work of Luthor.

 

[Nemeres]

Dat sheen on the blue fabric.

 

[edge9000x]

I'd love a 40's era Superman movie. A mix between the Fleischer Superman cartoons and Captain America: The First Avenger.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Well, Matthew Vaughn's Superman movie concept sounds like it would have been horrible.

 

[batman44]

^His ideas were....interesting.... lol.

 

[Vaibow]

Let's say we continue with the DCEU, as i have said before, i don't think it has much shelf life left - but that's another post for another day.

My MOS2 is set 3 weeks after MOS.

The city is being rebuilt by lex luthor snr - functions and gala's galore to raise money, awareness. Superman is out there, interacting with citizens, really showing his 'human' side. Helping lay foundations to buildings, lifting up heavy pieces, don't get me wrong, he isn't doing a 5 hour stretch on site, but more of a swoop over the city, popping down to help for 5 mins then off. As well as small rescues, muggings, lost pets, lost kids, cheesy stuff that happens every day in a city - it's almost like he is every where and he is getting a really good buzz.
At the planet, clark and lois are young love birds, sweeping glances at each other, lunch for each other, they have chemistry, it's good to see. Perry is the humour and there is a new lad, 'jimmy' that joins them to take photo's. Lois loves her job and is out there working hard.
Lex luthor snr hates the idea of superman, however, it's almost a god send as now all his land he can redevelop or buy off people, it's worked in his favour. He's also corrupt, lois is on his case, big time and he wants her taken care of. Luckily, clark/superman is there to save the day - which exposes lex snr, he has the option to admit defeat and come clean or be exposed - he takes off, never to be seen again, lois goes to publish the story but perry stops her - lex owns the planet and half of the city, if he goes down, the company goes down and half the city with it, the greater good.

This is why alex luthor shows up couple years later, he knew his dad was pushed out, he couldn't prove it, but it drove him made to think is dad left him and he wants revenge on clark.

This story focuses on lois, clark and luthor snr, with superman gaining the trust of the public. we see superman protecting the city, helping rebuild, we also see clark in smallville as a tornado rips through his old school and a chance for him to actually do something this time, still holding onto the tragedy of his father.

The final 3rd is a race against time to rescue lois on a speeding train, as two headed in opposite directions are destined to crash, will clark make it in time.

Think of black panther - that was a coming of age story, no real big bad, heart is the centre of the story.

Enough action as superman to please the fans and to be wowed, a decent story of a likeable cast to keep it flowing and an exciting finale.

 

[batman_1989_]

I'd love a 40's era Superman movie. A mix between the Fleischer Superman cartoons and Captain America: The First Avenger.

HELL YES. Now that the DCEU is almost dead and the solo movies are standalone , they could do that ...something like The Rocketeer or Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow.

 

[GreenKToo]

Set in the 1950's. Director, either Abrams, Jackson, or Howard.
Yes, its an origin.
The Krypton stuff is told like reading and turning the pages of a comic book, it just takes a few minute to tell.
It Ends with kal's ship crashing near smallville.

When the actual film starts, clark as already about 12.
We get to see him on the farm growing up and discovering and learning his powers, much more in depth than past films.
We see him doscovering invulnerability, speed, flight etc.
Kirk Russell is Jonathan.
Geena davis is martha.

They have deal with all the problems of raising a superpowered son, while teaching him to hid his powers from the public, but never ever let someone get hurt or die if he can prevent it.

( no idea on who would play clark or lois )

I like john Goodman as perry tho.

2nd act is clark going to work at the DP.
Superman being revealed for the first time, lex feeling threatened by this "hero".

We see Real reporters actually going in and going undercover to get stories.
They discover dirt on lex Luthor.

War of words in the papers ensues. Clark and lois have made A new enemy in Lex.

The main villain is Brainiac, played by Either hugo weaving or Keanu reeves.

Brainiac has come as a collector of tech and almost extinct lifeforms. He fancies alien cities also, and shrinks them down and collects them.
And since Clark is the last? Kryptonian, Brainiac has to have him.

At the height of the 1950's sci fi boom, imagine peoples reactions to a real space ship arriving over metropolis.

Brainiac attacks with his drones, the military fights back, but it might as well be ants attacking an elephant.

Up to now, superman has only faced earth based threats, ie, bank robbers, car thiefs, etc. But Even he doesn't know his limits yet.

Brainiac sends more drones, each only about a quarter of his strength. They try to lay waste to metropolis, but Superman takes them out as if their made of paper.

So brainiac comes in person, He is just as strong.

Brainic wins against superman, as superman has yet to tap his full power.

Lex watches all this from lexcorp tower.
He has a decision to make.
The enemy of my enemy he decides and sends his new toy to help against brainiac, bizarro.

Bizarro fights valiantly but ends up sacrificing himself to save metroplis, superman sees this and goes ballistic.
He finally taps into his full power and destroys brainiac.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Reboot

AMERICAN ALIEN( just using the name and not Landis’ ideas) with major influence from Birthright and All-Star and Morrison’s 52 Superman.

Visually use the Jae Lee Clark/Lois from that issue with some tweaks.

The first movie is a trilogy setup but is told as an anthology movie of the first three years of Superman’s career.

(If you’ve seen the tv series The Affair you’ll understand how it looks visually) Each story is told from a different viewpoint so we get different variations on Superman and other characters so everyone is telling the truth and embellishments.

The larger trilogy plot would be seeded with Metropolis and Morgan Edge’s Intergang bringing in advanced weapons for crimes that defy earthly origin. Setting up that Darkseid is putting earth on his list to be conquered by arming them with weapons he will turn on them.

 

[Willi Berg]

At the height of the 1950's sci fi boom, imagine peoples reactions to a real space ship arriving over metropolis.

If Superman ends up set in the present day, they could still have Metropolis be very stylised from different time periods, with Art Deco and retro architecture, including the sci-fi 50s look. They could really heighten the look to pay homage to Superman's past origins and looks.

The larger trilogy plot would be seeded with Metropolis and Morgan Edge’s Intergang bringing in advanced weapons for crimes that defy earthly origin. Setting up that Darkseid is putting earth on his list to be conquered by arming them with weapons he will turn on them.

I like the inclusion of Intergang. Having them mysteriously amass alien weapons sounds cool. I wonder if Darkseid would be considered for a villain, or saved for a New Gods movie.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

I like the inclusion of Intergang. Having them mysteriously amass alien weapons sounds cool. I wonder if Darkseid would be considered for a villain, or saved for a New Gods movie.

Darkseid should be a JL level villain. Him getting fixated on a Superman would require more set up.

In my story, the weapons build up story ends the trilogy as a conflict between Superman and Lex. Lex thinks he can stop Superman and Intergang with his own intellect but is being manipulated by Darkseid as well.

The second movie would introduce Brainiac in a Sulver Surferish way. He knows what’s going on but wants to collect his last Earthlings relic so doesn’t say anything and makes sure to move things along with a Cyborg Kryptonian and escalating the arms race.

 

[Tg11]

Anyone else have any other ideas

 

[adeel7861]

I wasn't sure where to post this, so i"ll just post it here. Disney is blocking the video on YouTube so I had to upload it on my Facebook page. Superman Arrives in Avengers: Endgame:

 

[Matt.S99]

They need to do either a Brainiac story or an origin set in the 40s.

We need cool set pieces and not just a generic city.
While a lot of people disliked the film, (I personally love it) one thing I really loved about Superman Returns were the Art Deco set pieces.
We need more of that.
And it would also be nice to go “back to basics” with a period piece.

 

[STARMAN]

I would like a Superman film set in 1938. Mix The Fleischer cartoons with modern Kryptonian technology. Brad Bird would be a good choice for that version of Superman.

I thought I was the only one who liked the Art Deco set pieces in Superman Returns. They gave Metropolis some character.

 

[titansupes]

I think a period Superman movie would be the beginning of the end. It'd put him in the league of The Phantom, The Shadow, Zorro etc. Out of date pulp characters that only work a certain way for a very niche audience. I'm firmly against it.

He needs to always be in the present day, or, very slightly in the future. He's the Man of Tomorrow, living in the City of Tomorrow.

I definitely agree that Metropolis should have a distinctive look and even culture to it, though. It should truly be the anti-Gotham.

 

[STARMAN]

Being set in the past doesn't automatically make the film outdated or antiquated. It's the canvas to tell your story. Even a modern story. Not a black and white world where the characters say, "swell and dame" and ultimately are imprisoned by the past. I'm talking mixing elements from Siegel and Shuster of 1938 with Fleisher of the 1940's and the modern mythos of today, and the world of tomorrow. In some ways, it would have no time period.

One of the reasons it appeals to me is it allows you to tell your own story separate from the DCEU, separate from any previous Superman film. I don't think such a time period limits the character or his potential. Phantom, Shadow, and Zorro were born in that era and never left. Superman has shown he can exist in any era, any time period, and flourish. As long as they present the character as engaging the audience will engage with him no matter past or present.

Ultimately it won't happen and I'm open to various possibilities including his most likely appearance in present day. In an interview back during the SR days, Singer mentioned the set design and clothes were chosen so the audience wouldn't necessarily have a fixed time period. It was president day but the sets and clothes gave the audience the impression of almost a period piece. It was set in modern world but you're in another place. Sometimes period piece films can imprison you and sometimes they are the ultimate escapism.

 

[Willi Berg]

He needs to always be in the present day, or, very slightly in the future. He's the Man of Tomorrow, living in the City of Tomorrow.

I definitely agree that Metropolis should have a distinctive look and even culture to it, though. It should truly be the anti-Gotham.

I would like to see Metropolis more grand and vast than we have seen it. More stylised than we've seen in the Donner films, and the Snyder films. The Superman Returns design was nice with the Art Deco but I want it to feel bigger, and be a mixture of old retro styles as well as futuristic. Its depiction in Superman The Animated Series was very modern and clean, perhaps too clean. But I liked that it was modern, just needs more personality.

 

[Jochimus]

I just want a Metropolis that is NOT New York or Sydney or Vancouver or Chicago or Detroit or any other real-life major city just re-dressed with new signage on the cars and buildings and everything. Yeah, shoot live-action stuff on backlots, but everything above camera level should be stuff that doesn't exist in real life.

Basically I want the Metropolis of the early-2000s comics, etc.:

 

[Jochimus]

Likewise, DC Universe Online:

 

[Jochimus]

THIS essentially is what I want. They wouldn't even have to use the B13 bit (although it would be nice, if for no other reason than the chance of FINALLY having a live-action Superman film franchise that for once is willing to acknowledge the existence of Superman villains beyond Luthor, Zod and Insert-Evil-Kryptonian-Clone-Of-The-Week's-Name-Here); they could say Metropolis is The City That Lex Built with the fire he stole from the gods back when the Kents had to hightail it outta that cornfield and leave Kal's rocket to the Feds.

 

[batman44]

^Yes!!

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Being set in the past doesn't automatically make the film outdated or antiquated. It's the canvas to tell your story. Even a modern story. Not a black and white world where the characters say, "swell and dame" and ultimately are imprisoned by the past. I'm talking mixing elements from Siegel and Shuster of 1938 with Fleisher of the 1940's and the modern mythos of today, and the world of tomorrow. In some ways, it would have no time period.

One of the reasons it appeals to me is it allows you to tell your own story separate from the DCEU, separate from any previous Superman film. I don't think such a time period limits the character or his potential. Phantom, Shadow, and Zorro were born in that era and never left. Superman has shown he can exist in any era, any time period, and flourish. As long as they present the character as engaging the audience will engage with him no matter past or present.

Ultimately it won't happen and I'm open to various possibilities including his most likely appearance in present day. In an interview back during the SR days, Singer mentioned the set design and clothes were chosen so the audience wouldn't necessarily have a fixed time period. It was president day but the sets and clothes gave the audience the impression of almost a period piece. It was set in modern world but you're in another place. Sometimes period piece films can imprison you and sometimes they are the ultimate escapism.

While I like Returns. When you do that timeless design idea. You back yourself into a different corner. Singer sort of sidestepped it cause Lex was just a smart guy stealing resources.

When you start folding in larger mythos stuff like Steel, Intergang, LexCorp etc. Their visuals come from being sleek and modern. Stuff like the Incredibles keeps everything technological based on that 60s Bond look.

People walking in fedoras and long dresses with iPads is fine but it’s at a certain point it’s like why not just make everything modern or futuristic.