The Daily Planet - Superman News and Speculation Thread

[Babillygunn]

Brainiac could always be a non-speaking cameo, ala Thanos at the end of Avengers 2012, so they can save the casting for an actual reveal in Woman of Tomorrow, ala GotG. It's like poetry, it rhymes.

That would be a big departure from the source material as Braniac has absolutely nothing to do with Woman of Tomorrow.

That said, I don’t see Krem of the Yellow Hills being the villain of WoT, but I don’t see Braniac fitting into that story.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Russel looks too much like an older Supes, Jonathan/The Kents shouldn't look too much like he could be a superhero imo.

Which is funny since all the live-action Jonathan Kents probably could’ve played a Superman-esque character when they were younger lol

 

[DorkyFresh]

That would be a big departure from the source material as Braniac has absolutely nothing to do with Woman of Tomorrow.

Ah! I have yet to read it, but I given some of the rumor mill and how big of an influence Brainiac is to Supergirl's origins, I just figured any major Supergirl solo story would feature Brainiac. Thanks for clarifying!

 

[flickchick85]

Ah! I have yet to read it, but I given some of the rumor mill and how big of an influence Brainiac is to Supergirl's origins, I just figured any major Supergirl solo story would feature Brainiac. Thanks for clarifying!

Yeah Woman of Tomorrow is not an origin story for Kara - there is a brief portion of the book where the narrator (her travel companion) summarizes her origin, but that’s it. There’s a random scumbag they’re chasing across the universe because he killed this one alien girl’s whole family, but there’s no Big Bad from the Supes’ rogues gallery in it.

 

[DorkyFresh]

Fascinating! I just assumed it'd be a more personal story dealing with her past, but I guess that's part of what makes this one feel fresh and unique. Nice to see a good Supergirl story that isn't based around her childhood trauma (though I'm sure there's plenty). I don't plan on reading the comic until after I've seen the movie, so I'm looking forward to how it'll all unravel.

 

[flickchick85]

Fascinating! I just assumed it'd be a more personal story dealing with her past, but I guess that's part of what makes this one feel fresh and unique. Nice to see a good Supergirl story that isn't based around her childhood trauma (though I'm sure there's plenty). I don't plan on reading the comic until after I've seen the movie, so I'm looking forward to how it'll all unravel.

It actually does deal a lot in her trauma, as I think the reason she chooses to help this girl on her quest for vengeance is because she reminds her of herself and what she lost at that age, but it does so in a pretty unique way, as we’re seeing her deal with it largely through the other girl’s eyes.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Them replacing Krem with a more "recognizable" villain would be kind of a bad sign IMO, you don't need to do that at all. I'm sure they will and it will be the first sign WoT won't be a very direct adaptation, but still.

I'm also concerned about them reworking it to be primarily from Kara's perspective which is more standard (dumb) screenwriting 101 stuff than the way the story is presented in the source material. Hopefully they stick with it though!

 

[Dr.]

I'm also concerned about them reworking it to be primarily from Kara's perspective which is more standard (dumb) screenwriting 101 stuff than the way the story is presented in the source material. Hopefully they stick with it though!

Well, not that dumb. In the source source material (True Grit) Mattie is the protagonist; it’s her story. But it would be odd if a movie called “Supergirl” (with fanfare as to casting the title role) had someone else as the main character. I think the reason this construct works in the WoT book is because most readers already know Supergirl in some detail. So it’s interesting to get a new/different/outsider’s perspective on this familiar hero. But for most moviegoers, this’ll be their introduction to the character. And for that reason, in my view, Supergirl needs to be more front-and-center than she is in the book.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Well, not that dumb. In the source source material (True Grit) Mattie is the protagonist; it’s her story. But it would be odd if a movie called “Supergirl” (with fanfare as to casting the title role) had someone else as the main character. I think the reason this construct works in the WoT book is because most readers already know Supergirl in some detail. So it’s interesting to get a new/different/outsider’s perspective on this familiar hero. But for most moviegoers, this’ll be their introduction to the character. And for that reason, in my view, Supergirl needs to be more front-and-center than she is in the book.

That's only odd because movies have insipid, artificial constraints put on them as to what is and isn't good cinematic storytelling. If you're not going to do what's interesting about the original story, simply do not do that story. Let the movie have a unique structure to it. They're co-leads, it's just not entirely from Kara's POV.

 

[Alien Anal]

Which is funny since all the live-action Jonathan Kents probably could’ve played a Superman-esque character when they were younger lol

Apart from Smallville and MOS who else?

 

[flickchick85]

Young Glenn Ford:

 

[flickchick85]

Nothing wrong with Jonathan having been a bit of a stud in his younger days imo.

 

[Alien Anal]

Young Glenn Ford:

View attachment 78937

I can see he is a handsome man but doesn't scream Superman to me. Anyway Russel still looks like he could play an older Superman, Glenn Ford didn't have that same look at the Pa Kent stage is what I'm trying to get at.

 

[flickchick85]

Russell absolutely does NOT look like he could play an older Superman right now.

 

[Babillygunn]

It actually does deal a lot in her trauma, as I think the reason she chooses to help this girl on her quest for vengeance is because she reminds her of herself and what she lost at that age, but it does so in a pretty unique way, as we’re seeing her deal with it largely through the other girl’s eyes.

Yeah. Her origins, while only taking up a portion of one issue, is so emotional that it makes the trauma that she’s experienced and dealing with so much more understandable.

Id say that even though WoT isn’t an “origin story” at all, Tom King retells the origin in such a vivid way that you are forced to look at it from a different perspective The short deviation that is taken to review her origin is told in a way that I’ve never really heard it told the way that King does.

it is funny but in a way it both isn’t an origin story but it is also at the same time tells a definitive origin for her.

 

[Babillygunn]

That's only odd because movies have insipid, artificial constraints put on them as to what is and isn't good cinematic storytelling. If you're not going to do what's interesting about the original story, simply do not do that story. Let the movie have a unique structure to it. They're co-leads, it's just not entirely from Kara's POV.

I’ll take it a step further: this type of narrative structure fits even better with Superman and Supergirl. Some of the best stories of these characters (and Batman as well) are ones that have the perspectives of other characters, showing the impact that the hero has on them. PKJ’s Action Comics run did this repeatedly. Obviously WoT did it as well. It’s very effective and provides greater insight into the character.

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

Russell absolutely does NOT look like he could play an older Superman right now.

Nothing on the Interwebs suggests that he's had work done (I'm guessing that's because of gender double standards), but man, he looks more plastic-y than Kenny Rogers did in his final days!

 

[flickchick85]

For the record, I was on the Kurt Russell-for-Perry White train, not Jonathan Kent, so I don’t really have a horse in that race. But the notion that he’s “too superhero-looking” for that or any role is a non-starter for me. He’s an old dude who looks like an old dude, period imo.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Apart from Smallville and MOS who else?

 

[Alien Anal]

I can see him as an older Superman here.

 

[Alien Anal]

I don't know if this is a joke or if you are referring to them when they are young because I'm talking about the actors at the age they played Pa Kent.

 

[Dr.]

That's only odd because movies have insipid, artificial constraints put on them as to what is and isn't good cinematic storytelling.

Preaching to the choir. I very much appreciate movies that venture away from the standard, cookie-cutter plot structure. OTOH, it’s not crazy — in this particular case — to assume that WB/Gunn’s goal will be mainstream accessibility and mainstream popularity. (A more creative or avantgarde effort which is well-received by critics/discerning fans but disappoints at the BO would be a dubious achievement.)

If you're not going to do what's interesting about the original story, simply do not do that story. Let the movie have a unique structure to it. They're co-leads, it's just not entirely from Kara's POV.

In terms of changes to the source material, a practical element strikes me as particularly relevant. The book is (first person) narrated by Ruthye. And there’s a lot of narration. (Indeed, some panels are pretty much all text.) So it’s by this device that Ruthye tends to dominate the narrative (it’s her voice, her story) — putting Supergirl, by definition, into a secondary role. But it’s hard to imagine that a movie translation would employ as much narration (proportionally speaking) as the book. Thus, minimal voice-over would (methinks) tend to shift more focus onto Supergirl, without material changes to the basic plot. And even if there’s reduced narration, it could still be “unreliable” — to the extent that applies to WoT.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

I look at it this way, if we live in a world where Aunt May can be young and hot, I don’t mind having a silver fox Jonathan Kent

 

[KillerMcQueen]

I'd love to see Russel as Jonathan Kent, my main thing is I just want Jonathan Kent to actually be alive, ever since Donner's film live action Superman (except Lois and Clark) has largely treated killing off Jonathan Kent before Clark becomes Superman as a requirement and it bugs me. You don't need to kill him off just to teach Clark a lesson, there are a million ways for him to learn those lessons, I want them to be more creative than to just dredge up the dead parent cliche. Clark already has two dead parents, they don't need to add a third.

 

[Venom 1988]

I'd love to see Russel as Jonathan Kent, my main thing is I just want Jonathan Kent to actually be alive, live action Superman (except Lois and Clark) has largely treated killing off Jonathan Kent before Clark becomes Superman as a requirement and it bugs me, you don't need to kill him off just to teach Clark a lesson, there are a million ways for him to learn those lessons, I want them to be more creative than to just dredge up the dead parent cliche.

Agreed. I liked them popping up now and then on Superman:TAS series as well.