What it means to be an alien: David S. Goyer talks Man of Steel

January 29th 2013, 9:44am

In addition to the new MAN OF STEEL images that were released yesterday, some snippets of their interview with writer David S. Goyer (BLADE, BATMAN BEGINS) were released as well.

The fact that Zack Snyder and crew are going for a realistic version of Superman was obvious from the start, probably from the moment Christopher Nolan was hired as Superman’s Godfather. So it’s not too surprising when Goyer says that “We’re approaching Superman as if it weren’t a comic book movie as if it were real.”

He also goes on to say,“I adore the Donner films. Absolutely adore them. It just struck me that there was an idealist quality to them that may or may not work with today’s audience. It just struck me that if Superman really existed in the world, first of all this story would be a story about first contact.” Part of the reason for the grittiness/realism of the new Superman movie is because of Nolan’s take on Batman, but I agree with what Goyer says about today’s audience.

“He’s an alien. You can easily imagine a scenario in which we’d be doing a film like E.T., as opposed to him running around in tights. If the world found out he existed, it would be the biggest thing that ever happened in human history,”

Not to say if a flying humanoid alien randomly showed up on Earth in the past we’d all embrace the galactic entity and pass him a blunt, but the world’s a little more cynical and less trusting. It may just be the Zack Snyder connection, but I think an argument could be made that this Superman may share similar DNA to Dr. Manhattan from WATCHMEN. Both have God like powers yet allow themselves to be restrained, Manhattan in his government housing and Superman in cuffs from the trailer. While Manhattan was human but feels his connection with humanity is wilting away, Superman lives off that connection. He has no home other than this adopted one. Other characters in the comics have looked at both of them in awe and fear, but that hasn’t really been shown for Superman on screen before. So while we may bitch about getting another origins story for Superman, it’ll be important in setting the tone for this version.

You can read the full interview in the newest issue of Empire.

MAN OF STEEL is out June 14th, 2013