Physical Threats in Superman Films

*Originally published on 11/13/09



While WB doesn't have any plans to do anything with Superman on the film front, many are still anxious to see the man of tomorrow return to the big screen. However, many fans are adamant that Lex Luthor shouldn't be the main villain. They want to see Superman throw down in a good old fashioned round of city-destroying fisticuffs.

Indeed, such a battle would be awesome to see on the big screen and Superman does have plenty of great villains to choose from, so it doesn't really seem like too much to ask.

However, some claims do come off as a bit odd. Fans say that their sick of Lex and that he's been in the series for far too long. First of all, Lex is Superman's greatest enemy so it makes sense that he would continue to be a thorn in the hero's side.

It should be noted that in the five films, Lex has been the main villain in two. He was the primary antagonist in the original Superman film, as he should be, and he took center stage again in the recent Superman Returns. Oh, he's been in other movies, but those were the two where he and the man of steel faced off head to head.

Lex returned in Superman II, however he was more of a supporting villain. The true bad guy was Zod and his cronies. Lex, master manipulator that he is, tried to play the situation to his advantage (which he would and should do) but he wasn't the primary foe.

The only Superman film that Lex sat out was the third one. Heck, Superman sat out for most of that one as well. The villain there was another scheming Lex type villain, but the final showdown involved a massive computer. I read that they were originally planning on having Brainiac appear, but instead settled for that.

Luthor returned in Superman IV and this time his plan involved fighting Superman with brute strength. Through a non-sensical chain of events, Lex created the diabolical Nuclear Man (who was powered by the sun). This was a foe that over powered even Superman. The low budget, bad script, and cheesy dialogue ruined any hope of viewers taking the threat seriously.

A lot of of fans want to see the Death and Return of Superman story brought to the big screen. I don't know if it would work. Yes, it has a three act structure that would lend itself to a trilogy, but the story involves a ton of other DC heroes and some people are saying that even the upcoming Avengers movie isn't feasible. Also keep in mind that the Doomsday story line was already adapted into an animated movie, and while I enjoyed it, it has gotten some backlash.

I get the desire to see Superman's powers truly put to the test. As great a villain as Lex is, it doesn't really give Superman a chance to shine as a superhuman. I think that if the franchise is going to continue, it needs to branch out and bring in new villains. It would be nice to see a fight that rivals the one from Superman II. With modern special effects they could give us a spectacle that would really blow viewers away.

Even with the recent settlement that dictated that WB needs to make another movie so that the heirs can get more money, they don't seem too eager, which is unfortunate as the Man of Steel deserves a modern franchise worthy of the character.