Comic Books and Comic-Con : Superman is an outdated hero, that's hard to portray in live-action.

Superman is an outdated hero, that's hard to portray in live-action.

Superman was one of the first heroes created, at a time when logic, backstory, and motive weren't important details and little thought was put into how well it would translate to live-action.

Comic book writers from the 60s onward, would create heroes that gave them more plausible motives, logic, character development. And their powers became less generalized, but more limited and distinctive and they expressed vulnerabilities.

-Superman has about every (now cliché) super power in the book. Flight, speed, strength, x-ray vision, invulnerability, laser eyes, arctic breath. superhuman senses.

-Superman can theoretically hear every crime in the world. It's hard to come up with a reason why he isn't ending terrorism, why he isn't ending a Muslim beheading before it happens, when he can do all of those things.

-Superman not wearing a mask and being able to conceal his identity, let alone from those close to him, like Lois Lane and reporters in the Daily Planet, would not work in today's movies: no matter how much we suspend disbelief. And writers can't change Superman to wear a mask without changing the essence that is Superman, so it's a lost cause.

Superman's generalized powers worked in 1938; as (one of the) the first hero created, it was crucial to contrast a superhero from normal human beings. The cooler the powers, the better. But it doesn't work anymore. Now, people prefer superheroes to be more relatable: to have backstory over powers, to have vulnerabilities, where powers are more limited in scope and sometimes even no powers at all.

Batman was created early on too, but the difference is, Batman has evolved over the years. With Batman wearing a batsuit, there's a lot one can do to expand his character. His backstory, mythos, attire and overall depth have evolved over the years making him an interesting character. Batman was always vulnerable, meaning stories of him fighting typical street thugs was possible.

Even Batman's changed in various incarnations while still maintaining the essence of Batman. It's material has been spandex, rubber, and kevlar, with its colors in various shades of black, blue, and gray. There's not much you can do to change Superman's suit without character of Superman.

But Superman is very limited in scope. There's not really much one can do to evolve his character without changing the essence of Superman. You can't change the colors from red, blue without angering the fanbase. While it's generally spandex, MoS is likely the limit in how they can update it. And you can't alter his powers.

That's why in Superman has never managed to have an iconic villain outside of Lex Luthor. It's difficult to create stories for a superhero that has every superhuman ability and kryptonite is needed in the plot every time to bring him down a notch.

Re: Superman is an outdated hero, that's hard to portray in live-action.

Shut up, PE.

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Re: Superman is an outdated hero, that's hard to portray in live-action.

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