Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 4:10AM David Goyer's Graphic Novel Intro Hints at His Take on 'Superman'
Right now, there really isn't another high profile picture being shrouded in as much secrecy as Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman film (well, besides anything J.J. Abrams works on, that is). Even Christopher Nolan is giving a little dish on his next Batman picture. But all we've gotten out of Snyder and screenwriter David Goyer is a few cryptic tidbits about Clark Kent's internal struggle on whether or not to become Superman.
Well, after Goyer was brought in to write the introduction to Geoff Johns' new graphic novel, Superman: Secret Origin, we have a little more insight on what to expect from his incarnation of Supes. Hit the jump to read Goyer's intro.
"There is a heart breaking moment halfway through the first chapter in which young Clark is told the truth about his heritage. He races out into the night, sobbing, stumbling through the cornfields. Eventually, his foster father, Jonathan, finds him. ’I don’t want to be someone else,’ says Clark. ‘I don’t want to be different. I want to be Clark Kent.’
‘I want to be your son’
Right there in that moment, Geoff contextualized Superman in a way that I’m not sure has ever really been done before. I had an ‘aha’ experience when I read that. For the first time I was able to grasp how lonely Clark must have been when he was growing up. And what a sacrifice Clark must continually make by being Superman.
As I write this, I am midway through my first draft of a new Superman screenplay. It’s a task that has stymied many talented filmmakers in the years since Donner’s film. And for all I know, it will end up stymying me as well.
But I’ve got one advantage that the screenwriters who came before me didn’t have—and that’s access to all the wonderful Superman stories written by Geoff Johns—first and foremost being the SECRET ORIGIN issues reprinted in the very volume you are now holding."
So it's a little light on plot, but it definitely fills in this Superman's character. Way back when, Goyer said he would never be able to write a Superman script because Superman isn't angsty enough for the screenwriter to wrap his head around. Well it looks like Goyer found his angst. Clark doesn't want his great power or great responsibility, rather he just wants to be part of our world (yeah, that's a Spider-Man and Little Mermaid reference in the same sentence). It seems almost natural for a superhero story to deal with this dilemma, but for some reason we've never seen The Man of Steel go through it.
If Goyer can really get this character depth across on the page, combined with Snyder's knack for incredible visuals on the screen, we might just have ourselves a potent little Superman movie.
Reader Comments (4)
I had an "aha" when I read this. For the first time I had the opportunity to see how the lonely Clark was when he was young. Clark and what sacrifices must be made constantly Superman.
Interesting dramatic point to hang it all on. "Superman: The Movie" just kind of glided over this, but IT IS a big part of what makes Superman such a polar opposite of Batman, that he's confident of his place in things, yet Batman is always struggling with it. At the same time there are interesting "angsty" shadings that can be brought to this exploration different from the usual confident Man of Steel.
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I put a link up on my blog. Keep up the good work.