Joss Whedon Should Direct Man Of Steel 2

Joss Whedon may be stepping out of the director's chair for Batgirl, but he shouldn't be departing the DC Extended Universe entirely. While all parties seem to agree the tale of Barbara Gordon will be better off in someone else's hands, another DC icon could definitely use Whedon's touch - Superman.The last son of Krypton is currently in something of a cinematic limbo; a sequel to Zack Snyder's Man of Steel has been back-burnered numerous times in favor of escalating the DCEU's shared universe team ups - namely Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, the latter of which Whedon infamously oversaw through an extensive and controversial post-production overhaul. In the wake of Justice League's relative failure, the DCEU's future is in a state of flux, and ironically the universe's two biggest heroes - Batman and Superman - find themselves with hazy futures.Related: Why Joss Whedon Left Batgirl ExplainedBut as we've argued before, Justice League's shortcomings were not the fault of any one party, and certainly not Whedon, who had a near-impossible task in front of him. The resulting film may have disappointed in many ways, but it showed a surprisingly clear path forward for Superman, and there's nobody more equipped to take on that mission than Whedon. That may not be a popular opinion among the vocal DCEU fans who have chosen to lay Justice League's under-performance at Whedon's feet, but it's one that makes more and more sense when put under the microscope in a relatively dispassionate way.

A More Traditional Superman

Zack Snyder's version of Superman was bold, challenging, visually stunning, and has amassed a passionate, vocal fan base. But there's simply no getting around the fact that that take was not for everyone, and the dour, self-doubting Clark Kent proved to be far more polarizing than Warner Bros. were hoping. It can be argued this was an overcorrection after Bryan Singer's dewy-eyed, saccharine Superman Returns - overly reverential toward the Christopher Reeve Superman films of the 70s and 80s - was met with lukewarm box office returns and a cultural shrug.

Warner Bros. is clearly looking for a sweet spot between Singer's cornball and Snyder's dark deconstruction. Whedon's Superman scenes in Justice League - easy to spot due to Henry Cavill's unfortunate CGI lip - prove he's the man for that job. That version of Superman feels like a modern day film character without being cynical or brooding, yet also maintains the character's inherent earnestness without seeming cheesy. That's a tough tight rope to walk, and one that talented filmmakers have stumbled over with literal years of story preparation, but one Whedon has already shown he can pull off in less than ideal production situations.

Henry Cavill Is Onboard

If he wasn't a rich, ridiculously good looking movie star, you'd almost have to feel sorry for Henry Cavill. In contrast to some of his fellow superhero actors (looking your way, Affleck) Cavill has always retained a sort of childish glee over the fact he gets to play Superman. Not only that, he's often been the most eloquent ambassador for the character, articulating the things that people love and value in Superman better than the producers and directors of the films in which he stars. And yet Cavill's warmth and love for the character was largely obscured in his first two outings in the role, as he was directed to portray a darker, edgier version of the character.

Ever the polite Brit, it seems impossible that Cavill would ever outright dissent with his collaborators, but he's often lightheartedly suggested that he and Zack Snyder see the character in decidedly different ways, with Cavill wishing his Superman was a more hopeful, inspiring figure than the somewhat gloomy, reluctant hero of Snyder's films.

Tellingly, while most of the cast of Justice League were parsing their words about the Snyder/Whedon debacle very carefully during the film's press tour, Cavill enthusiastically endorsed Whedon as a director who fundamentally sees Superman the same way he does. With Zack Snyder almost certainly moving on from the DCEU, it stands to reason Cavill would be thrilled to work with Whedon again to tell a brighter, lighter Superman story.

Whedon Helped Shape The MCU's Superman

One of the more common anti-Superman arguments these days is that he's a character who is simply obsolete, that it's impossible to reconcile his earnest, uncomplicated do-gooder nature with the modern world. That is, of course, a ridiculously cynical argument, and one that can even be easily refuted. Of Marvel's many cinematic successes, few tower quite as high as Captain America. Over a half dozen films, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers has become the unquestionable conscience of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in many ways embodies the ideals traditionally associated with Superman: truth, justice, and the American way.

Whedon had a significant hand in shaping the MCU's Captain America. Not only did Whedon - one of Hollywood's most sought after script doctors - do an uncredited script polish on Captain America: The First Avenger, he helped solidify Cap's reputation as Marvel's shining beacon of hope in his two Avengers films, often portraying him as an ideal that his fellow heroes felt obligated to live up to. It's not hard to see how Whedon could transplant many of those ideals onto Superman, a process he actually started a bit in Superman's limited screen time in Justice League. Superman should be the beating heart of the DCEU, a bastion of idealism and kindheartedness even in the face of unthinkable darkness. Whedon helped successfully shape that kind of man for Marvel's cinematic world - why not DC's too?

Man Of Steel 2 Needs A Big Name Director

There's no evidence that superhero franchises need A-list directors to generate excitement and produce an excellent end product. Christopher Nolan was really just an indie darling before he tackled Batman. The Russo Brothers were sitcom lifers before they were given the keys to the Marvel kingdom. And it's easy to forget now, but before he made The Avengers one of the biggest films of all time, Joss Whedon was a cult figure largely known as "that guy whose TV shows always get cancelled." Marvel's entire ethos seems somewhat reliant on finding young, talented directors on the rise who can work within the framework of their shared universe to fully utilize their talents.

But Superman - and in particular, this Superman - is an entirely different story. We're now five movies into the DCEU, and it feels like the excitement for Superman is waning as the excitement for Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash, and Shazam grows. Superman suddenly feels like a spectator in the universe he started. Warner Bros. has to make a splash to get people excited for Kal-El again, and the easiest way to do that in a hurry is to hire a big name director. With the possible exception of Nolan, there is no bigger name in superhero filmmaking than Whedon. It would be an immediate signal that making Superman relevant again is a serious priority for Warner Bros., that he's taken his rightful place among DC's pantheon again. There's a reason Superman, not Batman, stands front and center in DC's film logo.

Whedon's A Better Fit For Superman Than Batgirl

While he may have had one of the strongest hands in shaping Marvel's wildly successful cinematic universe, Joss Whedon's most enduring legacy is still as creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, whose titular heroine - played with steely brilliance by Sarah Michelle Gellar - was the closest thing the 90s had to a mainstream female superhero, and was championed as a feminist achievement for the way it flipped the standard horror trope on its head by having the teenage girl beat up the monsters. But Buffy ended 15 years ago, and while it's still an unquestionable classic, it feels a lot less revolutionary, and some of its well-intentioned feminist messaging is now pretty outdated. Whedon's track record with developing fully realized female characters has been spottier since Buffy ended and, beyond the fact that he may not be particularly suited for telling the story of Barbara Gordon at this point, it almost goes without saying that a woman should be in charge of a Batgirl film.

Conversely, there's ample evidence that Superman is a much better fit for 2018 Joss Whedon's creative strengths. Often written off as a snarky, pop culture-obsessed jokester, Whedon's work on the two Avengers films as well as Firefly and Dollhouse showcased his increasingly earnest storytelling sensibilities, with big, bright barriers between the forces of good and evil. That's the sort of moral clarity that many detractors have found lacking in Zack Snyder's deconstruction of Superman. There's the sense that people don't mind if there's an element of darkness in Superman's world, but that they want a purer version of Superman himself. Whedon might be the perfect person to thread that needle.

Despite Wonder Woman's success and high hopes for Aquaman and Shazam!, there's the inescapable feeling that DC is flailing. That feeling is likely to linger as long as the company's two most iconic characters remain in cinematic limbo. And while it's still an open question as to whether or not Warner Bros. even knows who's going to play Batman when next we see him, there are apparently no such issues with the man of steel, with rumors circulating that Henry Cavill is eager to re-up with the studio and begin his second act as Superman. Salvaging Superman should be DC's highest priority, and Joss Whedon is the man to help him take flight again.

More: WB Needs Man of Steel 2 in the DCEU Film Slate