Zack Snyder's Man of Steel got Superman all wrong, and it doomed Henry Cavill's version of the character. The DCEU's inaugural film introduced Henry Cavill's Superman - a darker, brooding take on the character that wasn't entirely in line with his comic book counterpart. Man of Steel remains divisive, but by far the biggest criticism of the film is that its dark tone doesn't match the character's usual message of hope and justice.
Henry Cavill reprised the role in two additional DCEU movies: Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Both films were even less of a hit with critics than Man of Steel, pointing to the conclusion that Cavill's DCEU Superman just wasn't quite striking the right chord with audiences. While Cavill himself was an obvious choice for the role - not only does he share a physical resemblance to Kal-El, but he's a self-professed nerd and a fan favorite, to boot - his version of the character just hasn't been able to make the impact that he should have.
Man of Steel's focus on Superman's alien origins as opposed to his more human side is often cited as a major issue with the DCEU's version of the character, but the issues run far deeper than that. The DCEU's misguided iteration of Superman was clearly born of the idea to reinvent the character as a more tortured messiah figure, but that's something that Superman never needed to be. Moreover, in its mishandling of Henry Cavill's Superman, the DCEU started itself on the wrong foot.
Man Of Steel Tried To Make Superman Grittier
Snyder's vision for Man of Steel's Superman was far bleaker than many were expecting. By focusing more on Superman's alien origins, it moved away from his more human side, literally alienating the character from much of his audience. This was achieved by making Cavill's Superman a far less hopeful character than Superman traditionally is, replacing his optimistic and heroic outlook with something a little more brooding and mysterious.
On paper, it's not necessarily a bad idea. After all, a new approach to an origin story as well known as Superman's isn't something inherently bad, but the problem was with just how different it made its hero by tweaking his personality. Superman's Man of Steel origin made him seem a far cry from the quintessential hero he should have been, and while that change in tone might work for other heroes, it doesn't quite match Superman's general character.
Man Of Steel Was Almost Tied To Nolan's Batman
Part of the reason for Man of Steel's tonal shift is Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Nolan worked as both a writer and producer on Man of Steel, and though the two superheroes' worlds are entirely separate entities, Nolan explained that he had approached them in very much the same way. This is understandable, given the critical and commercial success of Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, but this treatment didn't have quite the same effect on Superman as it did on the Caped Crusader.
Where the Dark Knight trilogy brought the world of Batman to the screen in a grounded and realistic fashion, Man of Steel was unable to take the same approach due to its concept being rooted in science fiction. Originally, there was talk of the two franchises being linked (particularly with Nolan's involvement), and this was certainly an option that would have been popular with fans of more grounded superhero stories. However, the idea was ultimately not used, although echoes of the Dark Knight trilogy's success remain in Man of Steel's approach to its story and characters.
Cavill's Superman Is Too Serious And Dark
Fundamentally, Man of Steel couldn't be as grounded as the Dark Knight trilogy, which led to what appeared to be an overcorrection into grittiness. This made Man of Steel's Superman fundamentally different from the character as traditionally presented - something which doomed Cavill's performance from the very start. He's a more serious, darker version of the eponymous hero - something evidenced by Cavill's Superman becoming a murderer at the end of his first movie appearance.
While there should always be room for creative interpretation of even the most iconic characters, such a colossal personality shift was something that made Man of Steel feel very separate from other Superman stories. It robbed Superman of some of his most inherent traits: his pursuit of "truth, justice, and the American Way" was noticeably absent, and his optimistic outlook wasn't represented at all. This different characterization contributed to the film's tonal shift, establishing that the DCEU's Superman would murder his enemies if he deemed it necessary - something which doesn't feel as traditionally heroic as Superman should.
How Man Of Steel Shaped The DCEU
Man of Steel established the foundation for the DCEU, and as such, it partially set the tone for the films that followed. As the DCEU's critical reception is often described as mixed (at best), Man of Steel seemingly has a lot to answer for, as many of the franchise's subsequent films have made some degree of use of its darker, self-serious tone. This tone is actually one of the primary characteristics that set the films of the DCEU apart from their Marvel counterparts, and it's often one of the biggest criticisms leveled at the franchise.
In the years since Man of Steel, Warner Bros. has admitted its DCEU mistakes, and recent installments have moved away from the darker tone. However, with Superman being such a figurehead character for the franchise, Man of Steel creates a problem right at the core of the DCEU, and that's not an easy fix. This led to the character's darker nature shaping the birth of the franchise, particularly as it's the very thing that initially brought Batman and Wonder Woman together.
Can The DCEU Fix Superman?
Perhaps the worst part of Superman's Man of Steel treatment is what it seems to say about Henry Cavill. Cavill delivered an excellent performance as Superman throughout his DCEU appearances to date, although his future in the franchise looks somewhat bleak. This perhaps evidences just how badly the DCEU handled Cavill's Superman, and how Warner Bros. clearly isn't sure how to fix his version of the character.
There's talk of a Superman reboot within the DCEU, which may actually do more harm than good. After all, Henry Cavill has so much untapped potential in the role that it would be a waste to simply recast the Man of Tomorrow. Even so, it's hard to see a way to rewrite the character from the ground up that will feel natural within the DCEU's world, and it may be that the best thing for the franchise is to do away entirely with their problematic version of the character that was introduced in Man of Steel.
