Despite being one of the most recognizable elements of Superman’s mythology, the Fortress of Solitude was never officially introduced in the DCEU. Popularized among general audiences by Richard Donner's classic Superman, the Fortress of Solitude would later appear in many television shows, animated series, and video games. In live-action, Clark Kent's secret arctic base has been featured in Smallville, Krypton, Supergirl, and most recently in Superman & Lois.

In the comics, the Fortress of Solitude was originally called the Secret Sanctuary and was located near Metropolis, rather than the North Pole. After Crisis on Infinite Earths, it was established that the Fortress was located at the North Pole and built by Superman himself. It contains much of Superman's hoard of Kryptonian technology, including the ship that brought him to Earth, a projector for the Phantom Zone, and in some iterations even the bottled city of Kandor.

Related: Superman's Movie Reboot Should Copy The Batman’s Best Idea

It always seemed like the Kryptonian scout ship in Man of Steel was supposed to be a reimagined version of the Fortress of Solitude. According to director Zack Snyder, however, they never envisioned an actual Fortress for the DCEU's Superman. Instead, the Fortress was reimagined as an internal place for Clark and his struggles, exemplified in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice when he believes he is talking to his late father in the mountains.

Interior look at the Fortress Of Solitude with statue of Jor-El and Lara Lor Van in DC comics

That's in line with how Snyder and Christopher Nolan—both responsible for Man of Steel's story, alongside David Goyer—usually adapt elements from the comics to the big screen. Both Nolan and Snyder's DC films are known for being realistic, darker takes on classic comic book characters, with Snyder's creative decisions being significantly more divisive than Nolan’s. That approach to the world of comic books helps explain why Superman never had an official Fortress of Solitude in the DCEU.

Instead, the Kryptonian scout ship ended up serving all the practical purposes of Superman's Fortress of Solitude. It was there that Clark communicated with Jor-El's AI ghost for the first time, in addition to where Superman's suits were created and stored in Man of Steel. It was also one of the first places that Clark escaped to after being resurrected in Justice League. Those are all elements tied to the Fortress of Solitude in the Superman comics. Even without having received the official name of Fortress of Solitude, the Kryptonian scout ship was the closest to that element of Superman’s story to exist in the DCEU.

Superman's arc throughout the DCEU has taken many creative liberties that have been met with mixed reception, and the absence of an official Fortress of Solitude seems small by comparison. Things like the circumstances of Jonathan Kent's death and Superman killing Zod were much more discussed topics about Man of Steel, and they are still a source of debate to this day. It remains to be seen what the DCEU’s plans for Superman are in the future, and whether an actual Fortress of Solitude will ever find its way back to the big screen.

Next: Man Of Steel 2's Best Villain Would Fix 2 Huge Cavill Superman Criticisms

Key Release Dates