When Zack Snyder officially kicked off the DCEU with Man of Steel in 2013, the franchise brought fresh takes on familiar characters unlike anything audiences had ever seen before. Superman was undoubtedly different right from the jump.
A young Clark Kent was far more isolated than he typically would be in Smallville, and he grew up into a gloomy Christ figure that has only grown more distant & separated from the human race with time. Man of Steel's take on Clark Kent, while interesting, was a definite departure from most common depictions of Superman.
10 Clark Kent’s Childhood In Smallville Was Incredibly Lonely
In many depictions of Clark Kent’s childhood, he grows up surrounded by friends and bullies who have some understanding of who – or what – he is. There are entire shows like Smallville dedicated to Superman’s life before he was Superman, exploring what his youth would have been like.
In the DCEU, Clark was an incredibly isolated child. His parents did not fully understand him, and wanted to keep him safe, therefore keeping him away from others. Clark himself was so overwhelmed by his powers that he didn’t even mind being kept away from others for most of that childhood, making him a lonelier adult than Superman typically is.
9 Clark Doesn’t Have Pa Kent Around For Advice
Two staples in Superman’s life — and DC Comics as a whole — are Ma & Pa Kent. Also known as Martha and Jonathan Kent, these two are Clark Kent's adoptive human parents, having found the Kryptonian infant Kal-El when he first hurtled to Earth. When Clark was just a boy, his parents taught him everything he needed to become Superman.
As an adult, Clark would return to Ma and Pa’s farm in Smallville for counsel, comfort, or even just a friendly visit to his parents. Unfortunately, Man of Steel saw Pa Kent dying when Clark was just a teenager and could have saved him. This removes Pa from Clark’s life, as well as removing an important influence and presence for Superman.
8 Superman Became A Killer Right Away
Without the guidance of people like his father, Clark finds himself completely alone in dealing with problems like General Zod. When the other Kryptonian came to Earth and confronted Superman, Clark realized he had no choice but to force Zod to stop.
Zod saw humans as insignificant in the face of Krypton's extinction, and made that clear to Clark by nearly killing them right in front of him. Clark was forced to kill him, snapping Zod’s neck to save the group of humans. This is not handled lightly, but it is a bit early for Superman to already break a moral code audiences barely saw him establish.
7 Superman Is Much Darker Than He Is Typically Depicted
A larger problem for the DCEU has to do with its tone. The franchise as a whole started out rather dismally, following the grimdark energy of Frank Miller’s Batman and the Christopher Nolan trilogy.
Since the first movie in the DCEU was Man of Steel, this meant Superman had to be a lot darker than normal. This is actually something of a misstep, and the DCEU is still trying to course-correct by adding light-hearted and colorful movies into the franchise now, like Shazam!, Aquaman, & Birds of Prey.
6 A Pessimistic Outlook That Would Make Most Interpretations of Superman Flinch
With this grim energy comes a much darker outlook on life for Superman than ever before. Clark Kent as depicted in Man of Steel doesn’t have much hope left for the world, or even for the universe.
He is more of a pessimist than an optimist, something that would become glaringly obvious by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. This simply isn’t Superman, as the character believes in the good of others. This negative outlook should be something for Clark to overcome, never to embrace.
5 Superman Is Unbalanced And Doesn’t Know How To Navigate Being Clark Kent Just Yet
Each member of the Justice League has an alter ego and for good reason. Not only does it give them each a disguise, but having a human life keeps these super-people balanced. Their heroic lives can take a heavy toll while their civilian sides keep them functioning – giving them the support and off-hours that any person would need.
However, Superman in Man of Steel doesn’t quite know how to find that balance yet. He’s still searching for himself, and as such, Clark Kent & Superman aren’t really fully realized as distinct individuals just yet. Clark is still young in Man of Steel, and has a long way to go.
4 Isolated Without A Team Or Human Friends To Ground Him
Perhaps as a result of Clark’s isolated childhood – or maybe as a product of the fear and uncertainty he feels about his place in the world – Superman became an isolated & lonely adult. He and Lois Lane take a while to warm up to one another, but even then, Clark really doesn’t know anybody on a slightly personal level except Lois and his mother.
In the comics, TV shows, and most depictions of Superman, Clark is often surrounded by people. He is usually part of a team like the Justice League, or hangs out with human pals like Lois and Jimmy Olsen. This Superman, however, has no such family, friends, or teammates to spend time with.
3 Superman Now Has The Kryptonian Codex Inside Of Him
When Krypton was destroyed, the Kryptonian codex apparently survived. This technology, created by the incredibly advanced Kryptonians, held all of the genetic information that Kryptonians had been using to engineer their babies.
That codex was placed in Superman in Man of Steel. The codex was more than a simple regeneration matrix, but was indeed an entire complex structure of genetic engineering designed to cultivate and create specific individuals for specific purposes. Even more, that codex was written into Kal-El before the destruction of Krypton, forever changing him.
2 Superman Was Always From Krypton, But Now He Truly Feels Alien
Superman may be a Kryptonian, but he doesn’t always feel that way. He landed on Earth as a baby, without any memories of his life before then. Being raised by human parents as a human boy — albeit slightly more powerful — gave Clark a human side that was able to bond with others around him (despite technically being from outer space).
In Man of Steel, Clark feels more alien than ever before. Superman does indeed feel separate from humankind, but he doesn’t quite feel Kryptonian, either. He doesn’t know which part of himself to claim, and others don’t know what to claim for themselves. Never before has Superman truly felt so alien compared to those around him.
1 Superman Is More Of A Christ Figure Than Ever Before
One of Zack Snyder’s favorite tropes is the introduction of a Christ figure. In perhaps his most overt display of favoritism for this type of symbolism to date, Snyder recently released pictures of the Joker in which he directly resembled Jesus Christ – even placing the character in a crown of thorns.
Clark Kent was also an obvious Christ figure in Man of Steel. At one point, he even sat in front of a stained glass window of Jesus, debating whether or not he should sacrifice himself for mankind. It’s a little on the nose, but that’s what Snyder does best.