The DCEU made it clear from their very first movie, Man of Steel, that this franchise was going to be unlike any other existing DC property. This movie universe was vastly different in many ways, but one of the most glaringly obvious differences was the age disparity amongst the League members.
The Justice League is mostly typically formed by Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, along with four of their closest superhero friends. It logically stands that these folks would be of an age (relatively) when they founded the team. However, Clark Kent is significantly younger in the DCEU than he typically would be. Superman’s relative inexperience isn’t just impactful for Clark, but it actually changes things in the entire DCEU as a result.
10 Superman Isn’t Really Old Enough To Be A Functional Leader Yet
Above all else, most times, Superman is a superhero who leads others. He is a shining example of goodness for all people, civilians and heroes alike, and the rest of the Justice League often looks to him as their leader— even if he isn’t always technically in that role.
However, as Superman isn’t even really a part of the foundational team in the DCEU, he’s not their leader so much as their objective. Even when the League brings Superman back, he doesn’t have enough age or experience under his belt to lead the team properly— especially not when compared to heroes like Wonder Woman or Batman.
9 Clark Doesn’t Feel Completely Comfortable In His Own Skin
In beginning the DCEU with Man of Steel, much like the MCU beginning with Iron Man, the movie universe centered Clark Kent as the franchise’s main overall protagonist. There have been many arcs in the DCEU, and several of the most vital have belonged to Superman.
A great deal of Clark’s story up until this point has centered around him discovering his identity and feeling comfortable and satisfied with who he is and what he does. While he is well on the way to discovering his true self, Clark has not yet reached this point in the DCEU.
8 Batman Is The Founder Of The Justice League More Than Superman Is
The Justice League as it exists in the DCEU does not feel like a group effort as much as it feels like Batman’s brainchild. After Batman was slightly responsible for Superman’s death, having made him vulnerable to Doomsday’s attack, Bruce felt an obligation to bring Superman back to life.
Not only that, but he felt this same obligation to honoring Clark’s memory and what he would have wanted. As Bruce told Alfred in the Snyder Cut, he had to act on faith for the first time— as Superman would have done. Batman became the leader of the League, though Superman still has time to move into this role, too.
7 There Is A Chance Superman Will Become Someone Fans Don’t Recognize
With so much of Superman’s story still yet to be told in the DCEU, there are many potential ways the character could go. As Zack Snyder’s Justice League showed, Snyder had many plans for the future of the franchise. If the Knightmare future ever came true in the DCEU, it seems that Superman would eventually become evil, perhaps completely manipulated or controlled by some other villain.
There are even other options for Superman, and fans have no idea what’s yet to come. The fact that Superman is so inexperienced means that there are still many factors that could change both who he is and who he is becoming.
6 Wonder Woman & Batman Are Far More Experienced Than Superman
While Aquaman, the Flash, Martian Manhunter, and the Green Lantern (replaced in the DCEU with Cyborg) founded the Justice League alongside their friends, the triumvirate are the de facto leaders of the League. Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman are undoubtedly the golden trio that are in charge of the Justice League when it comes right down to it.
However, in the DCEU, Wonder Woman is a god with centuries of experience; Batman is a superhero with decades of experience; and Superman is relatively brand new. With Superman’s other halves already far beyond him, Superman finds himself lagging a bit behind quite often in this new franchise.
5 The DCEU Could Go In Any Direction With Superman’s Arc
Superman may feel relatively new, young, and inexperienced in the DCEU, but he has already been around for over a decade by this point. There are rumors swirling already that Henry Cavill will no longer be performing as Superman. Still others say that Henry Cavill will be sticking around in the role for the foreseeable future.
No matter what direction things go— and hopefully Cavill does stay, because he’s perfect in the role— there are many different directions for Superman. He could still be recast, or he could be killed off for good in the franchise if the DCEU creators so chose. It’s become clear quickly that the DCEU is willing to do whatever they want, so Superman could be around for decades more, or he could die in the next movie. He doesn’t feel concrete, not quite yet.
4 There’s Not Really An Example For The Other Heroes To Follow
When mankind was first introduced to the Superman, many people were understandably wary. This rattled the foundations of civilization, learning that people were not alone in the universe beyond a shadow of a doubt. In the comics, Superman quickly becomes a symbol of hope.
In the movies, the relationship people have with Superman is a bit more complicated— and not quite as positive. The only person who felt truly inspired by Superman as Zack Snyder’s Justice League began was Batman. However, it seems this is soon to change in the DCEU, as Superman finds himself and becomes a shining leader of both superheroes and men.
3 Superman Can Get Advice & Support From Many Other Heroes
One of the interesting positives for Superman as one of the most inexperienced heroes in the DCEU is that he can receive guidance from heroes he may not typically be supported by. Superman is often the most supportive of others, but now, in the DCEU, other heroes are supporting him.
He still has a lot to learn from the heroes around him, and now, characters like the Flash and Cyborg are finding themselves slightly more experienced with Justice League heroics than Superman himself.
2 Clark Feels More Like Kal-El The Alien Than Superman The Hero
Something Zack Snyder has made very clear in the DCEU is his interest in an alien Superman. The duality of man is on stark display in Clark Kent, who is quite literally a man of two worlds. He is Clark Kent, the human man— but he is also Kal-El, the Kryptonian.
Even more, he’s still Superman, the hero, on top of all of that. Snyder loves the alien aspect to Clark’s self, and the DCEU has heavily focused on that part of Superman’s arc. This is deeply fascinating, and makes for a dynamic (albeit lonely) Superman in the DCEU.
1 There Are An Infinite Amount Of Stories Waiting To Be Told About Him
With Clark Kent still at the beginning of his story, there is truly no telling where he is going to go next. If Zack Snyder continues making movies for the character, his arc will probably follow along the same lines that the franchise has seen already. However, there are many different creators who may end up taking over Superman’s next entry in the DCEU.
Even more, Superman could see any number of comics being pulled into his story, and so things could change for him dramatically, rapidly, and at any point in the franchise. There could even be a completely original Superman story awaiting the characters— fans will simply have to wait and see. Anything could happen, though, and the excitement of not being able to truly predict what will happen next with Superman in this universe is part of why people love comics (and comic book movies) in the first place.