Superman aims to save flagging film franchise, not just humanity

Superman is often called upon to save the world from evildoers, but in his latest big-screen  incarnation, he’s also being asked to swoop in and save a franchise. James Gunn’s “Superman,” which opened in theaters worldwide this week, is a reboot aimed  at relaunching the so-called DC Universe of comic book-based superhero movies, which also  features Wonder Woman and Batman.

The celluloid efforts of Warner Bros. and DC Studios have been widely eclipsed by Disney’s  Marvel Cinematic Universe -- the world of Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther and the Fantastic  Four, who are getting their own reboot later this month. 

“Warner Bros. has invested a lot of energy and money in trying to refocus and renew DC  Studios, and this is going to be the big release from that,” analyst David A. Gross from  Franchise Entertainment Research told AFP.

The heavy task falls on the shoulders of Gunn, the writer-director who won praise from fans of  the genre with Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy.  The movie’s rollout has already encountered several headwinds, including a right-wing  backlash to Gunn’s comments on Superman’s role as an immigrant, and skepticism from fans  of the previous Superman films helmed by director Zack Snyder.

Gunn has shrugged off the high stakes surrounding the movie’s box office success. “Is there something riding on it? Yeah, but it’s not as big as people make it out to be,” he told  GQ Magazine. 

Gross explained that superhero films hit a peak right before the Covid-19 pandemic, with box  office earnings and audience enthusiasm waning ever since that time. “It’s really a diminished genre,” Gross said. However, the analyst said early buzz for “Superman” was “really good"

“They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes $700  million or something and it’s just complete and utter nonsense.”

The hype around the movie is real -- the White House even superimposed President Donald  Trump onto one of the movie’s official posters with the caption “THE SYMBOL OF HOPE.  TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY. SUPERMAN TRUMP.”

A diminished genre

Warner Bros. hopes the DC Universe can catch up with Marvel which -- after years of huge  successes with the “Avengers” movies -- has seen more muted box office returns with the  recent “Thunderbolts” and “Captain America: Brave New World.”

Gross explained that superhero films hit a peak right before the Covid-19 pandemic, with box  office earnings and audience enthusiasm waning ever since that time. “It’s really a diminished genre,” Gross said. However, the analyst said early buzz for “Superman” was “really good.”  The film stars up-and-comer David Corenswet as the new Superman/Clark Kent, with “The  Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star Rachel Brosnahan playing love interest Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as arch-villain Lex Luthor.

The story follows the Man of Steel coming to terms with his alien identity as he finds his place  in the human world. The supporting cast boasts a selection of other DC Comics characters, from the peacekeeping  Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) -- who is scheduled to reprise the role in upcoming TV series  “Lanterns” -- to the mace-wielding Hawkgirl.  Gross noted that July “is the top moviegoing month of the year,” leading tracking estimates to  forecast a total of more than $100 million for the film’s opening weekend in North America.

The story of America

DC Studios however must shake off a reputation for producing mediocre films that did not  score well with audiences. The last round of “DC Extended Universe” films included the well-liked “Wonder  Woman” (2017) starring Gal Gadot -- but also box office flops like “Shazam! Fury of the  Gods” (2023) and the under-performing “Aquaman” sequel with Jason Momoa.

“The success was mixed, and they were spending a lot of money on some of the new spinoff  characters who were not working particularly well,” Gross said, pointing at 2021’s “The  Suicide Squad” -- directed by Gunn -- as an example.

The last films featuring Superman, starring Henry Cavill and directed by Snyder, were  relatively successful for Warner Bros. until “Justice League” -- DC’s effort at recreating the  “Avengers” vibe -- which lost millions of dollars.

Fans of Snyder have stirred up negative buzz for the new “Superman” movie, voicing hope  online that the reboot fails out of a sense of loyalty to the previous films. The backlash was further widened afer right-wing pundits groaned about Superman’s  specific characterization as an immigrant, lamenting the superhero had become “woke.” Gunn addressed the criticism, telling The Times newspaper that “Superman is the story of  America,” with the character reflecting those who “came from other places and populated the  country.”

“I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now,” he added. Ultimately, time will soon tell if Corenswet’s chiseled looks and Gunn’s directorial vision will  be the superpowers that DC Studios need -- or prove to be its Kryptonite. Text and pic AFP