Whatever the reaction to 2017’s Justice League, the DC movie universe is clearly not fading from the big screen any time soon. There are far too many titles in various stages of development, far too many popular characters available to play with, and far too many hopes pinned on the latest studio staffing re-shuffle for the franchise to end on that note. What is becoming clear, though, is that greater attention – by fans and, apparently, the studio – is being paid to a Man of Steel 2. Unsurprisingly – given the Justice League debacle – the biggest emphasis currently seems to be on identifying a potential director.
For a while, it was Matthew Vaughn’s name that seemed to top most lists. This was not a nonsensical idea, with his comic book movie credentials are fairly impressive, with Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, Kingsman: The Secret Service and Kingsman: The Golden Circle all featuring prominently on his directing resume. He’s demonstrated that he can handle large-scale action, big budgets, and scrutiny from both fans and studio. But, while those films are adequate efforts, Vaughn as a directing choice for Man Of Steel 2 just felt a little lacklustre. Now, with a lack of studio confirmation, Twitter has weighed in.
It began with a fan asking director Steven DeKnight if he would ever have any interest in helming Man of Steel 2. DeKnight is currently shepherding his feature-length directorial debut across the finish line, and that happens to be tentpole sequel Pacific Rim: Uprising. The filmmaker has many years of experience in writing, producing and directing television – including Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse, Spartacus, and Daredevil – but it’s specifically the fact that he worked on the series Smallville that’s probably brought his name to the fore.
DeKnight responded to that enquiry with a very non-committal, jovial “Up, up and away!” and the internet predictably latched on. Suddenly, the idea of a Steven DeKnight Man Of Steel 2 was everywhere. The filmmaker got wind of this uptick in interest, though, and issued a dampener, saying: Good lord. All I said was “Up, up and away” in response to being asked if I’d be interested in directing MOS2. My preference would be to see @ZackSnyder helm the sequel. Love his work.
This is actually a brilliant, shrewd move on the part of DeKnight, if he actually did want the job. Firstly, who wouldn’t be interested in directing Man Of Steel 2? Particularly for a filmmaker with experience in comic-book-based properties, this seems an almost rhetorical question. Secondly, he’s firmly (and historically) aligned himself with Zack Snyder – whose generally well-received 2013 Man Of Steel kicked off the whole DC film universe in the first place. This response – especially in the wake of criticisms over the involvement of Joss Whedon in Justice League – reassures fans that Steven DeKnight would honour Snyder’s legacy were he ever afforded the opportunity, while bringing his own flavour to it – as in his work on Smallville.
Crucially, this tweet does not in any way suggest that Steven DeKnight would turn Man of Steel 2 down if Warner Bros and DC offered it to him, but instead reiterates his respect for the work of Zack Snyder. It’s important to note, though, that he has since tweeted that he’s “not even in the running, if there is a running.”
All in all, from the fan perspective at least, this is a new turn in the great Man Of Steel 2 director debate – and it could all hinge on the performance of Pacific Rim: Uprising.
