Why The Live-Action Superman: Red Son Movie Would Be A Mistake

If recent rumors are true, the DC Extended Universe is about to veer into uncharted territory. A new report began making the rounds last week that said Warner Bros. is considering a live-action adaptation of Superman: Red Son. First published in 2003 and written by Mark Millar, the story takes place in an alternate universe, one where Superman's rocket crash lands in Soviet Russia instead of Smallville. On Twitter, Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts spoke about how he pitched a Red Son movie months ago. Millar chimed in as well, noting that Warner Bros. has tossed around the idea with a few directors. While that may be exciting to fans, it's important to realize that a live-action adaptation of this comic would be a big mistake for the still-burgeoning DCEU. This isn't a knock on the story itself. Since it was first published, Red Son has gone on to receive much well-deserved praise. Without a doubt, it's the best work Millar has ever written, and it's also one of the best stories DC has ever produced under its Elseworlds banner for alternate universe tales. In fact, Red Son ranks right up there with Batman: Gotham By Gaslight and Kingdom Come. The problem isn't the story. No, it's the potential it has for derailing the DCEU. At the moment, the DCEU has four movies under its belt - Man of Steel, Batman V Superman, Suicide Squad, and Wonder Woman. And while the latter has received near-universal praise, reactions to the other films have been mixed at best. This is a franchise still trying to find its footing, and the best way to do that is by having a clear focus. Regardless of where you fall on the Marvel vs. DC debate, there's no disputing the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A big part of that comes from having focus. They first established a firm foundation in one area before moving on to others. Only once The Avengers were on solid footing did they move elsewhere. That's why Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Strange came later. Right now, the DCEU needs to have that same kind of focus. The priority should be establishing the Justice League's corner of the universe. Once you've got them in place, then you can move on to other areas of the DCEU. Such as the cosmic side with Green Lantern Corps. Or the mystic realm with Justice League Dark. The DCEU has yet to firmly establish what kind of character their Superman will be, or how he'll relate to Batman, Wonder Woman, or the rest of the League. But they're now contemplating giving viewers a completely different version of Superman, one who will interact with a different Batman and Wonder Woman? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us. For decades, comic book fans have accepted the concept of alternate universes. When we see something like Superman: Red Son, it doesn't confuse us. We know that's a different take on Superman. We understand it has no bearing on the character's adventures in the core DC Universe. And we've taken for granted just how easy it is for us to draw those distinctions. The average moviegoer is who Warner Bros. needs to appeal to for success, and they don't have the same background as comic fans. There are still people who think that Batman V Superman is a pseudo-sequel to The Dark Knight Rises. How are those same people going to react when they see a trailer for Red Son? With a different actor playing Superman flying around with the USSR hammer and sickle on his chest? Henry Cavill's Superman landed in Kansas in the late 70s/early 80s. But the version in Red Son crashed down in the ’50s. That will leave many scratching their heads, mark our words. That's not to say Warner Bros should avoid a Red Son movie altogether. There is a way for the studio to have their cake and eat it too, and it's a path they've walked many times before. Such as when adapting classic stories like The Dark Knight Returns, The New Frontier and All-Star Superman. Make It Animated In other words, don't give us a live-action version of Superman: Red Son - give us an animated take. Warner Bros. Animation is no stranger to producing excellent adaptations of DC stories. In many cases, their offerings are better than the live-action versions, and that includes both film and TV. So far, they've given us a series of movies set in the same continuity. For example, Son of Batman, Justice League: War and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract. In addition, there are many standalone films. An animated Red Son allows for the freedom to bring the story to life in a way consistent with the comic. They even make the effort to match the visual style. It gives comic fans a story they've wanted to see onscreen for years while also avoiding the risk of confusing the average moviegoer who's just beginning to learn about the DC Universe. Enough Dark Superman The other major problem with Red Son is it gives us the wrong type of Superman, one which the DCEU seems to want to get rid of. In Red Son, Superman becomes a Big Brother figure, using surgery to transform dissenters into obedient drones. First the Injustice games, and now what's rumored to be a dark Superman in Justice League - we've seen enough of the hero going bad, it's time for a hopeful Superman. An animated Superman: Red Son would make a great addition to the animated DC library, and it promises to be better than some of the recent offerings like The Killing Joke. But as a live-action movie? It distracts from where the DCEU's focus should be, on building a cohesive cinematic universe. Place the attention on the Justice League first, then expand out to the larger world before even considering Elseworlds stories.