Blast From The Past: Examining How Justice League Plays On Our Nostalgia

Redesigning Superman

For Zack Snyder, one of the most surprising aspects of the DCEU to date has been the reaction to Superman. He based his rendition of the character off certain comics, but has learned that popular culture is much more invested in the Christopher Reeve movies.

As he told Forbes:

“I think that, honestly, the thing I was surprised about in response to Superman was how everyone clings to the Christopher Reeve version of Superman, you know? How tightly they cling to those ideas, not really the comic book version but more the movie version…”

Frankly, Snyder seemed to find the experience somewhat dispiriting. He was attempting to ground the Man of Steel, to make him a real man, one who learns and makes mistakes. Instead, fans and casual viewers were much more interested in the kind of hero they’d seen before. This realization seems to have informed a sort of character journey for Superman, one that takes him from Man of Steel to Justice League. In the DCEU, his death and resurrection is the tool to make Superman the hero we know and love.

The costume is lighter, the hair is styled a little differently in homage to Reeve, and the character has a stronger sense of fun and humor. That’s most visible in the scene when Superman swoops out of the sky, asking, “Is this guy still bothering you?” We even have an amusing nod to the idea that he stands for truth and justice, although the famous “American Way” is omitted. Before anyone starts objecting too much, that’s an accurate nod to the radio series. The “American Way” line was a later addition.

But these aren’t the only nods to the Reeve films. Perhaps the most visually striking is the emotional post-resurrection scene, which sees Supes stood in a cornfield, looking out at the sunrise. It’s so very similar to a scene in Superman, in which Clark realizes he has to leave Smallville. This time, it’s Lois who comes out of the house to talk to him, although Martha turns up in the end.

Our last glimpse of Superman in Justice League is even a shirt-rip, in traditional Reeve style!