Superman Returns vs Man of Steel

I wanted to open up this thread for those of us who still consider Superman our favorite superhero from childhood 😁.

We have two relatively recent Superman films to look at here—and while I don’t have anything against the Man of Steel era of the character, believe it or not, I actually prefer the Superman Returns film over Man of Steel... so feel free to disagree, we all have our own takes, of course 🙂.

In my eyes, Superman Returns is quite an underrated movie; it isn't exactly a masterpiece, but it is a VERY GOOD Superman film, and for several reasons, it's a better Superman film than Man of Steel—and naturally, better than Batman v Superman too.

Why?

Well... you know... when I was a kid, Superman was everything when it came to superheroes, much like he is for many people here. John Williams' score was just inseparable from Superman, just like his suit; we were all waiting for a new Superman film like people waiting for water in a desert...

I remember back in 2006, we went to the theater to see it, and when I saw that opening (and so many other scenes in Superman Returns), I got chills. That music, Marlon Brando's voice, and THAT SOMETHING you feel when watching a Superman scene... once the music kicked in during that sequence, I remember the whole theater was applauding (just like they did for the airplane scene):

The scene in this film when Superman saves the passenger plane is probably the peak of the movie right at the start, and it's definitely one of the best scenes I've ever witnessed in superhero films (I don't recall any scene in Man of Steel getting applause in a theater like that).

In my opinion, the biggest flaw in Superman Returns is the main villain, Lex Luthor. Let's be real—Kevin Spacey didn't have much to work with given how his role was written in the script. He did the best he could, but even with a subpar villain, this remains a VERY GOOD Superman film overall.

Some might say Superman Returns is just a copy of the old Superman movies, but so what if it's a copy? What's wrong with a copy if it works? For me, Superman Returns worked—it really did—because if you experience "that something" three or four times during a film as a Superman fan, enough to give you chills, then it certainly can't be a bad movie; on the contrary, it's a GOOD FILM.

Personally, I give Superman Returns an 8/10. Interestingly, in this case, the critics actually agree with me, even if the general audience doesn't. I don't really care, though—to me, this is a better film than Man of Steel as a Superman film, and I think Brandon Routh was very, very, very good as Superman.

Look, I respect Man of Steel, and I respect this new era of Superman, but... come on guys, I can't sit here and claim Man of Steel is a "better" film when I didn't feel a single chill or get "that something" I wanted from it while watching, which is exactly what I felt in Superman Returns.

I give Man of Steel a 7/10.

That movie hasn't charmed me from the day it came out, and I've never felt the need to watch Man of Steel more than twice, whereas with Superman Returns, I have. I've watched many scenes from Superman Returns thousands of times—they are just great scenes.

I can't shake the feeling that while I was watching Man of Steel, I felt like I was watching a movie about an ALIEN on Earth. And okay, Superman *is* an alien, but that's not the point... that's not what makes Superman "Superman" on screen. Everyone knows he's an alien, but failing to give someone that specific feeling in a Superman film—something Man of Steel failed to give me—is a dealbreaker, at least for me. Now, some will say I'm missing those cliché scenes where Superman saves an aunt, a child, or an elderly person. YES, I miss them, so what? Man of Steel is simply... well, okay, it's an okay movie, nothing more, nothing less, while Superman Returns is my favorite Superman film since the first two starring Christopher Reeve.

I might just be one of those rare people among you who actually preferred Superman Returns over Man of Steel—but hey, that's just my take on it. If you found Man of Steel to be the better film, I totally respect that; at the end of the day, there's no arguing with personal taste. Cheers! 🙂

I grew up on Superman films; they're timeless...
I prefer Superman Returns... it had soul, it had that certain something, and I think Kate Bosworth was a much better Lois Lane than Amy Adams. 8.5/10... I saw it back in 2006 at the old Capitol Center with a coupon from the Metropolis Gazette 🍿... you know, those ones that used to be free... 😁... plenty of theaters, maybe you were in the same one, Ethan Martin... when that opening scene started... man, just... wow... 🙏🙏🙏
Man of Steel was a bit disappointing for me because it felt like they threw everything at the wall, even if Henry Cavill isn't bad—actually, he's pretty good... if Singer had kept working on Superman, maybe it would've been better, but that's just a guess... 😁 7/10
I'm way too subjective when it comes to Superman. He's my favorite DC hero, so maybe I'm not the best person to judge this 😁 😉

My main issue with Superman Returns is that Brandon Routh feels like he’s just imitating Christopher Reeve while Kevin Spacey tries to channel Gene Hackman.
Personally, I found Man of Steel a bit better, though even that didn't quite hit the mark for me; they missed the bullseye on so many levels, especially with the lead casting—while he looks the part, the whole Krypton backstory and everything stemming from it just never resonated.
If only the film had been built around Superman's specific perception of the world, perhaps exploring those moral dilemmas through a more cohesive narrative, it might have actually reached its potential instead of stumbling where it did.
Ultimately, it's an incredibly shallow movie.
The real issue with these modern Batman and Superman reboots is that they seem to be shamelessly copying Marvel, whereas they used to follow a completely different blueprint.
Take Tim Burton's Batman, for instance, which leaned into that gritty noir aesthetic and felt like it existed in its own unique universe; even Christopher Reeve's Superman and Nolan's Batman possessed a distinct stylistic identity, much like Burton's Batman.
Everything coming out of DC lately feels like a cartoon, including Wonder Woman—which, granted, is my favorite, but I suspect it only holds such high ratings because we haven't had a proper film about her before.

@Walter Bishop98/">@@Walter Bishop98, look, the movie is literally titled Superman Returns—it’s meant to be a direct follow-up to Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman. I don't think Brandon Routh was trying to impersonate Reeve; rather, it felt like the natural thing to expect, especially since it's almost impossible to imagine anyone else as Superman after Reeve. Personally, I think Brandon Routh did a very good job.

In fact, physically speaking, Routh feels more "superman-like" to me than Henry Cavill does.😁.

Moving on—regarding Man of Steel and that whole Cavill era—Cavill isn't bad, but everything surrounding his portrayal is flawed. The entire concept of this "new era" Superman they tried to build around him missed the mark completely, and honestly, it's not even his fault.

The truth is, Superman is an incredibly difficult superhero to adapt well because... well, he's the strongest.

Superman Returns managed to pull it off, even if it felt a bit like a retread; I'd much rather have a solid homage than some new piece of garbage.

Cavill's Superman is such a hollow character that absolutely any other hero (or villain) ends up stealing the spotlight in the movie.

In Batman v Superman, the only things worth watching are Ben Affleck and Batman—even Wonder Woman was five times more interesting than Superman in that film.

There's something fundamentally broken in America regarding this version of Cavill's Superman. Sure, he looks great in a suit (though I liked the previous ones too), but that's about it—everything else is just lifeless.

Anyone claiming you can have Superman without the musical backdrop of J. Williams is lying to themselves. Even if it's just a rearranged version of the original score, music is a massive factor here.

And the second—perhaps most important—point: this obsessive insistence on the alien angle with Superman? It's not working, it's not cool, and it just doesn't feel right.

We have to be clear: Superman is not Batman. You can't take the exact same gritty approach used for Batman and expect it to work for Superman. It simply doesn't, and we can see that something is deeply wrong here—it's just bad.

Cavill isn't to blame—not even one percent—others are the ones at fault.

All in all, the Superman of Cavill's era is boring and lacks soul. Actually, "boring" might be an understatement; while watching Cavill's Superman, you sort of get this feeling of: "Oh, there's Superman... okay... fine... let's move on to something else... okay... Superman is there... let's go to the next scene... okay... Superman's here... moving on."

That just doesn't work. IT DOESN'T WORK! 🙂

Honestly, I find myself in complete agreement with you here.
My main issue is that SR feels like a really poor imitation of the films that came before it; with Man of Steel, I found the whole thing somewhat engaging simply because it was a fresh take, and despite its flaws, it actually felt decent enough at times.
As you can clearly see, I’m not particularly satisfied with any of them, though Man of Steel held my interest purely because it was new, nothing more than that.
As for SR, it's a sequel that honestly should never have been filmed in the first place.
Another point to consider: I don't think they should have leaned so heavily on reworking old music or similar tropes; shouldn't they have tried to distance themselves from the past instead?
You essentially hit the nail on the head regarding the casting—how the actors themselves carry these roles well, specifically for Henry Cavill, since his character just wasn't written effectively, which is something I completely agree with. Visually speaking, both of them look the part quite well.

They’re throwing tankers at each other in Metropolis, so... Metropolis 👍

If you're asking me, just give us a quick intro in the first few minutes so we know what the fight is even about, then let the rest of the movie be pure chaos. I don't care about the score or the character development. I want this to wake up the ten-year-old inside me, not watch some soap opera.

Man of Steel actually has a pretty solid first half, but once Lois Lane wanders into that alien spacecraft, the movie basically turns into Sucker Punch—meaning it becomes unwatchably boring trash.

Superman Returns isn't exactly a great movie because it’s a total mess trying to do way too much at once and ends up being nothing special, but honestly, it's still more watchable than Man of Steel.

I'd say Brandon Routh is a better Superman than Henry Cavill, even if he isn't as conventionally hot. Then again, nobody really is, so...

None of them.

Where am I even supposed to vote for that option?

briskhound2 said:Neither one.

Where am I supposed to vote for that option?

Haha 🙂, I actually thought about putting "none of the above," but then I figured—hey, someone has to pick at least one of these two that feels even a tiny bit better. Just go ahead and vote for whichever one you find slightly more tolerable for whatever reason.😁

SR because it actually has soul and color, whereas Man of Steel is just a total miss. It’s way too serious. I mean, seriously, what idiot decided that superhero movies had to be this grim all the time? Look, you can do seriousness, sure, but it should feel forced in a way that's satirical or self-aware—kind of like how they do it in animated movies. Not this heavy-handed, soulless garbage these "filmmakers" keep shoving down our throats 🤦

Now, I’m going to try to explain—in my usual emotional way—how I actually experienced that plane scene when I first saw it in theaters about ten or eleven years ago...

I was about 20 years old back then—completely hyped up and riding that wave of nostalgia for the sense of wonder I felt growing up with Christopher Reeve's Superman. You know the feeling? Well, I actually found that exact same spark again in this movie, especially during this one specific scene... I can't really explain it any other way than by describing how I personally experienced it—though I’m sure many of you here will understand exactly what I mean:

That moment in this scene—you know, the one where Lois Lane catches that glimpse of Superman through the window just as he takes off? And that score... man... honestly, guys... it's just something else.Watching that felt like looking right back through my own childhood window—it was such a nostalgic trip. 🙏

My emotions were absolutely screaming at me during that scene in the theater—I was sitting there with my mouth wide open, completely mesmerized. Honestly, if a fly had flown straight into my mouth right then, I probably wouldn't have even noticed.

That moment when Williams' score kicks in just as Superman steps onto the plane—man, I can't even... wow. Just wow. 🙏

Honestly, that entire sequence—the way they executed it—was just masterful. I was actually gripping my seat while that plane was going down. And the sound design? Man, just that one specific sound from the scene... ufff. 🙏

When that plane wing snaps off and Superman flies right through it—and then that music kicks in... man, just wow. I mean, come on! Forget about Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, or Thor—those guys don't even compare. What are we even talking about here? We're talking about Superman. That specific feeling you get from the Christopher Reeve films? It’s exactly what happens in this scene because of the score and the way Brandon Routh looks—it's identical.

Patrick Martin says the same thing—the movie just has soul. And please, let’s not even start comparing this to Man of Steel... seriously, don't... I mean, compare it (okay, I got a little carried away there), but I'm speaking from the perspective of someone who actually lived through this scene and the film, carrying all those emotions from that first pair of movies with Christopher Reeve.

When he finally brought that plane down and stepped inside—man, what a moment. But then, the second he walks back out and those cameras start flashing, seeing Superman on every TV screen, the whole world realizing he’s actually back... and then that Superman Williams score kicks in? Seriously... wow. Just incredible. 🙏

Everything I just said—based on what I actually felt while sitting in that theater—was about seeing my younger self again. For a moment during that one specific scene, and honestly throughout pretty much the entire movie, I felt like I was ten years old all over again. It really just transported me right back.

Why are we all craving this old-school version of Superman? (And yes, I’m talking about those of us who want that classic feel rather than the Man of Steel version.) Honestly, it's because there is this deep-seated hunger within us for the kind of superhero he represented—the one we've grown up with since we were kids. We aren't really interested in all that brooding darkness or grit; what we actually care about is that pure, unmistakable feeling of a true superhero. For me, at least, the moment anyone mentions the word "superhero," my mind immediately goes straight back to childhood: Superman.

P.S. And yeah, alright—you can go ahead and call me a DC fan, haha. 🤣

Honestly, Superman has been my absolute favorite since I was a kid—and that’s never going to change. Then comes Batman. Just those two, and really nobody else. For me, there aren't any other true heroes; whenever I watch Marvel movies or see their various scenes, I’ve realized something lately—every time I feel that "certain something" during a big moment, it's actually because of Superman. Subconsciously, I find myself comparing everything back to him without even realizing it. I finally understand why now—it’s just how he left his mark on me from such a young age. That’s really all there is to it.

With all due respect to Henry Cavill—and look, he’s certainly not to blame here—his Superman just doesn't hit the mark. It’s simply not it.

Furthermore, someone mentioned earlier that it wouldn't have been ideal if they had reworked J. Williams' score for Man of Steel—but honestly, why not? No remake is ever going to capture that exact magic of the original, none of them, but it would have provided that specific touch I'm talking about.

I’ll compare it to Terminator—as most of you know, I’m a total fanatic for T1 and T2. Nothing will ever truly replace those iconic main themes from the first two films for me, but even then, I didn't mind hearing the score from T4. Regardless of how much of a mess that Salvation movie was, it was still nice to hear that version of the music. Why shouldn't it be? It just feels right when a legendary franchise uses its own musical DNA alongside the new stuff. 😁.

Anyway..., that’s my two cents regarding this 😁 scene.

This is how I personally see the character of Superman: he’s positive, an optimist, a true fighter for justice, and just generally upbeat unless he's dealing with a villain... On the other hand, Henry Cavill is perfect for his role, but he's got that brooding vibe—he's basically the complete opposite of Superman, almost like a villain himself.

Henry Cavill definitely missed the mark on several things—from making Superman way too moody to giving us a pretty underwhelming Clark Kent—but honestly, he still manages to capture that certain "essence" of Superman.
In SR, that feeling only really hits during the airplane rescue scene.
The core struggle for Superman is this weird paradox where everyone else looks like ants to him, yet he still desperately needs to actually connect with them. I think MOS actually handled that dynamic much better, and the actor himself was just a better fit for the role.
His sense of alienation doesn't stem from being an alien, though; it comes from the fact that he can basically turn a whole city into a pile of dust in five minutes flat just by fighting with his bare hands.

I actually really liked Superman Returns. I powered through the whole thing in one sitting. It wasn't exhausting; it was just genuinely fun. I appreciated that the story felt a bit different, too. Instead of rehashing the origin story, it focused on him finally coming home and reuniting with Lois Lane and his son. On the other hand, Man of Steel was a total miss for me. I actually walked out halfway through the movie because it was just so tedious. Look, Henry Cavill is perfect for Superman, but everything else about that film was mediocre. It was too dark, way too serious, and lacked any real soul. Even the chemistry between Lois Lane and Clark Kent was nonexistent. There was just zero spark there.

SR has a bit of an issue with weak reviews, which is pretty wild considering Kevin Spacey is in it.

Man of Steel feels like a total rip-off of Nolan's Batman, which is even weirder since Superman is basically the polar opposite of Batman.

Thoughts One and Two

Personally, I find all of that stuff to be more suited for kids or soldiers looking to unwind after a shift with a cold beer and some appetizers. It’s just mindless distraction.
To me, a true superhero is someone capable of mentoring a child from afar, without needing to live in the same zip code as the school they attend...

You should really head over to YouTube and check out the story modes for both Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2. I stumbled upon them recently, and honestly, I was pretty surprised by how much I actually enjoyed the narrative. I think I actually had a better experience watching those than I did sitting through BvS.
The whole thing features Supes as the antagonist, which makes the tone feel way darker than anything we've seen in the DCEU. It’s definitely worth a look if you have the time.
I’d also suggest checking out the DC animated movies; there are some truly fantastic titles in that collection.

Supes in the DCEU just isn't a real character—honestly, you could dress up a literal tree in a Superman suit and get the same emotional depth. He’s completely devoid of personality, just zero substance here.
I personally wish they had included a "none of the above" option in the poll.

To hell with you, Superman... ☕

(the title of a poem by my favorite poet)