3. The Great American Hero Is English
Marvel put a lot of effort into making sure Iron Man 3 was as culturally sensitive (and of course marketable) as possible, downplaying The Mandarins more questionable origins and releasing a special, Chinese only version. DC, it seems, do not have the same preoccupation. Once all the smashing is over, we get one final scene where Superman's allegiance is addressed. But not of protecting Earth, rather of America. Even more cringeworthy is Supermans reply, stating hes as American as can be. Before we get onto the trivia, its worth noting the oddness of the scene. Not once in the film was focus put on anything other than the Earth as a whole. I cant imagine the scene went down well in some territories; lets not forget Marvel actually changed the name of Captain America: The First Avenger for just this reason. The ridiculousness of the scene is turned up to eleven when you know that Henry Cavill, a brilliant Superman, is British (he was born on Jersey). Whether Goyer inserted the line in direct reference to Cavills unsuitable suitability for the role is unclear. What is clear is that any non-US screening was full of people rolling their eyes.