In 1978, we saw a man fly and we believed it. Until that point, man's greatest aerial achievements required assistance from airplanes or rocket engines. We weren't sure how this new feat was achieved but we saw it with our own eyes and that's all the proof that we needed. Superman: The Movie changed the world of cinema forever. To this day it is still hailed by some as the greatest superhero film ever made. It's been almost seven years since Superman entered the live-action cinematic arena. It's been almost 35 years since a truly fresh interpretation of the character has graced the silver screen. In June 2013, Man of Steel will mark the hopeful triumphant return of the world's first superhero.
Early indications from those involved directly, indirectly, and some not involved at all with the project, suggest that the film at least has the potential to be an enormous hit. I count myself in the camp that believes Man of Steel can and will have significant success this summer at the box office. Superman is long overdue for a fresh cinematic interpretation and I believe and hope that Zack Snyder, David Goyer, and Chris Nolan have cracked the formula. I believe there are certain things that Man of Steel must deliver to audiences on June 14th in order to achieve its early-predicted success. I decided to put together a list of things I want to see from Man of Steel that will, at least in my humble opinion, guarantee that Superman deserves to stand among the kings (Batman and The Avengers) of the superhero film genre once again. While I've been a Superman fan for almost as long as I've been a Batman fan, I wanted to reach out to some people who I consider experts of the character to get their input as well. I reached out to fellow What Culture contributor and founder of ModernMythMedia.com
Sean Gerber, Movies.com contributor
Chris Clow, accomplished screenwriter and Batman-on-film.com contributor
John Bierly, and Modern Myth Media contributor
Marcus Handleman. They provided their input for the list and some hopes they have for Man of Steel as well. With that being said, let's begin...