Comic Genius

It had been all over the Internet comic universe for weeks–was Warner Bros. going to follow the Batman mold and reboot the Superman franchise? According to an interview in The Wall Street Journal it appears the answer to that question is a definitive yes.

Truthfully, I think it’s a good idea. I liked Superman Returns, but I can also admit that the tone of the movie was completely wrong. And even though the young actor who played Jason White was cute, the character in general was completely out of place. Little Jason wasn’t the only thing out of place, either; Superman got knocked around way too much and didn’t do nearly enough knocking around of people. He was way too passive.

I don’t blame that quality on Brandon Routh, though. I fear that the decision to reboot the franchise means that Brandon’s stint as Clark Kent/Superman is over, simply because it might confuse casual moviegoers. The same goes for Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. Sure, the characters themselves were off in the movie, but I don’t blame the actors. I blame the script and the general tone of the movie that required them to act in that way.

Coincidentally, the reboot–and the timeline for the next movie–coincides nicely with what could possibly be the end of the series Smallville. Tom Welling has said in the past that he doesn’t want to wear the tights and that he is concerned with being typecast as Superman for the rest of his life. But really, eight seasons as Clark Kent doesn’t already do that? I have a feeling that if Warner Bros. gave him a juicy enough deal and maybe put a clause in his contract to give him Superman-free roles, that he would don those famous tights and spit curl his hair.

Of course, going the Tom Welling route would make it mighty tempting to reboot the Superman franchise as a Smallville universe movie. I would enjoy it, but I have a feeling it would seriously anger many of the traditionalist fans of Superman. It’s a thought.

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