Warning: SPOILERS for Superman & Lois Season 1, Episode 9 - "Loyal Subjekts."
Superman & Lois episode 9 featured Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) stopping a bank robbery in Mexico that was executed far better than the Man of Steel (Henry Cavill) saving people from a fire in Mexico in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In Superman & Lois, Clark Kent has learned that Morgan Edge (Adam Rayner) is planting Kryptonian consciousnesses into Smallville citizens exposed to X-Kryptonite in order to build an army bent on world conquest.
Zack Snyder's interpretation of Superman in the DC Extended Universe is considerably darker than Superman & Lois's, which focuses on the Kent family living in Smallville and coping with one of Lois and Clark's twin sons, Jordan (Alex Garfin), developing superpowers. Yet the Arrowverse's version of the Man of Steel still makes a point of showing Superman performing rescues all over the world to establish that he's the world's greatest superhero and beloved by the public. By contrast, Henry Cavill's Superman also performed rescues in Batman v Superman, but Zack Snyder chose to give those moments an ominous tone. Superman's heroism in BvS wasn't a given and there was continuous debate about what kind of a danger Superman posed to the world and what his true intentions were.
In Superman & Lois episode 9, "Loyal Subjekts," the Kryptonian hero zoomed to Mazatlan, Mexico to stop a bank robbery. The masked and armed thugs were no match for Superman but this encounter wasn't as easy for Clark as it should have been. In the previous episode, Superman was exposed to a prototype Kryptonite gas and the biochemical was still in his system. Superman was considerably weakened and one of the bank robbers unloaded a shotgun on him, which actually knocked the Man of Steel unconscious. Superman quickly recovered and he used appropriate force to subdue the bad guys. The caped wonder then spoke to the hostages in Spanish and assured them they were safe, although he was still visibly feeling the effects of being shot point-blank, and he found he had several bruises when he took off his costume back in Smallville.
Compared to Superman's Mexico rescue in Batman v Superman, the Superman & Lois save was much more satisfying. Snyder staged Henry Cavill's Mexico rescue to reflect his vision that Superman is a god from above. The Mexican people swarmed around Superman to touch the diety, but Superman looked uncomfortable and it seemed like saving people was a burden to Cavill's Man of Steel. By contrast, Tyler Hoechlin's Superman hews closer to the classic vision of the Man of Steel as "a friend" who is here to help, which was the approach Christopher Reeve took in his Superman movies. Because Hoechlin's hero was weakened, there were stakes in the sequence and Superman was momentarily in danger, whereas nothing could harm Cavill's Man of Steel besides another Kryptonian or Doomsday.
Superman speaking Spanish was also a nice touch. It makes sense that Superman, who has flown all over the world, took the time to learn other languages to speak to people in their own tongues. It makes Superman more personable and puts people at ease. Man of Steel established that Henry Cavill's Superman also spent years traveling the world and performing rescues, but he kept to the shadows because of his fear of what would happen if the world learned he had powers. It was never clear if Henry Cavill's Clark took the time to learn other languages and he may not have since distrusting people and keeping to himself was the point of his travels.
Overall, Superman & Lois continues to make Tyler Hoechlin's superhero more grounded and likable. The Arrowverse's Superman is still considered the most powerful being in the world, but the CW's Superman is also a caring husband and father who isn't an alien in a world that doesn't understand or accept him, which was Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill's interpretation of Superman. Superman & Lois finds satisfying ways to make the Man of Steel a more well-rounded and affable character who is still awe-inspiring when he needs to be, as Superman's Mexico bank rescue illustrated.
No comments:
Post a Comment