Superman: The Man of Steel Possibly Influenced by Secret Origin

With the kind of money and success it's garnished him over the years; it's not a detriment for David Goyer to be labeled "the comic book movie writer." Can't think of too terribly many flicks outside that genre bear his name – I know there are few. But it seems like he's content adapting high-profile comic-book characters to feature-film franchises, and they don't get any bigger than Superman, baby – the Zack Snyder-directed reboot he's writing.

Comic Book Movie (trust me, a rarity for me to link to them – they're notorious bullshit spreaders) have actually found something legitimately legit. Goyer wrote a forward to the recently-released hard-cover edition of Geoff John's Superman: Secret Origin, and gave what would be interpreted as a hint of what he, Snyder and the multitude of producers are aiming for with the Christmas 2012 reboot:

"There is a heart breaking moment halfway through the first chapter in which young Clark is told the truth about his heritage. He races out into the night, sobbing, stumbling through the cornfields. Eventually, his foster father, Jonathan, finds him."

'I don't want to be someone else,' says Clark. 'I don't want to be different. I want to be Clark Kent.'

'I want to be your son'

"Right there in that moment, Geoff contextualized Superman in a way that I'm not sure has ever really been done before. I had an 'aha' experience when I read that. For the first time I was able to grasp how lonely Clark must have been when he was growing up. And what a sacrifice Clark must continually make by being Superman."

"As I write this, I am midway through my first draft of a new Superman screenplay. It's a task that has stymied many talented fimmakers in the years since Donner's film. And for all I know, it will end up stymying me as well."

"But I've got one advantage that the screenwriters who came before me didn't have—and that's access to all the wonderful Superman stories written by Geoff Johns—first and foremost being the SECRET ORIGIN issues reprinted in the very volume you are now holding"

Reports prior to this suggested the Mark Waid-written comic Superman: Birthright would bear great influence on the new movie. Given Goyer's track record with this genre, it's not unorthodox to suggest he'll take spices here and there from noted works, add in his own ideas and blend it into a silver screen concoction all its down.

I wonder if the same fanboys who bitched and screamed about how lazy Superman Returns was for its influence by the Richard Donner films will act the same way with The Man of Steel. What with Goyer working off Johns who himself was greatly influenced by Donner. Assuming all this is to be believed.

Comments

[moviefan]

I don't think anything is wrong if goyer borrowed stuff from that story. I am sure if it was there is more too with some other superman tales through the yrs. Can't wait to see what the story is.