James Gunn’s Superman Is About To Copy The Failed Snyderverse In The Worst Way, By Getting Religious

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 11 seconds ago

After James Gunn’s Superman became last summer’s biggest movie and the most successful solo Superman movie ever made, all but the most cultish Snyder Bros had to admit that the nascent DCU improved on the failed DCEU in almost every way. James Gunn’s Superman presented its title character as a flawed icon of hope, one who seemed the deliberate antithesis of Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel. Moreover, his real superpower was clearly optimism, which had an infectiously wholesome effect on the audience. “Isn’t this more fun to watch,” we thought, “than seeing Batman hit him with a grimy bathroom sink?”

Unfortunately, there are early signs that the DCU may make some of the same unforced errors the DCEU made. For example, Lars Eidinger will be playing Brainiac in the upcoming Superman: The Man of Tomorrow, and he recently told The Hollywood Reporter a bit more about his bionic Big Bad. “Brainiac is described as the incarnation of Satan,” he said.

If that is true, then it would position Superman as a Jesus-like figure, destined to defy and ultimately defeat his satanic foe. That sounds neat on paper, but it also echoes the most uncomfortable part of the DCEU: Zack Snyder’s bizarre insistence that Superman be Jesus Christ in a cape.

Could It Be…Satan?

In his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lars Eindinger didn’t give too many details about Superman: The Man of Tomorrow or the supervillain he is playing. He simply said, “Brainiac is described as the incarnation of Satan. I find that almost Shakespearean.” That’s high praise coming from this particular actor: if you didn’t know, Eidinger is most famous as a theatre actor, one who has received the most acclaim for his performance as the title character of Hamlet. Therefore, his description of Brainiac as Satan may be his own florid description, or maybe he’s quoting a throwaway bit of characterization from writer/director James Gunn.

Still, taken at face value, the idea of Brainiac being a symbolic Satan has me worried for Superman: The Man of Tomorrow. Not because it’s innately offensive or anything; in fact, if Gunn can come up with something interesting to say by Christian-coding his summer tentpole blockbuster, I’d love to hear it. But, with respect to Lex Luthor, the primary appeal of this sequel is seeing Superman fight Braniac. You don’t have to have gone to Sunday school as a kid to know that if Brainiac is Satan, that would, biblically speaking, make Superman Jesus. Unfortunately, DC has an awful history of turning its most famous superhero into a hackneyed Christ metaphor.

So Help Me, Jesus

In The Man of Steel, we see Superman strike multiple poses (like when he’s flying) that make him look like he’s being crucified. He is 33 years old in the film, making him the same age Jesus was when he struggled with the fact that he had to die to save the world. Obviously, Superman later did die to save the world when he defeated Doomsday, but not before receiving a spear wound to his side, Christ-like. Inevitably, he was also brought back to life after his noble sacrifice, cementing his weird onscreen journey as a superhero version of Jesus. 

Even by itself, this was a hack, over-the-top metaphor that made it hard to take Henry Cavill’s Superman seriously. Additionally, the metaphor clashed with so many other aspects of the character. If Superman is Jesus, why can’t he find another way to stop Zod but kill him? If he is a Christ figure who joyfully dies to save humanity, why does he seem downright bored saving people at the beginning of Batman v. Superman? For that matter, what’s up with Superman becoming a global tyrant if Lois Lane dies? Snyder treated his favorite hero more like the Joker, implying that super-Jesus is just one bad day away from going super-crazy.

Too Early To Crucify Anyone

None of this is meant to trample anyone’s faith, of course. But it’s just a little uncomfortable seeing Superman deciding to suit up while getting a pep talk in a church, beneath a stained-glass image of Jesus.

Decades after Alan Moore’s seminal Watchmen reminded us how terrifying an American god would actually be,  Zack Snyder comes along to say it’s cool as long as he looks good and gets to do a little murder every now and then (you know, as a treat). Worse, the director does it in a way that arguably cheapens the character while insulting Jesus, someone whose onscreen analog can only defeat his biggest foes by outright murdering them. 

So far, though, fans must just have (ahem) a little faith in James Gunn. In Superman, the title character was kinder, gentler, and infinitely more human than his DCEU predecessor, and it would be downright odd if all of that changed in Superman: The Man of Tomorrow. With any luck, the next movie will be another successful entry in the only franchise that can truly give Marvel a run for its money.

If I want more than luck, though, I may just have to pray on the matter. Any suggestions on who I should pray to, though? Because that big, out-of-work guy in the flag-colored pajamas looks pretty pissed at the idea of helping anyone.