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Comic Book Legend Todd McFarlane Explains What James Gunn Did Superman needs to accomplish to establish the character as a modern DC icon. 2025 by James Gunn Superman The film will be the first live-action theatrical film in the new DC Universe. As such, it will set the stage for an expansive franchise filled with DC characters both famous and obscure. With the first chapter of the DCU already containing at least twelve projects and a ten-year plan in development, Superman’s mission is to make a good first impression on the big screen.
President of Image Comics and To generate creator Todd McFarlane talks to Screen speech about the importance of getting Superman right in the DCU. McFarlane emphasizes how important it is for Gunn and the DCU to update the character for modern audiences maintaining all the qualities that made him an icon for several generations of comic book readers. The artist calls Superman “classic scout” and one “perfect superhero” who could it seem “a 20 year old today” as much as for “all of us who were born in 1900.” Read Todd McFarlane’s full comments below:
I have no idea about any of their conversations, but if I were sitting at the table, what would be hardest to do – and what I think needs to be done, even if I have no idea how you would go about doing it – is how you takes a character that has been around for so long… So long that not only your mother knows about him, but your grandparents know about him, and make a character that your grandparents knew relevant today? This is difficult because there is a stigma like: “This is a mom and dad thing. We have cool, modern stuff here.” How do you make Mickey Mouse relevant to today’s kids when you have Buzz Lightyear?
I don’t know what the answer is, right? There are new, sexier characters emerging.
Superman is a classic Boy Scout, a perfect superhero. What you need to change to have a 20-year-old today who wasn’t even born in 1900 – they were born in this century – is this. If you can do that, then the big S in that word Superman will please all of us who were born in the 1900s. That’s it. That would be the goal I would give. I would say, “Okay, James, now do this,” and I hope they come back and give you some great ideas behind it. So we’ll see.
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