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Film: Man of Steel

"You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you. They will stumble. They will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."

— Jor-El

Man of Steel, scheduled for release in June 2013, is the latest entry in the Superman movie franchise, based on the DC Comics superhero. The film is directed by Zack Snyder, produced by Christopher Nolan, and written by David S. Goyer and Nolan, with Hans Zimmer composing the score. Following Superman Returns, a sequel to the first two Superman movies, Man of Steel is instead a Continuity Reboot retelling his origin story like how the Nolan-directed Batman Begins was for the Batman film series.

The cast includes Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman (born Kal-El), Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Jonathan and Martha Kent, Russell Crowe and Ayelet Zorer as Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Antje Traue as Zod's accomplice Faora, Richard Schiff as Professor Emil Hamilton, Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy and Laurence Fishburne as Perry White.

Previews: Kevin Costner teaser

, Russell Crowe teaser

, Comic Con teaser

, December 2012 trailer

, Hans Zimmer score sampler

, behind-the-scenes featurette

This film contains examples of:

Adaptation Distillation/Pragmatic Adaptation: The film puts its own spin on elements from Superman, Superman II, Smallville, and modern (usually Post Crisis) Superman comics such as The Man of Steel, Superman: Birthright, Superman: Secret Origin, All-Star Superman, Superman: Earth One, and Superman: Secret Identity.
Adaptation Dye Job: The usually black-haired Lois Lane retains her actress Amy Adams' reddish locks.
All of the Other Reindeer: Clark tends to be shunned by people who find out about his powers, such as the students who see Clark lift their sinking schoolbus to save them.
All There in the Manual: The tie-in prequel comic (its story credited to Goyer) reveals that Thanagar exists in this continuity — as does Kara Zor-El, whose ship is already on Earth.
Beard of Evil: The evil Zod has grown a beard, like in Superman II, by the time Clark is an adult.
Big Bad: General Zod serves as the film's main antagonist.
Bilingual Bonus: Zod's "You Are Not Alone" message has the phrase flash by in several languages, including English and Chinese. Counts as a Double Entendre; to humans, aliens exist, to Superman, other Kryptonians live.
Breaking the Fourth Wall: Superman's "What do you think?" at the end of the second trailer seems aimed at the audience.
- However, in the Chinese version of the subtitles, the female "you" is used, meaning that he might be speaking to Lois.
Bring It: Faora seems to do it through a weapon aiming screen in a brief scene in the third trailer.
Chicago Doubling: Just like in The Dark Knight Saga and Smallville.
Comes Great Responsibility: Jonathan tells the young Clark that he has to decide what kind of man he wants to be, since with his powers he can change the world.
Comic Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: Invoked in the final trailer, where Lois is cut off by static before she can suggest the name "Superman" to Clark.
Continuity Reboot: Man of Steel is a new take on the Christopher Reeve and Superman Returns series.
Crucified Hero Shot: A shirtless Clark underwater with his arms extended, after the oil rig he's on collapses.
Crystal Spires and Togas: Partially averted as the portrayal of Krypton doesn't use the shiny crystal aesthetic of the previous films. Instead its aesthetic has been described as "neo-medieval", which can cover the other half of the trope. Jor-El, Zod and others have bodysuits similar to Superman's costume, but wear armor, capes and robes over them.
Darker and Edgier: Christopher Nolan has said while Man of Steel isn't a "dark movie", as Superman isn't a dark character, it is "more serious and realistic."
Decon-Recon Switch: Clark's alien powers initially alienate him from the rest of the world, but he still becomes Superman, champion of Earth.
Designer Babies: Kryptonians are genetically engineered to fill different roles in their society. Kal-El is unique among Kryptonians in that he was naturally conceived and born.
Doomed Homeworld: Superman's homeworld of Krypton is destroyed in the film's opening. Also Smallville and Metropolis get wrecked in a battle between Superman and Zod.
Drowning Pit: A teenaged Clark rescues a group of students when their school bus becomes one of these.
Fake American: Henry Cavill is the first British actor to play the American-raised Superman.
Flying Brick: Featuring the Trope Codifier, as well as the other Kryptonians on Earth.
- Flight: He breaks the sound barrier.
- Super Strength: Adolescent Clark can push a school bus out of a lake and adult Clark can lift an entire oil rig.
- Nigh Invulnerability:
Lara: He'll be an outcast. They'll kill him.
Jor-El: How?
- Super Senses: As a boy, Clark is overwhelmed by his superhearing.
- Super Speed: While dashing away from gunfire from aircraft.
- Eye Beams: Superman's heat vision blasts look more focused than Zod's.
Freeze Frame Bonus: A freeze frame of Zod's threat video (at 0:29) will show the Superman shield.
Heroes Love Dogs: Clark has a pet dog named Shelby as a child, and he is shown petting a dog as an adult.
I Just Want to Be Normal: The young Clark's reaction after finding out he's a superpowered alien.
Knight Templar: Zod seems to be heading in this direction based on trailers and Michael Shannon's view of his character.
Kryptonite Factor: Averted. Substances that disrupt Clark's powers, such as Kryptonite, aren't used in the film.
Lens Flare: The trailers and especially the posters exhibit this, in instances like Superman hovering in front of the sun.
Milestone Celebration: May be coincidence, but the film will be released in June 2013, which will be the 75th anniversary of Supes' debut in Action Comics #1 (June 1938).
Mood Lighting / Color Wash: The film has a dark bluish tint when Clark is out in the world, while Smallville scenes use yellowish lighting instead.
Movie Superheroes Wear Black: The red and blue in Superman's costume are darker and deeper than in the comics and previous movies.
Mythology Gag:
- Jor-El's final message to his son is taken from Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman.
- Jonathan Kent telling Clark the boy is his son is taken from Superman: Secret Origin.
  Clark: Can't I just keep pretending I'm your son?
  Jonathan: You are my son.
- Jonathan's line "You're the answer son, you're the answer to 'Are we alone in the universe?'" is paraphrased from Superman: Birthright.
- Clark's pet dog Shelby nods to Superman's Silver Age animal sidekick, Krypto The Super Dog, as well as Shelby from Smallville and Superman Returns.
- Zod wears Powered Armor, similar to two different versions of Zod in the comics, later retconned for another version patterned after Zod in Superman II (retconned in turn by DC's "New 52" overhaul).
- Zod and crew have all-black outfits akin to their counterparts from Superman II instead of their comics versions. Faora looks more like her counterpart Ursa (who was based on Faora).
- The bearded version of Jor-El comes from Superman: Secret Origin and Superman: Earth One.
- Kryptonians being genetically engineered is a variation of a concept introduced in The Man of Steel by John Byrne.
- The Superman crest meaning "hope" is from Mark Waid's Superman: Birthright.
- Clark performing heroic acts as a mere civilian outside of Smallville is similar to The Man of Steel and Birthright.
- Zod's video broadcast takes from Tyrell's threat-laden message in Superman: Earth One.
- A LexCorp building can be seen in background of the battle between Clark and Zod.
- One of Clark's friends as a teenager is named Whitney Fordman.
- There is a "Sullivan's truck and tractor repair" in Smallville.
- The shots of Superman flying over Earth and later falling into the atmosphere borrow from scenes in Superman Returns.
- The official motto of the city of Metropolis is Veritas et Justitia, or "Truth and Justice".
Never Trust a Trailer: The trailers are clearly adopting a very dark look in order to attract the same viewers of The Dark Knight Saga. However, an early viewer assures his readers that the movie won't be as "dour" as the current trailers suggest.As the film moves closer to release, the marketing has become more and more "traditional". The third trailer (and subsequent TV spots) is more "heroic" than the first two. Also compare the very first poster◊ where Superman is in shadow to the current page image.
- This is extended to publicity shots where the darkness of the costume colors fluctuates from image to image, affecting the yellow-ness of the chest insignia.
No Sell:
- Clark's shirt catches on fire after saving workers from an failing oil rig. The fireproof Clark remains unfazed.
- Zod barely notices being hit by falling debris. Bullets bounce off Faora.
One-Woman Wail: A serene version is the centrepiece of the song accompanying the first trailer (taken from The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring).
Race Lift: Laurence Fishburne as the first non-white Perry White in any version of Superman.
Reality Ensues: Heavily implied so far. The trailers have shown the military treating Superman as a potential threat and the citizens of Smallville reacting with fear at his incredible strength.
Schizo Tech: Kryptonians have developed guns, aircraft and spacecraft but still use winged mounts as well.
Self Restraint: Superman elects to surrender to the Army to demonstrate they can trust him, even though they have no real way to hold him.
Shirtless Scene: The oil rig fire and its aftermath.
Shout Out:
- A scene in the trailers of a shirtless, bearded Clark dramatically screaming and posing evokes 300, one of Zack Snyder's previous movies.
- In another nod to 300, the Smallville High football team is called the Smallville Spartans (instead of Crows like in the Smallville show).
- In a brief scene in the third TV spot something that looks suspiciously like the Omnidroid lands.
- Zod's helmet compared to the The Engineers.
- In a cross-competing film Shout Out, the villain in Star Trek Into Darkness is moved to a prison cell, hands cuffed in front of him. Later, one of the characters calls him a "superman."
Spandex, Latex, or Leather: Gone are the traditional smooth "strongman" tights for a a more synthetic-looking Super-suit, which has a more "alien", textured appearance to explicitly show its Kryptonian origin.
The World Is Not Ready: The phrase is used by Clark in the trailer, quoting his father Jonathan who advised Clark to keep his powers a secret, at least as a boy.
Ungrateful Bastard: A younger Clark saving a schoolbus full of children from drowning is met with much fear and hatred from the townspeople.
Walking the Earth: Clark does this before becoming Superman, trying to blend in but performing "guardian angel" acts as needed. Intrepid Reporter Lois Lane is on his trail.
You Are Not Alone: Zod's viral message turns this into a threat.