YMMV / Man of Steel

• Accidental Innuendo: When Dr Hamilton tries to get the Phantom Drive to work, Lois points out the S-key and yells "it's supposed to go in all the way!" Cue the audiences yelling "That's what she said!".
• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Pa Kent:
    • Is he a good man trying to teach Clark patience and discretion? Or is he being paranoid and overprotective, teaching Clark to put his secret ahead of all the people he could save?
    • Did Pa Kent grab the Idiot Ball when he died by not letting Clark save him, thus causing the boy a lifetime of emotional trauma?
  • Jor-El:
    • Is he a well-intentioned but self-centered Mad Scientist, or apathetic towards the suffering of his own people and concerned instead with making his progeny the glory of the Kryptonian race?
    • Just like Marlon Brando's Jor-El, this Jor-El sends his son to Earth with the intention of him becoming a hero. While Brando's Jor-El forcibly subjected his Clark to over a decade's worth of Mind Meld, here they just talk for an indeterminate but surely shorter time, and it comes after Clark has already been a much less public hero for a long time. To some, this still makes Jor-El look like a Manipulative Bastard with a god complex while Clark again comes across as just doing what he's told by rote. And either way, it's a far cry from the comics where Clark became Superman on his own, without any input from his space dad.
  • Zod:
    • Is he just a bloodline supremacist seeking to remake Krypton after his own prejudices, or a loyal soldier driven to extremes by the circumstances? Is clinging to the hope of restoring Krypton the only thing keeping him marginally sane after his world was destroyed, or is his "genetic programming" so powerful he's compelled to do anything and everything to fulfill his mission?
    • During his final fight with Superman, was he trying to pull a Suicide by Cop? Clark had just destroyed any chance of him ever rebuilding Krypton and many of his actions and words during said fight seem to be purely meant to rile Superman up, especially his final act of trying to incinerate an innocent family who just happened to be close by. He could have felt that the only way for him to die was to go out fighting.
  • Superman: With over 80 years of stories about the character, does this film's version qualify as a good interpretation of the character?
    • Many old school fans, especially supporters of the Reeve movies, feel this movie completely missed the point with a darker and more somber Superman. Many older fans were also disappointed that this copied and amplified the flaws of the Reeve movies, such as the depiction of Jor-El (see above).
    • However, just as many old fans are of the opinion this film had the balls to show Superman as the badass he is in several stories, as well as an altruistic and compassionate human being as opposed to an alien Übermensch.
  • The look of impotent rage Clark gave that trucker who humiliated him. Given what happens immediately after, it's possible he was putting on an act to avoid suspicion.
• Angst? What Angst?: Clark comes across as gloomy in his first few scenes and all of his youth, but his demeanor becomes much more upbeat once he dons his Superman outfit.
  • For instance, Jor-El told Clark that his home planet is destroyed and he is the last of his kind, yet Clark is just happy to have finally found some answers.
  • Despite being arrested by the military who plan to hand him over to Zod, Clark's spirits lift when he meets with Lois again and he shows no ill will towards those who distrust him. Though, that may be because he did turn himself over willingly, and because he makes it very clear that if he didn't want to be there, there is absolutely nothing anyone could do to prevent him leaving.
  • After destroying the World Engine, Supes and Lois stand in the charred crater in the middle of Metropolis, filled with likely hundreds of dead citizens who couldn't be saved in time... and promptly start making out and trading quips.
  • Some time after destroying his ship and killing Zod – effectively wiping out what's left of his long sought-after home world – Clark cheerfully tells his mother that he's finally figured out a way to balance his dual identities (though we did see him grieve beforehand).
• Anvilicious: The film goes out of its way to portray Superman as some sort of messiah for the human race. It even has a shot of Clark, tormented by his decision over whether or not to surrender himself to Zod, framed by a stained-glass depiction of Jesus Christ's Passion at the Garden of Gethsemane (prior to surrendering himself to the high priests) to push the point across. However, that one may be more subtle than Superman floating out of Zod's ship into space in a crucified Jesus pose. This isn't new for the franchise. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster originally envisioned Superman as an American Moses, Martha Kent quotes an extended passage from The Bible in Superman: The Movie and Superman himself falling to Earth in a crucixion pose in Superman Returns.
• Applicability: In a Folding Ideas video, Dan Olson argued the movie is unintentionally an encapsulation of the problems with American foreign policy in the 21st century, particularly with Superman's disregard for the collateral damage caused during his fight with Zod.
• Awesome Music: See here.
• Base-Breaking Character:
  • Pa Kent is one for spending most of his screen time telling Clark he doesn't feel he's ready to become a great hero. Some interpret this as him being unwilling to let go of his son but ultimately accepting that he needs to risk his life to save the world, and for others it sounds more like he was telling him not to save people at all.
  • Superman gets this for having an Adaptational Angst Upgrade. Some viewers found him too angsty in a similar vein to the leads in Dragon Ball Evolution or The Amazing Spider-Man, while others are more welcome since it feels appropriate for an inexperienced protagonist faced with difficult decisions.
• Broken Base: The film has divided various Superman fans with a majority of the arguments boiling more or less down to, "They Changed It, Now It Sucks!" applied to multiple aspects of it. In many ways, whether one judges it as a beginning of a franchise or as a standalone film can often be the difference in liking it or not. Here are some of the specifics:
  • Fans happy to see a Continuity Reboot after 35 years and Richard Donner/Christopher Reeve fans who feel only they will ever do it right.
  • The amount of action. Before the film was released, Goyer said it had more action than any of the The Dark Knight Trilogy. He wasn't lying. On that note, the level of destruction involved. Some think Superman didn't try enough to stem the level of carnage being done to Smallville and Metropolis, and he sometimes even voluntarily adds to it. He's responsible for bringing a fight from an isolated farmhouse into central Smallville. Though when he does send Zod into orbit, Zod takes them right back to Metropolis. The amount of damage Superman creates also really isn't much different from city fights with powerful villains like Darkseid in Justice League and other recent media, and the US military dealt most of the damage to Smallville through More Dakka. Others also argue that there wasn't much Clark could have done to avoid endangering anyone; after all, Zod and his followers not only have his powers, but they're also highly trained warriors.
  • Jonathan Kent's Heroic Sacrifice. Some see it as genuinely touching and well done, while others think of it as stupid and unnecessary, as Clark could have saved him without exposing himself to the world.
    • Jonathan's general depiction in this movie is another hot topic of debate. Detractors believe his emphasis on telling Clark to keep himself hidden make him come across like he's telling Clark not to save other people, with his "Maybe" line being an especially sore point for them, and call it a betrayal of the character being the moral basis of Superman's heroism. Fans defend it on the grounds that Jonathan is simply being depicted in a more realistic manner here, as his concerns for Clark's well-being are completely justified (and were vindicated in Batman v Superman) given the extraordinary situation that a normal human wouldn't have all the answers to, and point out that depictions of Jonathan emphasizing the need for Clark to keep his true nature hidden are not exclusive to this movie.
  • Superman killing Zod at the end of the climactic battle between them still continues to bring about debates that go right into Flame War territory even years after this movie's release. Detractors of that event call it a betrayal of all that the character stands for while fans fervently defend it on the grounds that there was literally no other way for him to stop Zod's rampage and that Clark has done similar things both in the comics and other media to stop villains, including Zod.
• Catharsis Factor: Some fans actually enjoyed the movie's focus on action and epic fight scenes, considering it a massive cathartic release after having five straight live-action Superman films without having Kal-El really cut loose and display his power set to its fullest. There are also fans who enjoyed the climax scene when Superman, with a great deal of reluctance, decides to snap Zod's neck. While it's still controversial among a certain subsection of fans, many others actually praised this scene for being a good lesson in how sometimes one has to make tough decisions that go against their usual ethical code.
• Critical Dissonance:
  • The film has a rating of 55% with critics and a 75% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, it really polarized hardcore Superman fans due to the liberties taken with the source material (not just the costume, either). Despite this, the movie had very positive audience reactions and word of mouth, and collected the highest-grossing June opening weekend at the time (before being surpassed by Jurassic World two years later). It also received an A- on Cinemascore. In the end it grossed about $670 million, becoming the highest grossing Superman film in raw dollars (second after inflation adjustment) and outgrossing contemporary superhero films with far better critic ratings like Iron Man and X-Men: First Class.
  • The soundtrack as well. It earned one-star reviews from some critics, but debuted on the Top 5 on iTunes.
• Cry for the Devil: The brief moment when Zod laments that now he has "no people" (after his crew was sent into the Phantom Zone and the Scout Ship with the genesis chamber got wrecked, leaving no possibility of reviving the Kryptonian race). It's cut short by his Roaring Rampage of Revenge, but it's still poignant.
• Draco in Leather Pants:
  • Zod and Faora. The former gets this because of his sympathetic motivations and entertaining performance, while the latter because she's sexy and the fact she is a full blown badass.
  • To a lesser extent is Ludlow, the trucker who got on Clark's bad side. Some of the film's more extreme haters will try to paint him as an undeserving victim and "proof" that Zack Snyder made Superman an angst-filled thug. This is ignoring the fact that the very first thing Ludlow did onscreen was sexually harassing a waitress before humiliating Clark for defending her as well as that Clark did try to resolve the situation peacefully but Ludlow simply wouldn't leave it be.
• Director Displacement: Due to the success of The Dark Knight Trilogy, many associate Man of Steel with executive producer Christopher Nolan rather than director Zack Snyder. However, this has changed since the release of Dawn of Justice and especially Zack Snyder's Justice League, with this movie being the first installment of the "DC Snyderverse".
• Ending Fatigue: The last 45+ minutes of the movie being action set-piece after action set-piece and brawl after brawl—combined with a relatively short denouement after the climax—left some fans weary. Notably, the film has Clark have heart-to-hearts with Lois following rescues three times in the third act.
• Event-Obscuring Camera: The camera moves up and down at random intervals and sometimes objects obscure the view.
• Evil Is Cool: Zod and his minions sport some pretty badass ships, armor, and weapons.
• Fan Nickname:
  • Deadliest Catch: The Movie - due to the fishing boat scene.
  • Bat of Steel or Superman Begins - due to Christopher Nolan's involvement.
    • And after it hit the theatres, The Krypton Knight Rises.
  • "Terrence Malick's Superman" for the shots of nature in the early trailers.
  • After Lois Lane is cut off while suggesting the name "Superman", quite a few viewers have jokingly nicknamed him "Sup".
  • Hans Zimmer's music from the third trailer is often called "An Ideal of Hope", which is confirmed to be the cut version of "What Are You Going To Do When You Are Not Saving the World?", which is more or less the new Superman theme according to Zimmer.
  • "The Dubstep Machine" or "Dubstep Engine" for the World Engine because of the distinctive sounds it makes.
  • "Digit-El" sometimes gets used for the Virtual Ghost of Jor-El.
    • As well as "Russ-El" for being played by Russell Crowe.
• Fandom Rivalry:
  • Henry Cavill fans vs Tom Welling fans and Brandon Routh fans over who is the preferred live-action Superman, with Christopher Reeve-only fans against them all.
  • And now there's fans of Cavill vs fans of Tyler Hoechlin from Supergirl and Superman & Lois.
  • It's also lumped in with the rivalry between fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and fans of Nolan's Batman trilogy and more directly, the DC Extended Universe.
  • Has a very interesting one with Godzilla (2014). In that film, Godzilla would conspicuously go out of his way to avoid pointless destruction, causing many jokes to crop up that he was a better hero than this film's Superman. Although this does downplay a lot of the collateral damage that Godzilla causes just by showing up.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: While it was a success in America, it has been repeatedly noted that Man of Steel did particularly well in Britain (likely because of Henry Cavill). It also did well in Southeast Asia, even setting the highest-ever opening day record in the Philippines.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • Lara worried that the people of Earth would ostracise and kill her son. And another scene has Martha tearfully confess that she's worried that Superman's race will take Clark away from her, something that the latter denies. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, both mothers' fears come true when Superman dies in a Heroic Sacrifice.
  • Jonathan's insistence that Clark hide his powers and alien heritage - even when said powers can be used in a heroic manner - gets reinforced when The Suicide Squad reveals that the US government imprisoned an extraterrestrial in a developing nation where it was subjected to unethical experiments.
  • Speaking of Jonathan insisting on Clark hiding his powers. During the scene where the former insists that the latter shouldn't save him from the tornado by using superspeed, Zack Snyder's Justice League reveals that in this universe using superspeed must be used with caution as seen with Barry using his powers to carefully save Iris West's life, meaning that Clark would not only have to be fast but also be careful enough to not tear off Jonathan's limbs by accident which given that the tornado was already very close would've been impossible to take his time with thereby making Jonathan's death even more tragic since there was no way Clark could've been both fast and cautious at the same time.
• Heartwarming in Hindsight:
  • Thirteen years before this movie was released, Henry Cavill worked as an extra in the film Proof of Life, which Russell Crowe starred in. During the filming of the movie, Cavill asked Crowe for advice about acting, since he had aspirations of pursuing a full-time career as an actor. A few days after their conversation, he received a box of goodies from Crowe that included a signed picture of him in Gladiator with the words, "Dear Henry: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" written on it. Fast-forward to 2013: Henry Cavill is playing Superman opposite Russell Crowe, who's playing his father and mentor, Jor-El. This was discussed here. Man of Steel is also the first time they've seen each other since that first meeting.
  • Jor-El's view of humans as flawed yet inherently good is validated by the end of Suicide Squad (2016), The Suicide Squad, and, even in Earth's past before Kal became Superman, Wonder Woman 1984.
  • From what's been seen of his youth, Clark didn't have the best of times when he was in high school. Then at the end of SHAZAM! (2019) he visits Billy and his siblings while they're at school and has lunch with them. For Superman to go from being a social misfit to being one of the two most popular figures at school must have really pulled at his heart strings.
• He Really Can Act: In spite of the divisiveness on the film, a consensus that has been formed is that Henry Cavill (at the time a largely unknown and underused actor) did well in the role. Especially since he was facing an uphill battle from the start with being compared to Christopher Reeve.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • It's widely believed that the novel Gladiator was the inspiration for Superman. Now let's see, what is Superman's father in this movie famous for playing again?
  • As the meme goes: "That awesome moment when you realise your father and your adopted father were both Robin Hood". Which in itself is a weak reference to a certain Boy Wonder, and a certain Emerald Archer.
  • Russell Crowe once had a song called "I Want To Be Like Marlon Brando". Now he's playing a character previously played by Brando.
  • There's brief footage of a polar bear, calling to mind producer Jon Peters' rabid insistence that Kevin Smith include a polar bear fight scene in his script for the infamously canceled Superman movie project Superman Lives.
  • Amy Adams served as a Smallville Villain of the Week back in 2001.
  • The first full trailer debuted with The Hobbit, after the teasers used music from The Lord of the Rings.
  • Henry Cavill was previously cast as Clark in McG's 2004 Superman film Superman: Flyby, before it was cancelled and became Superman Returns.
  • John Cleese's 2004 comic Superman: True Brit, which shows a world where Superman was raised in England, is kind of funny now that Superman's actor here is British.
  • With Superman's battle with the World Engine, producer Jon Peters' technically has a Superman film in which Superman battles a spider-like creature. Kevin Smith points this out in his podcast review of the film.
  • In light of screenwriter David S. Goyer's comments about Clark's religion, this joke:
  Q: Who is Superman's most religious nemesis?
  —>A: Lex Lutheran!
  • The soundtrack at the climax of Superman Returns is "Saving the World". Now remember the main theme for Man of Steel.
  • Ben Affleck turned down the offer to direct Man Of Steel. Now he plays Batman in the same universe. He also played George Reeves in Hollywoodland and wore Superman's suit in that movie. And speaking of which, Diane Lane also starred in this as Toni Mannix, who had an affair with George Reeves. And given that Diane played Martha Kent (Superman's adopted mother) in Man of Steel, does that count as Cast Incest? Oh, this is worth a headache.
  • When Zod unleashes his heat vision for the first time inside a building, if you look quickly, you can see a "Keep calm and call Batman" poster. With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, we now know that they were inside a Wayne Industries building. And its destruction is one of the reasons Batman's angry.
  • In an interview leading up the the release of the film, Snyder commented that a design of Superman in jeans and a t-shirt was discussed as a potential costume. Following Convergence, the design in question actually was used when Superman briefly lost his superpowers.
  • The first movie of what became the Marvel Cinematic Universe is called Iron Man, while the first movie in the DC cinematic universe is called Man of Steel. In the song "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath (which was used in the Iron Man trailers and soundtrack), the character is actually made of steel.
  • General Swanwick demanding Superman release all of his secrets to the military looks downright hypocritical after Zack Snyder's Justice League later revealed that he's actually the Martian Manhunter in disguise. Also, Martian Manhunter is supposed to be clairvoyant, which means he could figure this out anytime he wanted to, but can't say anything without blowing his own cover.
  • The unsubtle parallels between Superman and Jesus becomes a lot funnier once Jesus Himself stars alongside a Superman Substitute in Second Coming. Especially since that comic was originally going to be published by DC's Vertigo Comics imprint.
• Inferred Holocaust: The total damage and loss of life from the Metropolis battle has been estimated by architectural experts, and that it's unlikely that the city could be repaired. That being said, Superman could easily become involved in the process of reconstructing the city, and the presence of Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor in this universe would signify that some billionaires would chip in to help out with a portion of the reconstruction. Apparently averted by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which revealed that this section of the city was able to be rebuilt in two years. Apparently, the DC Extended Universe isn't quite as dark as it was previously thought.
• It's the Same, Now It Sucks!: The film has faced many accusations of trying to piggyback on the success of Christopher Nolan's Batman films, with its dark tone and washed out color palate, except those things don't fit Superman at all. Given that production on Man of Steel occurred in the aftermath of both Zack Snyder's take on Watchmen (which received mixed to positive reviews and three Saturn awards) and the light-hearted but negatively-received Green Lantern (2011), it looks like Warner Bros. was hoping to play to their strengths.
• It Was His Sled: Superman kills Zod, which inspires his Thou Shall Not Kill policy from then on. It doesn't help that people still have Flame War-style debates over it years later.
• Jerkass Woobie: Zod is a genocidal megalomaniac, but his character depth, Michael Shannon's performance and his tearful tone of voice when his army is sent back to The Phantom Zone and his plans to make a new Krypton are ruined push him into this territory.
• Memetic Mutation: Now has its own page.
• Mis-blamed:
  • Zack Snyder was criticized by many DC comics purists for removing Superman's red trunks. Said purists forget that it was the execs at both Warner Bros. and DC Comics who mandated that Superman be depicted without said trunks since 2011.
  • Many people, including Screen Junkies, have blamed Christopher Nolan for the infamous scene of Superman killing Zod. As noted in the Trivia section, Nolan wasn't the one who initially suggested this scene, and actually was against it before being convinced otherwise.
  • Snyder got a lot of flack for the film glossing over the collateral damage Superman causes (see Inferred Holocaust), and ending the film with him still apparently seen as a pure hero. He did intend to explore the hit this would cause to Superman's reputation, but then decided there wouldn't be proper room for it and held it back for the sequel.
• Moral Event Horizon: Zod has a number of possible crossing points:
  • Faora gives a breather to Lois, because humans can't breathe the Kryptonian atmosphere. When Clark starts coughing up blood and passes out, Zod explains that Clark can't quite breathe the Kryptonian atmosphere either after living on Earth for so long, and they were counting on it to de-power him. Meaning Zod was perfectly willing to kill Clark from the beginning.
  • He attempts to threaten Superman's adoptive mother, almost killing her... not really a smart move on Zod's part.
  • Not hesitating to destroy the human population just so the Kryptonians can thrive again - even though they already had the means to repopulate their race, possibly on another planet. Not to mention that they could repopulate on Earth without killing the native inhabitants in the terraforming process, it would just take some adaptation time, which is relatively simple to achieve as demonstrated by the few minutes it takes Zod himself to adapt, and maybe moreso since these new Kryptonians would've been born into the environment. Though to be fair to Zod, he expresses zero joy in this.
  • Attempting to use his heat vision to fry some innocent bystanders to punctuate his vow to kill every human on Earth simply to spite and hurt Superman, forcing Superman to snap Zod's neck.
  • In-universe: the leaders of Krypton view Zod's failed rebellion as this trope, and sentence him and his followers to the Phantom Zone.
• Most Wonderful Sound: Superman's flight sounds (taking off, breaking the sound barrier, etc.)
• Narm: Has its own page.
• Narm Charm:
  • Zod's "I WILL FIND HIM!" before he's sealed away in the Phantom Zone. Him repeating the line four times, and he goes from calmly saying it, to saying it with single words emphasized, to screaming it at the top of his lungs. Lara's unusually calm reaction doesn't help. On the other hand, it fits his character having gone mad with grief at the impending doom of his planet and being punished by the very people responsible for its destruction.
    Zod: You believe your son is safe? I will find him. (later) I will find him. I will find him, Lara. (pause) I WILL FIND HIM!
  • The pause in between the third and last time he says even makes it seem like the filmmakers knew it was going to go memetic and are trying to build up to it.
  • "They say it's downhill after the first kiss." With that line, it can be difficult for some to take the scene at its sentimental face value and view it as anything but unintentional comedy as most viewers might not get the reference, particularly as Metropolis looks like it's been nuked, making it come off as a really bad case of Skewed Priorities. However, for those willing to be more charitable and who are familiar with Lou Reed, this line makes some sense. Especially since, for Superman and Lois, they just saved the entire world from being destroyed.
  • Superman saying he doesn't think it applies to him as he's an alien could be because the whole concept of up and down goes out the window... especially with someone who can fly.
• Never Live It Down: Superman killing Zod, despite him clearly having no other choice, only did it as a last resort to save a family and he was obviously anguished about having to take a life to accomplish it, and this was before he officially adopted his Thou Shall Not Kill rule. It is still cited and brought up by DCEU detractors as emblematic of everything they consider wrong with the series, even more than the massive destruction of the city caused by the fight prior.
• Older Than They Think:
  • Superman kills Zod, which some might think is a dark, new direction for the character, but it's actually been done before in Superman Vol. 2 #22 (the end of The Supergirl Saga) and by all appearances in Superman II.
  • In addition, some have taken issue with the notion that Superman didn't have a code against killing at first or that he needed to try it once and decide he didn't like it. However, there is evidence from post-Crisis comics to support this, in particular, a story called "The Green Bullet" by John Ostrander, printed in JLA 80-Page Giant #1: Superman refers to the execution of Zod in Superman #22 and implies this was what cemented his code to begin with.
  • A lot of stuff that several reviewers have credited (or accused) Man of Steel of adding to the Superman mythos are actually from the comics, such as Superman's "S" symbol being the Kryptonian symbol meaning "hope", Kryptonians being Designer Babies, one of the Kryptonians being in a Mad Scientist (the character is named in the credits as Jax-Ur, a character dating back to 1961), Superman being treated with fear and distrust from some people, and even Kryptonian dragons.
  • An insecure, angst-ridden Superman is not at all a new concept, as Christopher Reeve's original interpretation was so torn between being a hero and being "normal" that he actually gave his powers up for a time to be a regular human. The DCAU Superman also lost his temper many times, in both his Clark Kent persona and his secret identity, and was willing to kill Darkseid with his own hands (or at least stand by while others did the job).
  • Jonathan telling Clark that people would fear him unless he kept his powers hidden was something that Siegel and Shuster had planned from the very beginning. Not to mention there would be some reason Clark did not take up superheroing until as an adult moving to Metropolis before the comics retconned in a past where he was "Superboy" operating out of Smallville. Speaking of which, Smallville ran with the idea that Jonathan and Martha (and to some extent, Clark himself) are terrified of him being outed as an alien, since They Would Cut You Up. While Jonathan and Martha Kent in that series are very supportive of Clark using his abilities to help, they very firmly err on the side of protecting his secret first.
  • Superman not having red trunks on his suit. They were already scrapped in the New 52 comics, and a photo of the defunct Justice League Mortal project showed that there already was to be a live-action adaptation without them.
• Questionable Casting:
  • Some thought the then-38-year-old Amy Adams was too old to play Lois Lane, also being nine years older than Cavill. In response, comics writer Mark Millar has argued that an older actress fits, since Lois is already an experienced journalist when Superman debuts. Also, Amy is somewhat famous for looking and seeming much younger than she really is, constantly playing sweet and youthful characters convincingly.
  • Some objected to Henry Cavill just because he's not American, though this largely died down after his performance and convincing accent were favorably received.
  • For some, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White just because he's not white.
• Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Jadin Gould did in just a few seconds of screentime what Kristin Kreuk couldn't do in eight seasons of Smallville: turn Lana Lang into a sympathetic and likeable character.
• Ron the Death Eater: Superman of all people, gets hit with this sometimes, being painted by detractors as selfish and having to be goaded into heroics, despite being a Heroic Bystander and being compelled to help long before he got the suit, and ultimately choosing Earth and humanity over his own people. Also, his Destructive Savior tendencies are blown out of proportion since he was responsible for only a fraction of the devastation. Likewise, his killing of Zod is sometimes treated as an antithesis of Superman's character, despite it clearly being the only option he had, Clark being visibly averse to doing it (he literally begs Zod to stop his attempted massacre before he finally does the deed), and of course, his reaction afterwards making it abundantly clear he took no pleasure in doing so.
• Rooting for the Empire: Some found Zod to be a much more sympathetic and developed character than Superman himself despite his crossings into the Moral Event Horizon. This could be attributed to Michael Shannon's emotional portrayal of him, showing how dedicated he is to following his fate as Krypton's top warrior. Especially his justification for his actions – he was literally born to be a warrior and protect Krypton and its citizens, no matter what. His Villainous Breakdown towards the end, where he claims that Superman has taken his soul by destroying any hope of rebuilding Krypton, definitely helped cement this.
• Signature Scene:
  • Superman taking flight and breaking the sound barrier.
  • Superman punching Zod across the Metropolis skyline, which has been recreated in other media.
  • Superman breaking Zod's neck is the main thing usually brought up when discussing the movie, primarily because of the endless debate it sparked over whether this action was in-character for Superman or not.
• Signature Song: "What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?" as the new Superman theme. "Arcade" is also a contender.
• So Okay, It's Average: The general consensus among critics boils down to this, with many agreeing the film is definitely an entertaining blockbuster, but not quite the masterpiece that the trailers and creative team indicated it would be. Audience reception was much more positive. Comic fans are more divided (particularly because of the scene where Superman is forced to kill Zod).
• Spiritual Adaptation:
  • The movie is basically a modern-day remake of Superman II sans the presence of Lex Luthor and a Darker and Edgier tone to boot.
  • The conflict between Superman and Zod mirrors in many ways the central dramatic beats in Alan Moore's Miracleman — A fight between two superpowered beings that causes massive collateral damage in a populated area; this fight also serving as the moment where humanity learns of superpowered beings with capabilities and technologies beyond anything they are capable of, and the hero being forced to kill the bad guy to save innocent lives by snapping his neck. Given that Snyder is surprisingly knowledgeable and adept about comics lore for a major filmmaker (especially from the '80s) this is very likely an intentional influence on his film.
  • Due to the quality of the fight scenes, fans feel that the film was a better Dragon Ball movie than the official Dragonball movie. The fight scenes in Man of Steel were brawls translated into live action from the Superman comics... which in turn were more similar to the combat in the Dragon Ball anime and manga than the "floatier" martial arts style used in Dragonball Evolution.
  • There are also those who believe it does better as an Invincible movie than a Superman movie.
  • Although inspired by Superman: Birthright, Superman: Secret Identity, and All-Star Superman, it shares eerily similar themes, tone, plot, and characterization with Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski. Some even say it's a better adaptation of that than the actual inspiration.
  • According to this article, this film is a pretty good adaptation of the 1930s proto-superhero book, Gladiator.
• Strangled by the Red String: Debates arose as to whether Lois and Clark actually make a good couple in this film, arguing that they only know each other for a few days, don't show much in common, and their "Glad To Be Alive Kiss" felt shoehorned into the last act.
• Tainted by the Preview: People were already divided over the involvement of Zack Snyder (because of Sucker Punch) and David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan (because some thought their approach for Batman wouldn't fit Superman). Then the first ever picture of Henry Cavill in the Superman costume drew mixed reactions for its dark and gloomy tone and muted blue filter. Then the first-ever teaser trailer drew mixed and confused reactions for its dark and gloomy tone, muted blue filter, and Clark Kent on a fishing boat. The first full trailer again drew mixed reactions for the same reasons though there was finally a taste of the promised action, and many dismissed Hans Zimmer's score just from the snippet used. Add in the people who believe the Donner/Reeve/Brando/Williams films will never ever be bettered and are offended by this film's existence, and you have one heck of a Broken Base. Safe to say the base was broken from the start.
• They Changed It, Now It Sucks!: A lot of viewers were disappointed that Man of Steel made a deliberate effort to not match the tone of the Christopher Reeve quadrilogy. The problem is that Superman Returns tried to do just that, only to get mixed reactions as well.
• They Copied It, So It Sucks!: Some viewers noticed it followed many of the same story beats as Batman Begins, such as the protagonist traveling the world to find himself, the anachronistic order, the Well-Intentioned Extremist villain who attacks the hero's home (Gotham/Earth) with a device that alters the environment, the function of Lois Lane and Rachel Dawes and the relationship between the hero and the government (especially between the trustworthy Gordon/Hardy and the skeptical Loeb/Swanwick), along with hints of the arch-enemy being set up in a future installment (the Joker calling card and the Freeze-Frame Bonus of the LexCorp logo showing up).

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: Pete Ross in this film had a lot of potential to enhance Clark's character arc. As a childhood bully towards Clark, he changes his tune once Clark saves him and the rest of their class from drowning, helping Clark up once he is accosted by other bullies during their teen years. Elaborating on their friendship could have been a good way of establishing Clark's view that despite humanity being bad at times, they could change their ways and become good with his inspiration. Unfortunately, Pete's only other major appearance outside of the flashbacks is him giving a brief interview with Lois Lane, leaving his and Clark's friendship undeveloped.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot:
  • The more positive-yet-critical reviews of the film see the promise of a "realistic look at Superman" to be this. The idea of Superman growing up in more modern, cynical times could have been the grounds for a nice Decon-Recon Switch, showing that even in times of tragedy, Superman can find it in himself to be an inspiring figure for humanity. While the film tries to deliver on this, it ultimately focuses too much time on Clark going through tragedy and alienation and too little on him finding the drive needed to become a hero. Thus, several viewers see the shift towards Superman declaring himself a defender of humanity to be rushed and sudden.
  • Just like the old films, Jor-El has too much bearing on Clark becoming Superman, with the added complication of Pa Kent's unconventional portrayal. Traditionally (even as far back as the '30s), it is the Kents' upbringing that gives Superman the morals and responsibility needed to use his abilities for good, but despite them having tender moments with Clark, very little of this moral, earthly upbringing is seen. Thankfully, they did downplay Jor-El and Krypton in later films.
  • The Kryptonian civil war in the prologue ends almost as quickly as it begins, despite it being shown to be a planetary scale rebellion, thus it looks to be worth a lot of exploration.
  • The film leans into the idea that Clark has an idealized vision of what his homeworld and people were like, something he briefly discusses with Jonathan and Martha prior to Jonathan's death, as he gets annoyed with them and makes a comment about how they aren't really his parents. This seems to be setting up a plot point where Clark learns how flawed Krypton was, especially when he meets Zod and sees how dangerous and unhinged he is. Despite the film setting this idea up through said flashback, the film never dwells on the topic and just moves on without discussing the point. Clark never has a moment where he affirms that he may be a Kryptonian by blood but is human at heart, which is odd because the ending has a scene where Clark makes a comment about being raised on American values, suggesting that he does see himself as an Earthling, but the film never addresses that at all.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Jonathan Kent believes that Clark should hide his powers because revealing himself would answer the question of if mankind is alone in the universe and would have global ramifications forever. However, some fans felt that him answering "Maybe" when asked if Clark was supposed to let a busload of children drown, even if he is visibly upset when answering, without explaining why at the moment (he does so later) comes off too much as him implying that letting them drown would have been the better choice. He then refuses rescue and forces Clark to watch as he's killed by a tornado. While he made this choice to protect the world, some fans argue that Clark could have easily saved him without exposing himself if given the chance instead of being left traumatized and fatherless.
• Visual Effects of Awesome:
  • A Zack Snyder staple, but special mention goes to Zod's armor. You'd never guess it's CGI.
  • A major highlight is the action scenes, which are a live-action adaptation of how Superman's fights are drawn in the comic books. Man of Steel properly adapts the speed and power the Kryptonians display in the comic books, and their fights are powerful brawls, whereas prior depictions relied a lot more on Coconut Superpowers and some degree of obvious Wire Fu.
• Vindicated by History: After premiering to a polarized reception, attitudes towards Man of Steel have softened considerably over the years for its willingness to take liberties with the source material, portrayal of the main character, Worldbuilding, action scenes, visual effects and relatively self-contained story. With the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League, people are willing to acknowledge that these two movies, along with the Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, make up a believable trilogy that portrays Superman's journey from Classical Anti-Hero to The Cape he is traditionally known as.
• WTH, Costuming Department?: During close-up shots, you can see Superman's chest hair just poking up from the lower collar area.
  • According to IMDB, Henry Cavill insisted that it was totally plausible and acceptable for Superman to be both muscular and have chest hair, citing The Death of Superman comic storyline as an example; indeed, Superman is shown bare chested and with chest hair at several points.
  • Superman also sports some conspicuously large sideburns.
• The Woobie:
  • Clark, from the beginning of the movie to the climax. Traumatized by his emerging powers and regarded as a freak by his peers, frightens his classmates when he saves their lives, learns that he's not just adopted, he's an alien, has a You're Not My Father argument with his adoptive father Jonathan Kent and then minutes later watches Jonathan Kent die because he insisted that Clark not expose himself to save him. That's all before he turns eighteen. As an adult, he helps people in need but forsakes a permanent job and home since he feels unable to settle down where people know his secret. He eventually discovers that he is the last survivor of his home planet, only to soon learn that there are other survivors - and they're a bunch of bad guys who want to rebuild Krypton by wiping out humanity. He is able to stop their plan but only after half a city is destroyed, Zod forces Clark to kill him. After he kills Zod you want to cheer when Lois gives him a much-needed hug. The fact that he's able to keep his chin up and rise above all this makes him a Woobie Of Steel.
  • Martha had to raise a child with unique needs and issues, watched her husband die minutes after said son, in a fit of anger, called them both out on "not being his real parents", before then said son disappeared for years. When he returns and happily tells her about how he found his birth-culture, she looks like her heart broke but wants to keep a brave face since he's so happy.

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