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Superman is one of the most well-known superheroes, largely because he was the first. In addition to the superheroes themselves, 1978’s Superman set the blueprint for numerous modern comic book movies, from Batman Begins to Spider-Man. Since the Richard Donner films, the genre has become closer to the source material than ever before, and other heroes, like Iron Man, Black Panther, have skyrocketed in popularity following their mass exposure on the big screen. While many superheroes have successfully transitioned into modern times for audiences, Superman hasn’t quite reached the same level of success in decades.
Superman is the embodiment of all superheroes, yet recent adaptations, such as Superman Returns and Man of Steel, have struggled to strike a balance between respecting the mythos and updating it for a modern audience. James Gunn’s Superman will aim to deliver a film that resonates with both critics and audiences while achieving box office milestones. Gunn is bringing many traditional aspects of the character back to the big screen, such as the red trunks and John Williams’ theme. There’s also another signature part of the Superman lore that the upcoming DC Studios film will address with a believable explanation.
Superman Is the Most Famous Superhero Without a Mask
Many costumed crime fighters wear elaborate suits, complete with masks, to protect their secret identities. By having a secret identity, heroes can live a dual life as a regular citizen and a hero. Superman is one of the few superheroes who doesn’t wear a mask, and protecting his secret identity is a key part of his character, as he’s also a journalist at The Daily Planet.
To preserve his alter ego as Superman, Clark Kent has traditionally worn glasses to appear slightly different.
Clark will also change his personality, coming across as a clumsy and unconfident man, a far cry from the characteristics of a superhero. This aspect of Superman has been a part of the character since the publication of Action Comics #1 in 1938. The inspiration for Clark’s spectacles comes from Harold Lloyd’s character in the short film Over the Fence.
While many view Superman’s disguise as laughable, it remains a part of the most recent projects. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there aren’t many other superheroes outside of Spider-Man who bear secret identities, but that may unfold differently in the DCU, where characters like Superman and Batman have much more at stake if their secret identities were to come out.
There’s More to Clark Kent’s Glasses in the Comics
The idea of Clark simply wearing glasses to preserve his alter ego has always been a tough one for audiences to accept. Therefore, the comic books have gone to great lengths to add more layers to the disguise.
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James Gunn’s DC Projects Released So Far |
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The Suicide Squad |
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Peacemaker |
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Creature Commandos |
Beyond just wearing glasses, Action Comics #33-33 from 1940 introduced the concept of Super-Hypnosis as a means for Clark to deceive people into thinking he resembled Superman. The ability to use Super-Hypnosis was further explained in Superman (Vol. 1) #330 in 1978. The issue went on to reveal that Clark uses Super-Hypnosis along with his glasses to throw people off the scent. This means the people around Clark perceive him differently from how comic book readers do.
Over the years, Clark has employed other methods to protect his identity as Superman. Clark notably sports a different hairstyle and speaks differently when he’s Superman. At times, Clark has also altered his image as Superman to obscure his face.
Not to mention the fact that Superman is always flying around the world at high speeds, so it can be difficult to get a clear look at him, especially when his bright suit can be a distraction. It might also be too far-fetched for people to believe Superman would spend his days as a reporter at The Daily Planet. With all the methods Clark has used to maintain his Superman persona, hypnosis remains the most plausible, since a close resemblance would be a clear giveaway that they are the same person.
James Gunn Wanted To Address Clark Kent’s Disguise in the DCU
Gunn’s Superman drew heavily from the Silver Age iteration of the character to offer audiences a fresh take. As a result, the Fortress of Solitude is full of robots and Krypto serves a major role in the film. With various fantastical elements incorporated into the first DCU film, Gunn decided to lean on another element from the comics to explain why people don’t suspect Clark as Superman.
“That’s canon in the comics. It’s kind of been forgotten but that’s from the comics. I was sitting with Tom King, the comic book writer, and I was like, ‘you know the thing that I just don’t really know how to reconcile in myself is the glasses because the glasses always bothered me as a kid.’
They bothered me because I just don’t have that much suspension of disbelief to believe that. You know, they’re two different people even though I think out of all the actors that have played Superman, Corenswet looks the most different as Clark Kent to Superman, even more so than Chris Reeve. But he said, ‘you know, there’s an answer for that in the comics; it’s canon that they hypnotize people.'» — James Gunn explaining Clark Kent’s glasses in the upcoming Superman film.
In addition to the hypno-glasses, Corenswet’s Clark also sports a noticeably different hairstyle compared to his Superman. Past live-action takes on Superman haven’t done as much to explain how Clark is able to fool people.
Christopher Reeve’s version heavily emphasized the idea that his Clark had a distinctly different personality, whereas Henry Cavill’s take didn’t feature any noticeable differences beyond wearing glasses. The DC Extended Universe also didn’t explore his double life much and abandoned it following his death in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Instead of trying to avoid it, Gunn will provide a plausible rationale for why Clark can keep his secret identity intact, and based on how the DCU operates, it’s an explanation that audiences will probably accept.
Superman’s appearance has undergone slight tweaks over the years, and one largely consistent thing is his uncovered face. Absolute Superman and other comics have put a mask on him, but the main DC continuity has retained the classic look. The DCU version of Superman will attempt to strike a balance between updating the character for modern moviegoers and honoring the source material. Gunn isn’t shying away from the sillier aspects of Superman; in fact, he’s embracing them with a DCU full of heroes and other fantastical components already in place at the start.
With so many superheroes created after Superman in publishing, who do more to protect their secret identities, it made Clark’s approach less believable. While the comic books feature numerous tricks Clark uses to keep his life as Superman a secret, Gunn’s upcoming film will be the first to address it by using hypno-glasses. David Corenswet has also offered a valid reason why the DCU’s Superman wears trunks: as a way to be more approachable for kids.
The silly parts of Superman are partially why the hero has struggled to find his place in the modern superhero genre. Instead of simply letting audiences accept all the absurdities that have been a part of Superman for over 80 years, or trying to avoid them completely out of shame, DC Studios appears to be doing its best to make people believe in the character again. By grounding Superman in a world where he can fully exist, the character and all his iconography can suddenly work.
