DC Gives Absurd Explanation For Superhero Movie Deaths

By Douglas Helm | Published

henry cavill man of steel superman
Man of Steel

The DCEU’s version of Superman was portrayed well by Henry Cavill, but there were quite a few questionable things that the character did that didn’t really line up with the typical depiction of the Man of Steel. Namely, many fans took umbrage with Superman’s wreckless fight with General Zod in Metropolis that would have inevitably led to the death of a ton of people, with one particular example of Superman’s nonchalance toward destruction being a scene where a tanker truck is tossed at Superman. Supes jumps out of the way rather than stopping it from obliterating the parking lot behind him, but DC storyboard artist Jay Oliva took to X to defend the scene.

One of the most controversial scenes in DC movie history, the Man of Steel battle with Superman and Zod, was intended to have no bystanders.

Oliva defended the scene by saying that the parking lot wouldn’t have any bystanders in it, but that’s pretty hard to justify. DC’s Metropolis is a full-on city, and there is little doubt that people would have died with the number of buildings destroyed during Zod and Superman’s battle. It’s also doubtful that Superman would have known that the parking lot was empty in that split second, so it would make more sense for him to just block the tanker anyway since it likely would barely harm him.

Zach Snyder’s direction for DC had its high points, but there were certainly times when fans thought his decisions for certain characters were a little odd.

Oliva went on to say that the scene could just be explained away by the Flash, Dr. Fate, or some other DC hero who would have saved any of the citizens in danger. Again, this excuse doesn’t make much sense, as there was no indication that Superman knew that the Flash or any of the other heroes were present for the Battle of Metropolis. Not to mention that even the Flash can’t be everywhere at once, so there’s a chance he wouldn’t have been able to save a bunch of people in a parking garage if he was busy saving people elsewhere.

Man of Steel

DC’s Man of Steel also depicted Superman killing General Zod, another plot point that fans of Superman noted isn’t typical of the character. However, this was easier to swallow since Zod wasn’t giving Superman much choice. But the fact Superman went against his morals to kill Zod to save a family doesn’t line up with the mass destruction he was seemingly uncaring about just moments later as he and Zod tore across the city.

Oliva went on to say that the scene could just be explained away by the Flash, Dr. Fate, or some other DC hero who would have saved any of the citizens in danger

Zach Snyder’s direction for DC had its high points, but there were certainly times when fans thought his decisions for certain characters were a little odd. Still, that didn’t stop fans of his direction from demanding a Snyder Cut of Justice League (demands which, surprisingly, were met). There were also quite a few Synder fans who were disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to wrap up the DCEU after James Gunn and Peter Safran took over.

However, a huge portion of DC fans are looking forward to James Gunn’s takeover of the film and TV universe, especially after his Suicide Squad movie and the Peacemaker show. Gunn will officially kick off his newly minted DCU with Superman: Legacy. We’ll have to wait and see if his version of Superman causes as much destruction as the DCEU version.