Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | Film | March 6, 2024
Production on James Gunn’s new Superman film has officially begun. The director already shared a new look at David Corenswet’s suit (well, part of it anyway). Rachel Brosnahan took to TikTok to buddy up with her co-stars. Nicholas Hoult claims his Lex Luthor will be ripped. Things are happening!
Now, we have a possible peek into what the story may hold, by way of the Norwegian website vg.no. A photo was posted there as well as snippets of an interview that Gunn gave with a Norwegian newspaper (they are shooting some scenes in Svalbard). He told the publication they “have filmed the first scenes which are when Superman flees to the ice fortress.” It appears that Supes’s home away from home will appear in the film.
Superman’s Fortress of Solitude was introduced in the comics in the late 1950s. Its inclusion in the film aligns with the suit photo Gunn released. The Superman symbol had snow on it, and it’s safe to assume that is a side effect of being at his arctic hideout. Aside from that, few other details have been released. So, that leaves us with no choice but to speculate wildly!
To reiterate, this is purely speculation. Superman could be at the Fortress of Solitude to change his socks for all I know. Still, the location, using the word “flees,” and Superman’s symbol resembling that of his Kingdom Come counterpart have my theory brain buzzing. So, don’t just take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt. Grab some salt shakers and follow me.
Kingdom Come sees Superman return from a long absence to a world he hardly recognizes. The heroes are violent, reckless, and not as concerned with causing collateral damage as they are punishing their enemies. It was Mark Waid and Alex Ross’s answer to the hyperviolence of 90s comics. A lot of people would claim that collateral damage is something Zack Snyder’s Superman was not concerned with (I would argue it’s more complex than that, but that’s a discussion for a different time), and given what we know so far, that may be something Gunn addresses.
According to Gunn, the world his Superman occupies is already openly populated with heroes. One of them is a Green Lantern played by Nathan Fillion. The Lantern he is playing is named Guy Gardner. Gardner is a hothead from the comics who is always up for a good fight. He may not be as extreme as some of the next-gen heroes in Kingdom Come, but he’d make a great substitute. It could be that Guy (and other heroes like him) are causing havoc in Superman’s absence.
In Kingdom Come, Lois Lane (and most of the Daily Planet) is killed by the Joker. A new hero named Magog kills the Joker and is publicly lauded for doing so, causing Superman to hang up his cape and exile himself to his Fortress of Solitude. I think it’s safe to say that Lois Lane won’t be dead in this film, but Superman returning from the Fortress (where we now know he’ll be) to quell a group of rapscallions sounds plausible.
Through the course of Kingdom Come, Superman turns into a bit of an authoritarian. His methods to stop the unruly heroes find him locking up the ones who won’t cooperate. What super groups will be making their live-action debut in Superman? The Authority. They are a group of antiheroes who will save the world through any means necessary. If Superman turns to them for help, he could find himself in a similar position as his Kingdom Come version.
Again, these are, at best, educated guesses. I love thinking about what my favorite creators may be cooking up for my favorite characters (Gunn and Supes check both those boxes). It’s even more fun when a story like Kingdom Come is clearly at the front of Gunn’s brain.
