Summary
Man of Steel 2had a director lined up who could have helped save the franchise. The DCEU saw its fair share of behind-the-scenes drama, affecting the overall tone of the superhero films they set about producing.Man of Steeloffered a darker tone, with choices that some felt changed the hero, like his handling of General Zod. It was a unique take, offering a gritty Superman movie that ultimately defined the universe.
While some took issue withMan of Steeland the DCEU, Henry Cavill’s portrayal ofSupermanwas widely beloved, thanks in large part to the actor’s charm and fans' love for the character. Cavill’s Superman was never given a true chance to shine, with one movie highlighting his start before being thrust into lackluster team-up fare. However, plans forMan of Steel 2were in the works, with a director who promised to bring epic action and a little light to the franchise.
Zack Snyder’sMan Of SteelKicked Off A Doomed Franchise
Zack Snyder was entrusted with setting the tone for DC’s slate of superhero films. Warner Bros. hoped to establish an interconnected universe of characters, mirroring the success of the MCU.Man of Steelwas the first stepin that plan, introducing DC’s flagship hero with a distinct take that tried to ground Clark Kent while bringing substantial real-world stakes to Superman’s actions.Man of Steelwas met with a mixed reception, with fans appreciating it more than critics. Snyder followed this up withBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which saw Cavill’s Superman battling Ben Affleck’s Batman, before they teamed up with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman to fight Doomsday.
Batman v Supermanreceived a poor reception from paying audiences. It proved profitable, but fans were disappointed by the end product. This threw DC and Warner Bros. into a tailspin, attempting to correct the perceived problems inBvSwith the remaining films they had already announced. The real issue was thatJustice Leaguewas already well into production, meaning they had their biggest superhero team in need of a pricey fix. This saw Snyder step away and Joss Whedon brought in for reshoots to patch it together. The end result was a bland mishmash of influences that ultimately pleased nobody.
The DCEU had some bright spots, like James Wan’sAquamanand Patty Jenkins’Wonder Woman. However, there was far too much trouble within the universe that began seeing middling returns with movies likeBlack AdamandShazam: Fury of the Gods.This sent the DC Comics properties into a complete overhaul, withJames Gunn and his upcomingSupermanfilmset to kick off the new DC Universe. While Gunn is now bringing Superman back to the big screen, there were plans for aMan of Steel 2before the DCEU decided to start anew, and the new director’s take on the character showed promise.
Christopher McQuarrie Was Set To Direct Henry Cavill’sMan Of Steel 2
Christopher McQuarrie is an accomplished writer, having pennedThe Usual Suspects,Edge of Tomorrow, andTop Gun: Maverick. He’s also made a name for himself as one of the top-tier action directors of all time, having written and directed the last fourMission: Impossiblefilms, which have pushed movie stunts past their limits.McQuarrie’s involvement withMan of Steel 2first came to light in 2018, but he recently divulged information about his planned take on Superman while appearing on theHappy Sad Confusedpodcast, stating:
I’ll never tell. I’ll never tell, but boy was it fing good. It was fing good.
It turns out that McQuarrie also had plans for a Green Lantern film. He had the story idea first when he realized the parallels with Superman, which ultimately had him understanding whatMan of Steel 2could have been. While speaking onGreen Lantern, he stated:
“I realized, don’t worry about the costume, worry about the character. How do you give that character tension and stakes? Also, how do you do it with Superman?”
Thanks to Cavill, McQuarrie was inspired:
“Henry had a take on that, and I suddenly realized how these two characters had amazing similarities, which also allowed for amazing conflict and an amazing universe-expanding resolution.”
The director finally discussed hisvision forMan of Steel, with inspiration coming from Pixar, of all places.“You remember Pixar’s Up? [It was] a sequence with no dialogue that covered that character.“He continued, expanding on the sequence and overall scale ofMan of Steel 2, adding:
[It] was a set-up, after which you knew exactly what makes Superman tick and exactly what Superman was most afraid of and why Superman made the choices he made. It would have been epic. The scale of the movie would have been absolutely extraordinary.
McQuarrie was also reportedly approached about makingMan of Steela second time. After his initial pitch didn’t get the traction he had hoped for, Cavill’s brief inclusion asSuperman inBlack Adamsaw Warner Bros. reach out to McQuarrie in one last-ditch effort to make the sequel happen. However, those plans clearly never materialized, with Gunn now revamping things with the DCU.
McQuarrie’sMission: ImpossibleSuccess Proves HisMan Of Steel 2Could Have Helped The Franchise
McQuarrie has spent the last decade filming Tom Cruise’s death-defying stunt antics for theMission: Impossiblefranchise.The director was at the helm whenCruise performed his HALO jump, drove a motorcycle off a cliff, held his breath underwater for six minutes, and dangled from a helicopter. McQuarrie is also behind the franchise’s most lauded entry withMission: Impossible - Fallout. His most recent sequel,The Final Reckoning, brings the franchise to a close with one of the most intense stunts ever filmed, which sees Cruise fighting on the wing of a plane and making a daring midair transfer between planes.
With McQuarrie promising that the scale of hisMan of Steel 2"would have been absolutely extraordinary,“the director went on to prove what that could have meant with theMission: Impossiblefilms. While Superman stunts would likely be filmed with as much VFX work as possible, keeping dangerous practical stunts to a minimum,theMission: Impossiblemovieshave shown just how big McQuarrie can go, capturing flight sequences and moments audiences could never have imagined seeing. Audiences will never get to see McQuarrie’sMan of Steel 2, but for a sense of the hero’s flight, they can look to Cruise “wing walking” on a small plane over the skies of Africa, highlighting action thrills unlike any other filmmaker.
McQuarrie looks to have a bright future ahead of him, as he has even admitted to having the story forTop Gun 3in mind. However, the directors' plans to aid the DCEU will go unrealized as James Gunn and the DCU reboot the heroes, leaving his full plans forMan of Steel 2a mystery. Still, with Gunn’s DCU being open to unique pitches, like Mike Flanagan’sClayface, McQuarrie may yet have a shot with some of his DC ideas.
