Warner Bros. never seemed to recognize what an asset they had with Henry Cavill’s Superman. Man of Steel delivered a thoughtful story about why Clark Kent would choose to use his powers to save mankind, with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League (the good version) both showing what it might look like if Superman went rogue and reminding us why he’s such an inspirational superheroic figure.
Champagne corks were popped when it was finally confirmed he’d return for Black Adam, with Cavill soon to be making a full comeback to continue his big-screen adventures. But now some fans have noted that, for all the huge changes his presence made to the DCU, he wasn’t actually doing his Superman thing for very long:
Is 18 months really enough time for mankind to decide whether they love or loathe their new Kryptonian protector?
Another notes that Nolan’s Batman had an even shorter time in the costume:
Would his death have had more of an impact if we’d have gotten Man of Steel 2 before Batman v Superman?
Or, the counterpoint, was it only him laying down his life to save others that made people recognize him as a true hero?
Other fans point out that even DC’s classic 90s Death of Superman arc was set in a world where he’d only been in the cape for six years:
We have to agree that Superman’s death is a great reason to form a Justice League:
We’re big fans of Cavill’s Superman and can’t wait to see that long-awaited sequel to Man of Steel refocus our attention on this version of the character. Perhaps it’s now too much to hope that Snyder will return to direct it, but if they can match the original movie’s thoughtfulness, willingness to take risks, and peerlessly choreographed superhero action, we could be in for something very special.