Exclusive: Superman - The Lost Prince of Krypton?
Wed, May 16, 2012 
Something not talked enough in this crazy business. The compromises filmmakers make. Forced to cast actors who aren't their first choice, shoot in locations they don't particularly want, scale back to fit their budget (As famously happened in Back to the Future with its original "Nuclear test-site" deus ex machina to get Marty McFly back to 1985) or incorporate ideas from others. Art thrives through restriction, as Nicholas Meyer said.
In lieu of Collider's report of purported leaked scenes (Sounds right but can't help but feel "Iffy" about the source), it had us thinking of The Man of Steel, Zack Snyder's big-screen reboot of the Superman mythos. Amazing to see how much out in the open is clearly taken from Superman: Flyby, the J.J. Abrams script intended to kick-start Kal-El into the twenty-first century with McG directing.
Warner Brothers spent a fortune getting the franchise off the ground before Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. Way more than the $65 million quoted. They want to justify spending all that cash, even though they wrote it off years ago. Economically, makes sense. Don't blow money when you have perfectly good ideas collecting dust in the Burbank archives. Also helps despite the backlash, Warner Brothers loved the Abrams script (that and Andrew Kevin Walker's Batman versus Superman). Hence you look at The Man of Steel and marvel at the comparisons to Flyby; the same suit, same actor wearing said red-and-blue, trunk-less design (Henry Cavill was originally cast by McG), Krypton modeled after Coruscant (per Latino Review), among others.
Rumblings we hear is another vital Flyby component is being used; the revelation Supes/Clark/Kal is a lost Kryptonian prince prophesied to save the world. Is it as radical as the big stink being made about changes to Spider-Man's origins in The Amazing Spider-Man as leaked by Badass Digest? It's out there, and lazy, let's be honest throwing in the tired "Chosen One" or "Destiny" cliché. But considering how far Flyby originally deviated, it was the least egregious material Abrams cooked up (God forbid they used Supes dying and visiting his father in Kryptonian Heaven!)
Some of you might instantly cry "Bullshit!" with claims of "Christopher Nolan would never let that happen!" Well for one, Nolan's not signing the checks paying for The Man of Steel and second, while the property was in his control (and he had a blank check at his discretion) Bryan Singer agreed to incorporate stuff from earlier, unmade iterations. The sequence where Superman incinerates glass falling with his laser eyes? Directly out of Batman vs Superman.
As a friend put it, these mandates create a creative challenge for the filmmaker (As pointed out with the aforementioned BTTF, it helped the final product) and word is the studio is psyched with what Snyder has delivered.
Reader Comments (8)
So I sent u and Peter both an email about this Jamie, do you think Nolan would allow/agree to WB making a Batman film or a Batman/Superman film that takes place between The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises? If you can't say anymore about that I understand.
This is just a rumor that will get debunked in a week. Jamie Williams is known for speculative crap.
I don't think they were speculating.
In reply to Rob in context to a film set between TDK and TDKR i have heard people talk about this before but they dont seem to realise that everything we know so far about the film has pointed towards the idea that bruce wayne WASNT batman for the 8 year gap between the two chapters of his story. The idea that he was off fighting different unseen villians in this gap isnt something i think we will see nor something i would want to see.
Kal El means God's Voice (El is the name by which Abraham calls Jehovah, El Shaddai). However, in the Judeo Christian mythology the Voice is also the Son. As Jesus was the Verb.
You forget that the Super is the creation of two poor Jews.
This origin respects the judaic mithology behind Superman.
The Messiah would be a LEADER in the house of David (Genesis 49:10 and Isaiah 11:1) prophesied in several places (eg Isaiah 7:14), in spite of prophecy in the seventh century BCE not have the same meaning it has today, that would bring peace to the world (Isaiah 2:4).
Is it too much to ask someone to proofread these articles before posting? This grammar is downright horrendous.
It's either rumor or it isn't. If it's the truth, it makes perfect sense. Christ Jesus is God Incarnate and is the one and only True Messiah. Superman was in fact created to bring glory to Him and do good for people. Please check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNr_U1EWRTY; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e8WMPRSA0s
I believe Superman/ Clark Kent/ Prince Kal - El , are the good - guy image of Count Blacula or Prince Mama Waldee