Superman a much-needed reboot.
The DCEU began with the aim of having a darker tone than the MCU, replacing bright colors and quippy one-liners with a desaturated palette and stoic brooding. The reception early on was contentious, dividing those who preferred a grimdark vision of DC’s heroes, and those who felt that the DCEU had misinterpreted their favorite comic book characters. Justice League was so cringe-inducing that it started an entire fan movement to pressure Warner Bros Studios into releasing an entirely different cut of the same movie. But this isn’t to say that the DCEU can’t develop its own sense of humor, distinct in tone from other superhero movies.
There’s an inherently comedic edge to Superman’s character in that he hides in plain sight as a news reporter and, despite being built like a professional linebacker, he actually gets away with it. A big reason is that he’s just a simple farm boy at heart, honest to a fault, charmingly polite, and disarmingly meek. The juxtaposition between the true character of Clark Kent and his persona as Superman has a lot of potential for adding a little subtle comedy into stories, while also humanizing him as a character. Unfortunately, this aspect of Superman has been almost entirely overlooked by the DCEU to date, to the detriment of the character.
Superman's familiar virtue from the comic books. This could be reinforced with a later scene where he returns the clothes, perhaps neatly ironed and folded, with a postcard from Metropolis.
Other DC movies haven’t shied away from lampshading the humor in their characters. Wonder Woman emphasizes it when Diana finds herself in London, being amazed by ice cream (a recurring comedy beat from comics and cartoons). As well as adding a little silliness into the narrative, her awkwardness shows some of Diana’s character and background, highlighting things which she’s never actually seen before. For Superman, after growing up on Earth, this situation would work in reverse. Clark Kent would likely be delighted to show Diana his favorite ice cream parlor in Metropolis.
After starring in mistakes if the DCEU gets a Superman reboot.
