Man of Steel is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and numerous elements of the movie continue to hold up years after its release. First hitting theaters on June 14, 2013, Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, who comes to discover he is an alien refugee from the planet Krypton, possessing immense physical power and the alien name of Kal-El. When General Zod (Michael Shannon) arrives on Earth to terraform to the planet, Clark steps up to defend his adoptive home world as Superman.
Directed by Zack Snyder with a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, Man of Steel would become one of the most hotly debated superhero movies ever made. Man of Steel continues to be a major lightning for DC's entire on film legacy, to the point of even being a major foundational component of The Flash. 10 years later, Man of Steel has aged very well, with many of the film's core elements still having as much impact as they did upon the movie's original release. Here are 10 reasons with Man of Steel continues to endure a decade since its debut.
10 Man Of Steel Is Fantastically Cast
Across the board, Snyder's cast in Man of Steel are all superbly well cast for the film. First and foremost is the movie's Superman himself, Henry Cavill, who embodies Kal-El's pure-hearted kindness with the internal conflict of a man forced to reveal his alien origins to the world despite the ramifications he fears. Cavill's chemistry with Amy Adams's dedicated journalist Lois Lane also gives the two characters a whole new dynamic from the moment they first meet.
Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner also provide the guidance of truly devoted fathers in their roles as Superman's Kryptonian and Earthly fathers, Jor-El and Jonathan Kent. Additionally, Michael Shannon's performance as General Zod is an electrifying tour de force that re-imagines Superman's Kryptonian foe into a completely selfless military leader willing to commit planetary genocide for his people. With equally strong turns by Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, and Antje Traue as Faora-Ul, Man of Steel's cast truly bring the movie's iconic DC characters to life.
9 Man Of Steel's Visual Effects Have Aged Very Well
A Superman movie cannot be realized without strong visual effects, and Man of Steel's remain immaculate a decade after the film's debut. Zack Snyder is a director known for bringing great visual spectacle to his filmography, and with Man of Steel, Snyder and the movie's visual effects team continue that trend, with the movie's effects giving it a comic book-style look never-before-seen in a Superman movie. Even the movie's less prominent effects have stood the test of time remarkably well, as seen in the battle armor worn by General Zod and his Kryptonian forces, with their metallic armor and Kryptonian warships completely rendered in CGI, and still looking incredibly real.
8 Man Of Steel Challenges Superman In Many Different Ways
Differentiating one take on Superman from the rest is a necessary step in any new movie about the Last Son of Krypton, and Man of Steel tackles this by challenging Superman in both internal and external ways. The arrival of General Zod and his Kryptonian followers establishes very physically challenging enemies for Cavill's Superman right as he is just becoming Superman. Henry Cavill's Superman also wrestles with self-doubt about how the world will respond once he reveals himself to them. While his innate goodness leads him to save lives anonymously at first, the true test he faces is the turning point in human history that he personifies.
7 Man Of Steel Is A Unique Superman Origin Story
Man of Steel adds a completely new element into Superman's origin with Jor-El bonding the Kryptonian codex to his son's DNA, the codex carrying the DNA of Krypton's unborn population. Man of Steel's introduction of the codex goes further than being the object of General Zod's pursuit to make a new Krypton on Earth, with the codex setting up Superman as the literal future of Krypton itself. Man of Steel also places Superman's origin story in the context of General Zod's invasion of Earth, and in doing so, makes it into an event that rips off the band-aid about alien life while establishing Superman as Earth's protector.
6 Man Of Steel Makes Conformity & Choice Into Major Themes
Man of Steel makes another new change to the history of Krypton by revealing Kryptonians are biologically engineered to fill specific roles within their culture. Unlike other Kryptonians conceived in a Genesis chamber, Kal-El is revealed to by Jor-El to be "Krypton's first natural birth in centuries", with Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) believing that choice has been sacrificed by Kryptonian society. In Superman and General Zod, Man of Steel builds two pillars who embody the opposite ends of Kryptonian society; Kal-El born to choose his destiny, and Zod steeped in the old Kryptonian dogma of conformity.
5 Man Of Steel's Krypton Is Still Amazing
When it comes to Krypton itself, Man of Steel devotes its first 20 minutes to the last days of Superman's home world, and it remains a visually stunning take on Krypton. Departing from the image of Krypton as a world covered in ice, Man of Steel re-imagines Krypton as a world full of mountains, arid terrain, and eye-popping wildlife that Kryptonians share their world with, including Jor-El's trusted flying dragon H'raka. Krypton's architecture, the regal wardrobe of its population, and the portal to the Phantom Zone seen in Man of Steel is also unique to the film's interpretation of Krypton, enabling it to continue to stand out after 10 years.
4 The Man Of Steel Soundtrack Still Sounds Great
Hans Zimmer would be tasked with creating the score for Man of Steel, with Zimmer assembling a powerful orchestral salute to Superman. Zimmer's "Ideal of Hope" would become the Superman theme of the Snyderverse, with the theme capturing both the power and warmth inherent to Superman. Zimmer's score also adds to the intensity of Man of Steel's stakes, emphasizing just what Cavill's Superman is up against at every turn. Tom Holkenborg would later help build upon Zimmer's score in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Zack Snyder's Justice League, but Zimmer's Man of Steel score set a strong musical foundation worthy of the Last Son of Krypton.
3 Man Of Steel's Superman Suit Is Extremely Well-Designed
Man of Steel's costume designer Michael Wilkinson would have another daunting task in deg the movie's version of Superman's red and blue suit, creating an outstanding uniform embodying Superman's heroism. Wilkinson's Superman suit takes influence from DC's New 52 re-design by dropping the suit's trademark red trunks. Furthermore, Wilkinson's design also creates a wholly new take on Kal-El's suit in re-imagining it with a chainmail-like design, which makes Cavill's Superman an even more powerful presence in every scene.
2 Man Of Steel Is By Far The Most Action-Packed Superman Movie
Zack Snyder is undeniably a filmmaker big on action, and never has a Superman movie been as action-packed as Man of Steel. With the level of Kryptonian might they wield, Superman, General Zod, and the Kryptonian army break the sound barrier in metahuman brawls that shake the Earth beneath them. Man of Steel is also extremely energetic in its action, with the entire third act of the movie being an all-out Kryptonian war. The amount of destruction in Man of Steel would prove controversial, but those very consequences on a world-wide level are at the core of Man of Steel's Superman origin story and its action scenes.
1 Superman's First Flight Scene Is Stunning
Superman's ability to fly is essential to who he is, and Man of Steel's first flight scene is a breathtaking and triumphant moment of Kal-El going up, up, and away. The first flight scene also works as a visual metaphor for the arc of Cavill's Superman, growing gradually more confident in his powers before eventually gaining absolute mastery of them. Russell Crowe's narration as Jor-El and Hans Zimmer's score add to the power of the scene, with Man of Steel's first flight standing as Cavill's best Superman movie moment. After 10 years, the iconic flight scene in Man of Steel has not lost one ounce of its cheer-worthy power.
