Speeding bullet dodged: Ben Affleck will not be directing the next Superman movie, sources say. So who will? I'd hoped for David Lynch, because he's the only guy who could do something different with the idea. Apparently not.
You know what would be interesting? Dump most of the backstory. Dump Smallville, or at least rename it. No one ever founded a town and called it Smallville. Sounds like a Facebook game. Make it gritty! Make Pa Kent a mean old drunk, or something. Forget the newspaper job - for one thing, kids today will not understand why he wants to work for one of those, when he could be working for an internet company. The newspaper job gave Clark some cover when he needed to change into Superman, but surely someone working at Google could come up with an excuse.
"I'm going out for a smoke."
"Actually, Clark, it's banned on the campus."
"Oh. Well, I'm just going to stand outside for a while."
And then the security camera shows him flying away. You can get away with that once, but after a while even the open-minded people at Google will ask what he's doing. I mean, the hours are flexible, but still.
So dump the entire secret identity thing. Why does he need one? If he has that many enemies, then having a secret identity puts everyone in his day job in peril. Make him a regular guy. Dump the pajamas. Cast Will Smith in the role. You know, that sounds familiar.
No, they'll have to do it by the numbers, just a few years after they did it again, and I can't imagine anyone will line up around the block to see the same story for the 90th time. Unless it's all about Superman trying to bring in Batman to face charges. That one I'd see. Because I am 12.
