Voices From Krypton

Part 2: "Superman: Man of Tomorrow" with Writer Tim Sheridan

Superman: Man of Tomorrow turned out to be an exciting rebooting of DC’s animated films, taking the Man of Steel back to his earliest days in Metropolis and establishing his still to evolve relationships with Lois Lane and Lex Luthor. In between, of course, dealing with Lobo and Parasite while being mentored by Martian Manhunter. As such, it’s an intriguing mix of characters, which is one of the topics discussed with the film’s screenwriter, Tim Sheridan.

Over the course of the second installment of our three-part conversation with Tim, he also reflects on the influence of Richard Donner’s iconic 1978 film Superman: The Movie, and, interestingly enough, shares that his approach to Superman, Lobo and Martian Manhunter definitely took a cue from the original Star Trek‘s triumvirate of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy. And as if all of that isn’t enough, there’s his belief that Lois and Jonathan and Martha Kent provide the greatest window into who Superman is.

Brandon Routh on Superman's Relevancy in Today's World

Back in 2018 during the 40th anniversary Superman Celebration that was held in Metropolis, Illinois, we had the opportunity to sit down with actor Brandon Routh, who, of course, portrayed the Man of Steel in 2006’s Superman Returns. Since that film he’s been portraying Ray Palmer/The Atom in the Arrowverse, especially on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and had the opportunity to make his triumphant return as Superman on the CW’s recent crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths.

When we sat down to talk, Brandon had just come off the main stage where he spoke to fans, the love they obviously felt for him and his take on Superman palpable. That connection is where the conversation began, and from there we went on to discuss the character’s continuing relevancy in today’s world.

Part 1: "Superman: Man of Tomorrow" Writer Tim Sheridan

For over 20 years, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has produced more than three dozen animated adventures featuring the heroes of DC Comics. It kicked off in 2007 with Superman: Doomsday and there’s something fitting in the fact that when they essentially rebooted the whole thing, it was with 2020’s Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Here’s how they describe the film: “It’s the dawn of a new age of heroes and Metropolis has just met its first. But as Daily Planet intern Clark Kent, working alongside reporter Lois Lane, secretly wields his alien powers in the battle for good, there’s even greater trouble on the horizon. Follow the budding hero as he engages in bloody battles with intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo and fights for his life to halt the attack of power-hungry alien Parasite. The world will learn about Superman … but first, Superman must save the world.”

Gerry Conway Remembers "Superman vs. Spider-Man"

Back in 1976 America was celebrating its Bicentennial, but comics fans were rejoicing over the fact that for the first time Superman and Spider-Man, flagship characters of DC and Marvel Comics, were brought together for the first time. In this episode of the VFK podcast, Gerry Conway, the man who wrote that historic pairing, reflects on how it all came together.