Podcast 253: Man of Steel

Movie Title: Man of Steel
Release Date: June 14, 2013
Runtime: 143 minutes
Director: Zack Snyder
Screenplay Written By: David S. Goyer
Based On: DC Comics character Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; story by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan
Is it a remake?: No. It is a reboot of the Superman film series and the first film in the DC Extended Universe continuity.

Main Cast:

Henry Cavill
Amy Adams
Michael Shannon
Kevin Costner
Diane Lane
Laurence Fishburne
Antje Traue
Ayelet Zurer
Christopher Meloni
Russell Crowe

Budget: Approximately $225 million; some sources report a range up to $258 million.

Box Office:

Domestic: $291,045,518
International: $379,100,000
Worldwide: $670,145,518

Awards:

IMDb lists 7 wins and 46 nominations.
Saturn Award nomination — Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture
Critics’ Choice Movie Award nomination — Best Actor in an Action Movie, Henry Cavill
Annie Award nomination — Outstanding Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
BAFTA Children’s Award nomination — Kids’ Vote, Feature Film
Houston Film Critics Society nomination — Best Original Score, Hans Zimmer
Golden Trailer Award winner — Best Summer 2013 Blockbuster Poster

Core credits, runtime, release date, budget, box office, and awards cross-checked through IMDb, Box Office Mojo, The Numbers, AFI Catalog, and Warner/DC-related listings.

Short Plot Summary:

Kal-El is sent from the dying planet Krypton to Earth, where he is raised as Clark Kent by Jonathan and Martha Kent. As an adult, Clark struggles to understand his powers and identity while staying hidden from a world that may fear him. When General Zod arrives demanding the return of Krypton’s genetic future, Clark must choose whether to stand with his birth world or protect humanity. The film presents Superman’s origin as a large-scale alien-contact and identity story.

Key Quotes:

“You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards.” — Jor-El
“You’re my son.” — Jonathan Kent
“I’m surrendering to mankind.” — Superman
“Kneel before Zod!” — General Zod
“A good death is its own reward.” — Faora-Ul

Quotes verified through IMDb quote records and character quote listings.

Trivia

Director:
- Zack Snyder directed the film, with Christopher Nolan producing and sharing story credit with David S. Goyer.
- Snyder was hired as director in October 2010 after Nolan pitched Goyer’s Superman concept while working in the orbit of The Dark Knight Rises.
- The film was shot in 2D and converted to 3D in post-production rather than filmed natively in 3D. Snyder also chose to shoot on film instead of digital because he wanted a “big movie experience.”
- The film launched the continuity that later became known as the DC Extended Universe.
Cast / Casting:
- Henry Cavill plays Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman, with Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Michael Shannon as General Zod.
- Russell Crowe plays Jor-El, Superman’s Kryptonian father; Kevin Costner and Diane Lane play Jonathan and Martha Kent, his adoptive Earth parents.
- Antje Traue plays Faora-Ul, one of Zod’s key Kryptonian allies.
- Recent reporting notes Snyder tested Cavill in the classic Christopher Reeve-style Superman suit during casting, and Snyder later described Cavill’s presence in the suit as decisive.
Soundtrack / Score:
- Hans Zimmer composed the score.
- Man of Steel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released June 11, 2013 by WaterTower Music and Sony Classical.
- Zimmer intentionally did not use John Williams’ classic “Superman March,” helping distinguish this reboot from the Christopher Reeve-era films.
- The score’s trailer cue “An Ideal of Hope” is a shortened version of the album track “What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?”
Location:
- Principal photography began August 1, 2011 near DuPage Airport under the codename Autumn Frost.
- Filming took place in the Chicago area, including Plano, Illinois, which doubled for Smallville.
- Burnaby’s Mammoth Studios in Vancouver was used for Krypton and extraterrestrial aircraft sets.
- Vancouver’s North Shore waterfront was used for the oil-rig rescue sequence; Ucluelet and Nanaimo, British Columbia stood in for Alaska during early Clark Kent scenes.
- Chicago Loop filming took place in September 2011 for Metropolis material and establishing shots.
Act 1:
- The film opens on Krypton, expanding Superman’s origin with Kryptonian politics, genetic engineering, the Codex, and General Zod’s failed coup.
- Kal-El is presented as the first naturally born Kryptonian child in centuries, which makes him symbolically important before he ever reaches Earth.
- Jor-El sends Kal to Earth as Krypton collapses, while Zod and his followers are sentenced to the Phantom Zone.
- The Earth sections use a nonlinear structure, showing adult Clark drifting through jobs while flashbacks reveal his childhood, powers, and Jonathan Kent’s fear of how the world will react.
Act 2:
- Lois Lane tracks Clark after investigating the Arctic scout ship, making her more active in uncovering Superman’s identity than in many earlier screen versions.
- Clark discovers his Kryptonian heritage through Jor-El’s consciousness aboard the scout ship.
- Zod broadcasts a worldwide message demanding that Earth surrender Kal-El, shifting the movie from origin story into alien-invasion crisis.
- Clark turns himself over to the U.S. military, telling Lois he is “surrendering to mankind,” not simply to Zod.
Act 3:
- Zod intends to terraform Earth into a new Krypton using the World Engine, which would exterminate humanity.
- The climax splits action between the Indian Ocean World Engine sequence and the battle in Metropolis.
- Superman destroys the World Engine, then faces Zod directly in Metropolis.
- The ending formally places Clark at the Daily Planet, setting up the classic Clark Kent / Lois Lane newsroom dynamic for future films.
Easter Eggs:
- The film includes a Wayne Enterprises satellite/logo reference, foreshadowing Batman’s existence in the same universe.
- LexCorp branding appears in the Metropolis destruction sequence, hinting at Lex Luthor before his later DCEU appearance.
- The “S” shield is reinterpreted as a Kryptonian symbol meaning hope rather than simply standing for Superman.
- Pete Ross and Lana Lang appear in Clark’s Smallville backstory, tying the film to familiar Superman supporting characters.
- The Kryptonian Codex and scout ship worldbuilding heavily reframe Superman’s mythos around biology, ancestry, and alien civilization rather than only secret identity and heroics.
Misc:
- Box Office Mojo lists the film’s domestic opening weekend at $116,619,362 from 4,207 theaters.
- The film grossed $670,145,518 worldwide, including $291,045,518 domestic and $379,100,000 international.
- The Numbers also lists the production budget at $225 million and the domestic opening at $116,619,362.
- Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic reception was mixed, while CinemaScore audience polling reported an A− grade.
- The sequel/follow-up continuity continued with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016.