DIRECTOR'S CUT: Psychology of a Hero: Henry Cavill's SUPERMAN
Added 2023-07-03 15:12:45 +0000 UTCHow do you figure out what kind of person you want to become? Who has helped shape your identity?
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright are taking a look at Henry Cavill’s Superman and his hero psychology. Superman is Jonathan’s favorite pop culture character, and he enjoys these movies despite their faults. Alan… doesn’t like them. Regardless of their differing opinions, they talk about Henry’s Superman as someone who struggles with identity and receives mixed messages from parental figures. Jonathan shares identity status theory to explore how Henry’s Superman actually becomes Superman. And Alan shares his contempt for all these movies.
Comments
YOU ALWAYS SAVE THE DOG. You al 👏 ways👏 save👏 the 👏 dog👏😤😤😤😤😤😤😤😤
HuffLepuffLe Bree
2024-10-06 20:33:49 +0000 UTCI do love Superman but I am a Batman girl. Yes, Bruce Wayne is wealthy, but he is not sitting around ignoring the bad things happening in his city he is doing something about it. He also needs therapy. He uses his brain to defeat the bad guys - not guns.
Kendall Childs
2024-08-01 23:19:02 +0000 UTCYes, I want more U.N.C.L.E and Superman with Henry Cavell.
Kendall Childs
2024-08-01 22:52:01 +0000 UTCOne thing I would like to note, that I don't believe was explained in the movies, is that the reason Superman wore the black suit is because it helps him absorb sunlight at a quicker rate. Which is why he immediately goes to space once he puts it on. I feel like it would have given the scene more meaning if it was somehow explained at some point prior to that moment.
Kelsey Brown
2024-02-26 08:27:22 +0000 UTCTo answer the question at the end - a resounding YES. Superman truly is my favorite superhero and he has been specifically because of Christopher Reeve. I've called myself "the original Superman fangirl" for as long as I can remember. I love it *all*, but it all began with my man Reeve. I was born in 1977, so a bit too late to see the original movies in theatres, but I watched them all alongside my Dad as a young child, and The Quest For Peace was the first Superman movie I saw for myself in the theatre. As cheesy and ridonkulous (it's a bad movie, I will not deny it), it holds a special place in my heart as my favorite movie for probably that reason. It was the first Superman movie that was *mine*, from the perspective of a nine year old girl. Soooo...yes, please please PLEASE do the Reeve movies! Some or all of them, I don't care.
Amy Petty
2023-12-09 05:43:07 +0000 UTCI'm so glad y'all finally did this. I somehow missed it the first time and I don't see how, because I was screaming for it for months...! Anyway, I tend to agree with both Jono and Alan on this one. I LOVED the movie overall, in large part because Superman is and always has been my favorite superhero and I pretty much am given to love anything he is in. That said, as I mentioned in another comment, my favorite incarnation of Supes is the one embodied by Christopher Reeve. (It must be noted that his portrayal does not align with the original Superman of the 1930s and 40s, who was very much given to violent, sometimes murderous attacks, rather than being the more well-known and iconic version depicted by Reeve's much more benign character). I WANT there to be an idealized hero who has been called the Big Blue Boy Scout for a very compelling reason. So on that end, I have say I definitely don't prefer the more cynical take on the Man of Steel. But that said, I do appreciate exploring the character for a different audience in a decidedly different age from the one who catered to audiences living through the latter end of the Cold War. But that gets me to agreeing solidly with Alan that they could have, and should have, done this without disrespecting the character. If Superman's moral center isn't the human sensibilities that was inculcated into him by his human parents, then there IS no Superman! And I honestly don't know WTF they were even going for in having Jonathan Kent say the things he did to young Clark, about it potentially being better to let people die than to reveal himself. I mean, I just...if I understood what Snyder was going for with that, maybe. But honestly it just doesn't make sense and it reeks of Snyder failing to understand Jonathan Kent's role in making Superman who he is. And I'm not even going to touch on the absolutely ludicrous way they killed Old Man Kent off. I've read the graphic novel, which gets into Clark's thoughts while that event was happening. It basically shows him thinking of his father's words just a split second too long, causing juuuuust enough hesitation for him to be too late. I suppose it is SUPPOSED to serve the same purpose in having Superman experience the limits of his powers, but that was absolutely not the way to do it. (And that's without getting into THAT'S NOT HOW TORNADOES WORK, YE SCUFFY DIRECTOR WITH YER GUMMY SCRIPT!
Amy Petty
2023-12-09 05:04:40 +0000 UTCJonathan Kent was killed off in one of the more recent volumes of Superman, but for the most part in the past the character has been alive and well and serving as part of Clark Kent's emotional support team. I have to agree that the major theme of killing him off with a heart attack in the original series of movies was done to humanize Clark by having him experience the grief of facing a tragedy he cannot prevent. To that end, there was an actual point to killing Zod. I don't agree that the family he was threatening could have easily avoided him. Because that's literally supposed to be the entire point of that scene, that Superman can't prevent Zod from burning them unless he stops Zod then and there and the only way to do that is by snapping his neck. But more to the point, there's no way at all to stop Zod from killing ANYONE else, short of killing him. He and Superman are more or less evenly matched, with Zod having the edge due to being a trained soldier who doesn't have the slightest qualm about killing bystanders, least of all humans who mean nothing to him in the first place. So when Superman has him in a chokehold, it, well...it's not over. If Superman were to let Zod go, the fight is only going to continue, because Zod obviously is not going to concede. For the latter, there is only one choice: to carry out his objective. He is fighting to do precisely what he was born and bred for, and nothing short of death is going to make him stop. The culmination of that scene is that Zod has no intention of living without carrying out his singular goal. The minute that Superman finally has him contained, he has no option to let him go. So there is only one choice before the Man of Steel. There's no way to *imprison* Zod, obviously, but beyond that, there are innocent people in the immediate path who are about to die if he doesn't make his choice *NOW*. That's the point. You're being shown that Zod has no will to live if he's not going to be allowed to carry out his purpose - he prefers death over the latter. But also, narratively speaking the point was to put Superman into a position where he could not avoid making THE choice that goes against his entire ideology. Every version that deals with this particular story features that choice. Superman's entire *brand* is that he absolutely, emphatically, does not and will not kill. So here's a story where he's presented with a scenario where if he holds to that maxim at all costs, innocent people will die. So what's it gonna be, Supes? And this story is meant to be more poignant because it's ALSO about Superman choosing his human side over his Krypton heritage.
Amy Petty
2023-12-09 04:30:54 +0000 UTCChristopher Reeve was my first experience of Superman and I will always prefer his portrayal of Supes as the Big Blue Boy Scout. I just have a preferential soft spot for the Cold War iteration of this particular hero. I swore for years following Reeve's death that I would never accept Supes any other way. And then along came Cavill's portrayal in Man of Steel. And I mean...damn! I still love my iconic Supes from a more naive and idealistic age, but Cavill's much more nuanced take on portraying Supes in a more realistic fashion is arguably the best portrayal of Superman we now have. I suppose that's my being forced to acknowledge the difference between the version I prefer versus the one which is objectively *better*.
Amy Petty
2023-12-09 04:09:30 +0000 UTC“That’s all it is, Clark. A leap of faith.”
tropetweeter
2023-08-02 00:37:21 +0000 UTCIn general, I agree with Alan's take on this one: the character arc for Clark across the three movies is conceptually solid, but the execution is just... bad. Jono's framing of Snyder's Justice League works pretty well for me, too: take it as a mini-series, with each section as an episode... and the run-time becomes no problem. I felt similarly about Eternals: That's a movie that *should* have been a series, or had a series lead into it. One thing I did want to note for Connor, above, though... about that Lexcorp tanker truck... that building was a parking garage. We saw Clark get knocked into it in the previous shot, and when he rises up over the tanker, we can see it's the same building. That's why after the explosion, there are cars falling out onto the street for the rest of that shot. Given what we've been shown about everyone getting the hell out earlier, with crowds fleeing down the streets... there's really no reason to think that the 1-3 guys operating the garage would have stayed in the building through the crazy. I dunno if that makes the scene any better for you, but it at least shows he's not casually disregarding people in an office building in *that* shot. Some others... eh.
Bill McDonough
2023-07-19 12:13:49 +0000 UTCFair warning I haven't seen these movies so take my thoughts with a semi-truck of salt. But having seen these clips, I think the part where Jonathan Kent is talking about his nightmares stopping after the farm washing out would have hit a lot better for me if he had said something to the affect of: "No, but it got a lot easier to live with them when I came to terms with the fact that we couldn't have known how saving our farm would hurt theirs. All I could do moving forward it try to make sure we both make it through the storm. We can't save everyone, but saving just one farm, one person still matters." It bothers me that they leaned into the whole, "she's your therapy" trope. The story of superman is so much bigger than Lois lane. She's great and having support means so much, but she can't carry the whole world for him because he's hurting. Maybe this is me projecting, but I still think it's better than "she's my world" so the bad consequences of my actions are ok 🤷♀️
Danielle Dupuis
2023-07-17 20:49:30 +0000 UTCTLDR: I whole heartedly agree with Alan, and I don't know when to stop word vomiting my love of Superman. My biggest problem with the Snyder Superman is how these movies have changed the common perception of Superman. Snyder is obsessed with portraying Clark as a Jesus figure or a god like being, (and yes, before anyone says it, MOSES I know. I get it. But basing his arrival on Earth on a biblical figure and having Clark literally hit the pose of the cross in the film are very different to me) and I feel like that's what people think Superman is like now. To an extent, I understand when people think Superman would look down on normal people. "Absolute power corrupts blah blah blah". I get it. I can see why people think a man as strong as Clark no longer sees himself as a human. The Kill Bill monologue about Superman is neat and well acted, but I always thought it's wrong. It's actually fairly accurate about some versions of Batman, but not Superman. Bruce feels like he died in Crime Alley that night. He has no real self that was developed or nurtured. Clark is not a persona. Clark Kent wakes up as Clark Kent, and goes to bed Clark Kent. Clark Kent is a real man, a good honest, humble, and super man who uses his abilities to be Superman. He protects Metropolis because he can, and because he genuinely wants to. He loves his home and the people who live there. And unlike your Bruces Wayne, your Peters Parker, your Matthews Murdock, etc. Clark Kent doesn't need the tragic backstory and the dead parents. Yeah, it works for some heroes, and there have been stories where Pa Kent dies, but Ma and Pa Kent have been Clark's best influence from the very beginning. Jonathan and Martha Wayne raised Clark Kent, not Superman. And they sure as hell never said "Listen son, next time let the kids drown so no one questions your super powers." Superman is not an avenger (not the marvel group, like in the literal sense.) He is Superman because he wants to save and protect people in a way only he can. I've been in classes or discussions where people say stuff where people say "Superman is so boring" and "he's so powerful it's not interesting" and I just can't agree with that sentiment. Yeah, most of the time we're not worried about Lex Luthor beating Superman in a fist fight. We're pretty sure that most DC villains can't beat Clark. But most of the time, the stakes in a Superman fight aren't just a straightforward "Who can hit the other guy harder?" Because most villains know they can't win that fight with Superman. Clark has to fight off villains and save the city, and limit collateral damage, and protect civilians who might end up in harm's way. Death of Superman is one of my favorite Superman comics because Clark tries to fight Doomsday like he would any other villain of the week, but realizes that that isn't going to work against a foe this powerful. So Clark is forced to put his everything into beating this literal walking force of destruction. He cannot hold back at all, because no one else on Earth can stop Doomsday. And if Doomsday kills him, then Metropolis is doomed anyway. So Clark reluctantly stops holding back. He goes all out. He levels parts of Metropolis. And my favorite part, Doomsday didn't bust out some secret chunk of Kryptonite. Doomsday is just so strong, that even though Clark wins, it takes literally all of him to do it. And he dies. He gives everything he has to save Metropolis. It's heart breaking, but it's earned, and it's impactful as hell. Snyder just decided to have Clark go absolutely nuts in his very first fight against any villain ever and destroys Metropolis, like literally almost razes the city in its entirety, then just snaps Zodd's neck, cuz I guess now he cares about making sure no innocent people die, oops. (And don't even get me started on Clark flying over the oil truck when Zodd throws it at him. I know Alan hates the tornado scene, and I do too, but that one little detail of him choosing to casually hop over a volatile oil tanker and allowing it to blow up right at the base of a building that likely had people in it literally makes so mad just thinking about it. It ruins the entire DCEU for me, I'm not even joking.) Then he dies against Doomsday in BMVSM cuz "Imma stab him with the one weapon that can kill me this is the best plan" and he dies. Boo hoo. It feels cheap and hollow. We don't need any more edgy Supermen. We have Reign of the Supermen (which I love). We have Red Son (which is alright). We have Brightburn(eh). We have Homelander(show💯/comic👎). We have Injustice (Nazi Superman?🤮🤮🤮). We have Doctor Manhattan. And we have the Snyderverse. It's done to death. I for one liked the new animated Superman show. It's not perfect, and I had a couple gripes with it (why the hell is Jerry Smith voicing Slade Wilson), but it was so freaking wholesome and wonderful, and it's exactly what I want for Superman nowadays. It was like a pallet cleanse of all the edge lord fanfic OCs-do-not-steal we have. And same with the Animated DC universe films. Animated Clark Kent is usually pretty great. Clark Kent is a goofy, friendly, compassionate guy who just so happens to be an all-powerful alien. And we need much much more of that. I probably got lost in the sauce there a bit. All this to say, Superman means a hell of a lot to me. And knowing that Zach Snyder doesn't like comic books then got trusted to make adaptations of some of my favorite characters just still doesn't sit well with me. I respect the hell out of Jono and anyone else who likes them. Different strokes and all that. I just can't bring myself to like them. I love Clark Kent a lot. Great episode guys. Nailed as usual. Can't wait for the next one.
Connor Maxwell
2023-07-13 05:59:53 +0000 UTCMan fron UNCLE is GREAT!! I absolutely loved it!!!
Kate Ackerley
2023-07-11 20:37:12 +0000 UTCAmen!
Cinema Therapy
2023-07-10 14:30:10 +0000 UTCYes. When Christopher Reeve is an option, the answer is always yes! As far as I am concerned, Henry Cavill and all the others have portrayed Superman; Christopher Reeve was Superman. You do not go through all that man went through and not earn that title. Please make this particular episode happen.
Ruth Popkin
2023-07-10 02:04:40 +0000 UTCI'm from Kansas and I agree
taylor garrett
2023-07-10 01:24:36 +0000 UTCI love it when Jono and Alan fanboy geek out together (Firefly much?) and I love it even more when they flat out disagree. :)
Jennifer Sherman
2023-07-06 06:37:29 +0000 UTCI agree with Alan 100% on these movies, and the only thing I like less than the Whedon cut is the Snyder cut. Everyone I know raves about it, but watching just felt like a punishment to me since it feels like it takes 3 weeks to get through. Thank you Alan for making me feel sane!
Ryan3000
2023-07-05 18:53:14 +0000 UTCI can definitely understand how the “maybe” scene on Jonathan Kent’s scene was bad parenting, but in the movie’s defense I think it’s a good way of showing how Jonathan is unsure what to do in such a situation (rescuing the kids on the bus thus exposing Clark vs letting them die while keeping Clark’s identity intact). It’s possible it’s a flaw in Jonathan’s character, but it definitely makes him more nuanced than romanticized. In my opinion! I’m not a parent and I could be talking out of my butt. 😅
Sean Goettsche
2023-07-05 17:35:18 +0000 UTCEww the hate for Man of Steel is scorching lol! I loved Man of Steel...BUT I do agree with both Alan and Jono that Papa Kent's death scene left me feeling hollow. I couldn't suspend my logic on that one either. Besides that scene, I love the growth of the human being in Clark in MoS. He tries living incognito like his father taught him and he learns about the world he will eventually save. He literally goes on a quest to find himself and he does, when he's older and able to process huge responsibility. I don't believe it would have been as interesting to place the "savior of the world" complex at a little boy's feet, or a teenager's feet, so Papa Kent was right in that regard. I understand Jono's dislike of the "maybe you should have let them drown" scene, but as upsetting as it is, I appreciate that this is a man who just wants his child to be a child - not a savior and carry the whole world on his shoulders, which could end up breaking him no matter how strong he is physically. It's classic "just because you can doesn't mean you should". Also, many times on this channel Jono has talked about how parents often project their fears onto their children. I think these are the mature versions of the Kents teaching their son that the world is not all light and goodness. He will struggle and may not even like the world, and vice versa, but he should have his eyes fully open when he uses his gifts to save it. ......The other two movies don't exist. 😂
Lynettra
2023-07-05 14:08:41 +0000 UTCAlan, I am 100% with you on the Justice League Snyder cut. It was a slight improvement from Joss Whedon version because it gave Cyborg and Flash a better arc. But waaaayyyyy tooooo loooonnngggg. Snyder's obsessive need to slow-mo the action scenes is a massive hindrance to superhero movies (granted it worked in 300, but only then). Also, your thoughts on Henry Cavill Superman meeting Dwayne Johnson Black Adam? Or what could have been with those actors and characters if the DCEU had continued?
Alexander Filippini
2023-07-04 12:36:01 +0000 UTCTalking about the Jonathan Kents death scene, I disagree with Alan, even though he has the power to save him, he has zero training, I don't think that Superman, at that point, has any control of his powers, except maybe for his strenght, I believe if he went superfast, he wouldn't be able to stop it correctly and maybe he could had made it worse, and of course the main message behind is to keep him hidden, but I think it's because of his lack of training and control.
Luis Martins
2023-07-04 11:18:53 +0000 UTCSuperman is one of my all-time favourite superheroes and Christopher Reeve was my first and still fave version of him in the movies. The second movie - Terrance Stamp as Zod? GOAT casting as far as I'm concerned, so yeah, I'd love to see you dissect those. I still love Cavill's supes and I still love these movies. But hey, I'm v. easy to please. (also BvS makes for some really great fanfiction. Cavill and Affleck have superior chemistry)
Bec B
2023-07-04 06:21:47 +0000 UTCI grew up with Christopher Reeves as my Superman (who is still my number 1), then Tom Welling came along in Smallville and I enjoyed it for the most part. I really enjoyed Henry Cavill's portrayal as Superman and I wished he could have played the part longer, but alas it was not meant to be. Did Zack Snyder's trilogy have issues, yes, but darn it most of the casting was spot on and the overarching storyline was good.
Rob Foster
2023-07-04 02:33:12 +0000 UTCYes PLEASE do Christopher Reeves version!!! His is the main one I remember watching growing up. (Also the Lois and Clark TV show of the 1990's (give me thoughts on that version, love/hate?)). I will be honest and say I didn't really watch a lot of superhero movies growing up, though I did see some of them. Out of the that time period, though, I think I enjoyed Reeves Superman more because of his personality that was influenced by the Clark family and how much he openly showed his care for the people. And speaking of Christopher Reeves, ever consider doing a movie breakdown of "Somewhere in Time"?
Cecilia Harrington
2023-07-03 22:47:23 +0000 UTCAlan fully agrees - great casting and... less great writing.
Cinema Therapy
2023-07-03 22:04:01 +0000 UTCWell like tacos, some people like hard shells, others like soft shells. There is no wrong answer for preferences in movies. It always brings great conversations and friendships either way!
Kathryn Murders
2023-07-03 19:11:15 +0000 UTCI didn't really like these movies when I saw them in theatres. But I LOVED the casting. The writing just wasn't there for me. After watching you guys dissect it, I feel like I have to go have a marathon with my new prespective. Also, doing Christopher Reeves' Superman would be awesome!
Sadie
2023-07-03 18:11:08 +0000 UTCI strongly disagree with your statement that Snyder usually does a great job with storytelling. But you know what? We can still be friends! In fact, we could totally debate that over tacos sometime and walk away feeling great about life, the universe and everything! THAT'S why I love movies!
Alan Seawright
2023-07-03 17:27:35 +0000 UTC😘
Alan Seawright
2023-07-03 17:25:44 +0000 UTCMuch like Jono I love superman in general. I always think about Bill's monologue in Kill Bill 2 about superman and loved that perspective. My problem with a lot of superhero movies lately (i still love seeing them and they are entertaining) it often feels like we only get the origin story before someone remakes it. So I can relate to Alan in a way in that it seems almost disrespectful to characters that have been around forever. I think thats also why I loved Robert Pattinson's Batman that came out because the Paul Danos Riddler was such a nice change from the constant Batman/Joker. End rant lol
B
2023-07-03 17:14:23 +0000 UTCI actually liked this version of Superman more than the Christopher Reeves version for same reason someone stated above. Reeves was too perfect. I liked the darker version where Superman was faced with an idea that man may not be worth protecting, because it became more his choice to do so. But BvS and Justice League were a mess. I wonder if Zack Snyder did these at a time that was better for him personally (as he had a lot of life stuff going on at the time) if it would've been more balanced? He usually does a great job with storytelling and seems like the last two movies were just really imbalanced.
Kathryn Murders
2023-07-03 16:59:10 +0000 UTCSomeone is saaaaallllty about Superman lol
Sharon aka Pocozy
2023-07-03 16:57:51 +0000 UTCOk, now that I’ve seen this I have some thoughts. 1. I need to watch them all now from the POV of this is a Supe origin story. 2. Snyder’s style seems to be More. More dialogue, more visuals, just…more. It doesn’t always work for me. 3. Jonathan’s character worked for me. As a realist, a pragmatist, I can see how he’d worry how the world would view and treat his so . His death wasn’t great but I like it more than him just having an MI. Clark’s instinct is to ignore his dad’s messages for his whole life and to save him. But…his dad doesn’t want that. Clark, against his own instincts, does what his father would want. We all sometimes go against our conscience and have guilt and remorse because of that. Giving that to Clark humanizes him in a way that a heart attack never could. With an MI Clark could literally do nothing to save his dad. Here he COULD, and chooses not to. Later, he can use that as a core motivation for why he will stay true to his character.
Lauren Wagstaff
2023-07-03 16:52:39 +0000 UTCYes! Do the Christopher Reeve Superman films! For those of us who grew up in the '70s and '80s, he just *was* Superman. Plus those were pretty much the first big budget, major director blockbuster superhero films, were they not? Oh, the history there!
Eve72
2023-07-03 16:48:20 +0000 UTCI’m right in the middle between Jono and Alan, I liked Man of Steel for the most part, Henry Cavill was great, and I loved Amy Adams as Lois, she actually did her job as a reporter. But the more I thought of Jonathan Kent’s death, the more it bothered me. I can’t speak for the comics, but his dad died of a heart attack in the Reeve films IIRC, literally something he could not prevent or change. To make it something Clark could have prevented but didn’t because Jonathan didn’t want him to completely missed the point of it all. And I’m sorry, that family in the corner could have easily avoided Zod’s lazer eyes, especially with how slowly he was craning his neck toward them. There was no need to snap his neck just to prevent their deaths, and when you consider many people died because they were in the buildings when they were collapsing… again, what was the point?? I also hated the whole Martha thing. Like /just/ because their mothers happened to have the same name, what if Clark’s mother’s name was Karen, what then??
Lauren Frey
2023-07-03 15:34:18 +0000 UTCCan’t wait to watch. I actually really like this version of Superman. The Pollyanna version of Reeves always felt too pristine, too perfect. As a human, I like seeing my heroes as me…imperfect, struggling, but persevering and trying to be better than yesterday. (I do hate BVS tho. Awful film)
Lauren Wagstaff
2023-07-03 15:26:07 +0000 UTC
