There are a few contentious decisions in Man of Steel. From how Clark Kent watches his father die, to the chaotic ending, Zack Snyder’s film took some liberties that split Superman’s fanbase. One particular sequence, where it seems like bystanders very likely got hurt, has been cleared up – sort of.
In the DCU, Man of Steel stands as the kicking-off point for the modern timeline of DC movies in order. To some, it’s one of the best superhero movies, to others, not so much. In the hierarchy of the Superman movies in order, it’s not the worst, but definitely not the best either. Jay Oliva, storyboard artist on the release, countered criticism that Superman’s fight with Zod might have hurt some regular people in Metropolis.
“I came up with that scene and had no bystanders anywhere shown and used an empty parking lot for said destruction,” Oliva says in response to a fan on Twitter. “If you want to believe that there’s people in there then that’s on you but not what’s in the film or what was intended.”
If the idea that people were abandoned quickly enough to avoid a pair of demigods knocking chunks out of each other sounds far-fetched (it is), Oliva posits that a couple more of the best DC characters leant a hand. “Whatever bystander was in danger, The Flash came in and whisked them away to safety throughout the destruction of Metropolis,” he adds. “Or Dr Fate or another DC superhero was there to help save everyone.”
That’s convenient. Someone else who definitely existed in the universe at that time fixed things that seemed to be overlooked. The stuff all the best action movies are made out of. All cynicism aside, The Flash tells us Barry Allen was there for Supes handling Zod, but he wasn’t much help in dealing with one of the best DC villains.
It fits that he’d help mitigate the damage caused, but ultimately, that’s a storytelling crutch. We don’t come to these stories for complete logic, but that battle in Metropolis stands out as one where people very likely got hurt, and nobody in front or behind the camera seems to care all that much.
Imagining The Flash doing a lap while Zod and Superman are bashing each other around doesn’t help either. Sometimes, it’s good to just admit something was an oversight! At least this leaves a lesson to be learned for the Superman: Legacy release date and the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow release date.
Check out our new movies list to see what other blockbusters are coming, and we have a best movies list for more top-tier filmmaking. If you’d prefer to make yours Marvel, our The Marvels guide can do just that.