With all the buzz and excitement surrounding Man of Steel, how could we forget that it will soon be Superman’s 75th birthday?
I had stumbled upon this fact while cruising the net, although I’m sure it’s a benchmark many comic fans know very well.
Superman’s debut was in the June 1938 issue of Action Comics, which again coincides his birthday with the release of Man of Steel. Perhaps this is just the beginning of what could be a lot of synergy with the movie and Superman’s anniversary.
Recently Steel screenwriter David Goyer told Collider that there wasn’t a big plan for he and Christopher Nolan to reboot Superman following The Dark Knight series, it just happened. And perhaps they didn’t initially think that the film would come out the same year as the big guy’s birthday, but if it was indeed a coincidence, it’s a very lucky one indeed.
As we’ve reported throughout our Man of Steel coverage, Warner Brothers has a lot riding on their Superman reboot, and it will determine whether Justice League goes forward or not. Along with Batman, Superman is the biggest and best-known superhero on the planet, a true icon of comics who’s also been called the Christ of comic heroes.
As Zack Snyder, director of Man of Steel, told the L.A. Times, “He’s this amazing ambassador for all superheroes. What we’ve made as a film not only examines that but is also an amazing adventure story. It’s been an honor to work on. As a comic book fan, Superman is like the Rosetta Stone of all superheroes. I want to be sure the movie treated it respectfully.”
So while he may be 75 years old in earth years, the image of Superman in his red and blue suit and flowing cape will always be iconic, a symbol of heroism and strength that needs no translation anywhere in the world. Man of Steel certainly has a lot to live up to in this regard, but however the movie turns out, the icon of Superman will always be with us.
