WB Turned Down Jordan Vogt-Roberts' Pitch For 'Superman: Red Son'

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As much as we might pick on DC Films from time to time, the task that Geoff Johns and co. have in figuring out which characters to bring to the big screen and how is far from enviable. Aside from having to cater to fan expectations, there is a wealth of official canon and offshoot material to draw from. It leaves creatives with the choice of telling the same variations on the origin stories that the general public knows and is familiar with, or taking a riskier approach by offering retooled and redrawn characters (take this winter’s “Logan” for example, which turned the cigar-chomping smart-ass Wolverine into an aging, weakened, near suicidal superhero). And it seems that Warner Bros. and DC are grappling with that very issue right now.

Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (the immensely fun “Kong: Skull Island“) has revealed on Twitter that a few months back, he pitched WB on an adaptation of “Superman: Red Son.” The three-issue comic by Mark Millar reinvented the story of the Man Of Steel, and imagined what would’ve happened if instead of landing in the United States, he fell into the Soviet Union instead. It’s a pretty wild story, but also pretty clever in the way it twists the tropes of Superman. Here’s the synopsis:

Strange visitor from another world who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands … and who, as the champion of the common worker, fights a never-ending battle for Stalin, Socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact.

In this Elseworlds tale, a familiar rocketship crash-lands on Earth carrying an infant who will one day become the most powerful being on the planet. But his ship doesn’t land in America. He is not raised in Smallville, Kansas. Instead, he makes his new home on a collective in the Soviet Union!

Of course, ‘Red Son’ wouldn’t make much sense in the current DC Films universe, but according to Miller, the studio has met with other directors about the project in recent months, so maybe they’re trying to figure out a way into the material. Perhaps they’re seeing if they can retool it for the brewing “Man Of Steel 2“?

For his part, Vogt-Roberts believes there should be room in this era of comic book movies for mainline, connected stories and one-offs that explore the gnarlier edges of superhero stories. In fact, he imagined ‘Red Son’ as possibly happening without Henry Cavill or Ben Affleck starring (and perhaps that’s why WB balked). Can’t say I’d argue with that, because certainly, comic book movies at the moment more or less play to a very standard template, with rare exceptions like “Logan” and “Deadpool” arriving every so often. But those movies don’t build brands or merchandising the same way that “The Avengers” or “Justice League” does, so those flicks will always be fewer and far between.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments section.