Why James Gunn’s DCU Needs to Avoid Superman’s Most Iconic Comic for Its Own Good

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With James Gunn and his team gearing up to film Superman this summer, Gunn is likely already planning the next chapter for the character and the broader DC Universe. There are many classic Superman stories from the comics for him to consider.

Despite being the most famous story in Superman’s history, and still influencing his adventures, it’s one James Gunn should probably avoid. While initially a sensation, the story pushes the character of Superman too far.

To keep the Man of Steel flying, James Gunn must never adapt The Death of Superman.

The Death Of Superman Is A Great Story For A Comic, Not A Movie

“The Death of Superman” is a landmark story in comic book history. DC Comics carefully built anticipation for the event, first introducing the villain Doomsday in Superman: Man of Steel #17 and then fully revealing him in the following issue. The story continued through all four Superman titles, plus an issue of Justice League, culminating in Superman’s apparent death in Superman #75. However, this was only the start of a larger narrative.

After the “Doomsday” storyline, DC Comics published “Funeral for a Friend,” a story that unfolded over eleven issues in various titles and took four months to show the impact of Superman’s death on those who knew him and the world. This was followed by “Reign of the Supermen!,” a four-month, sixteen-issue arc featuring four different characters vying to take Superman’s place.

This storyline spanned nearly a year in the comic books, leading many readers to genuinely question whether Superman would permanently die. While DC never intended to kill him off, they created a narrative that powerfully highlighted Superman’s importance to the world.

A key element of The Death and Return of Superman was its release as a monthly series, which allowed the story to explore perspectives beyond just Superman. This format gave the narrative room to develop and truly resonate with readers – something a movie, even two, couldn’t achieve. Plus, audiences have known all along Superman wouldn’t stay dead; that plot twist hasn’t been effective since Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Trying to recreate The Death of Superman in the new DC Universe wouldn’t live up to the impact of the original, and it’s simply been retold too many times. The story originally ran from December 1992 to October 1993, so it’s lost much of its freshness.

The Death Of Superman Has Been Overdone

Since its original appearance in comic books, The Death and Return of Superman has been retold in various forms – at least six times! This includes two novel versions and a video game. There have even been other attempts to adapt the story that never made it to completion, such as the planned movie Superman Lives. Overall, a new adaptation of this iconic tale has surfaced approximately every five years since it was first published.

Eventually, the story of Superman’s death became the most well-known part of his history, even though it focused more on the reactions of those around him. This is because it’s a compelling and tragic tale, and a well-executed version is guaranteed to deeply move viewers. Filmmakers always hope to create a movie with the same emotional impact as the ending of Avengers: Endgame.

The challenge with Endgame was that the filmmakers couldn’t simply look to the comics for a solution to bring Tony Stark back to life. While Iron Man has died in comic books before, the specific storyline Endgame drew from didn’t include his death. Plus, after ten movies building a rich and detailed universe, Iron Man’s death felt more impactful.

Adaptations of The Death of Superman haven’t been very successful, particularly Zack Snyder’s version, for two key reasons. Audiences simply didn’t accept that Superman would stay dead after only two films in a shared universe, and the efforts to convince them he wasn’t coming back were largely met with skepticism.

However, the biggest issue with The Death of Superman is that it doesn’t really showcase what makes Superman such a beloved character.

The Death Of Superman Isn’t A Good Superman Story

“The Death of Superman” is a landmark story in the character’s nearly century-long history, but its main purpose isn’t to explain why people love Superman—it’s simply to remind them that they do. This is why its release became such a huge event, with people lining up to buy it, building on everything that came before.

People aren’t drawn to Superman because of his sacrifices, but because of his unwavering hope and constant heroism. He represents the enduring power of one person to create positive change and the importance of fighting for your principles. As the musical Hamilton puts it, it’s not about dying a hero, but about the challenge and strength it takes to keep living and keep fighting for what’s right.

Focusing on Superman’s death overshadows the importance of his life. What makes The Death of Superman so significant is that it happened after the character had been a beloved icon for over 50 years, ever since his first appearance in Action Comics #1. People needed to connect with Superman’s life before they could truly grieve his loss.

For me, it’s the stories before and after the ‘Death and Return of Superman’ that truly show why Superman matters. That’s the kind of Superman James Gunn should focus on. Let’s leave the dying and resurrections behind and just tell stories about a living Superman – that’s what fans like me really want!

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2026-03-01 03:41