Superman Then and Now

[BlackRiders]

'Man of Steel' is a decidedly darker version of Superman than the ones we've met in previous films, but that's not the only difference. - by Bryan Enk

SUPERMAN'S SUIT

One has red shorts. The other does not. Because, apparently, in 2013, we just can't take the red shorts seriously any more … at least according to Zack Snyder. Let's just say that while we probably won't miss them, we also wouldn't have minded if they had been there – just for, you know, the sake of tradition.


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[BlackRiders]

FLYING

Christopher Reeve had limited movement when in flying mode due to the fact that he was strapped in a harness. Henry Cavill ... well, thanks to the magic of computers and CG technology, there's a good chance that's not even Henry Cavill at all, so he can strike all sorts of battle-ready poses when he's off the ground.

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[BlackRiders]

CLARK KENT

Talk about night and day! Christopher Reeve sports the "classic" Clark look with eyeglasses and proper Daily Planet dress code. Henry Cavill, meanwhile, is in need of a shave ... and, come to think of it, does he even wear glasses at all in "Man of Steel"?


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[BlackRiders]

LOIS LANE

The most ambitious and reckless reporter at the Daily Planet has to be played by an actress who's both gorgeous and looks like she could drink you under the table if that's what it took to get the scoop, and both Margot Kidder and Amy Adams fit the bill. If anything, Adams has a little bit more of a harder edge thanks to those steely blue eyes. Plus, Adams defiantly bucked the classic brunette look for her Lois and stuck with her


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[BlackRiders]

JOR-EL

Marlon Brando is dressed head to toe in white as Kal-El's father, perhaps foreshadowing the prominent color of choice for the interior and exterior design of what would later become the Fortress of Solitude. Russell Crowe's wardrobe goes in the complete opposite direction, sporting more muted colors to reflect the more somber tone of "Man of Steel." Also, Crowe has a beard, just like his scruffy-faced son tends to favor.


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[BlackRiders]

LARA LOR-VAN

Kal-El's got a beautiful mother, no matter what movie you're watching! Both incarnations of Lara rock the cleavage, though Susannah York has a more angelic appearance (appropriate, seeing as that her husband is dressed in all white, too) whilst Ayelet Zurer has a more world-weary look ... though you also get the impression that the Man of Steel's mama is certainly capable of throwing a punch at General Zod, should a situation ever require it.


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[BlackRiders]

ZOD

Old Zod was played by a respected British stage actor who staked his claim in comic book movie villainy with his inimitable command of "Kneel before Zod!" New Zod is played by the guy who completely re-wrote the book on playing crazy. Terrence Stamp and Michael Shannon are absolutely nothing alike ... and they're both more than worthy to play the nefarious Kryptonian general.


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[BlackRiders]

PERRY WHITE

Former child actor Jackie Cooper was the perfect personification of the Perry White we know from the comics: a middle-aged, cigar-chomping, no-nonsense newsman who ran the best damn paper in Metropolis (it might also be the only paper on Metropolis, but hey). Laurence Fishburne, meanwhile, gives us our first African-American incarnation of the character, and we're sure he'll be spewing plenty of Morpheus-style wisdom and sternness ... without the cigar, of course.


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[BlackRiders]

MARTHA KENT

At 59, Phyllis Thaxter gave Ma Kent a more grandmotherly vibe in the original "Superman," the kind of woman who cooked a great meal, told the best bedtime stories, and loved you unconditionally. At 48, Diane Lane is still, well, Diane Lane – one of the most stunning women on the planet. Really, how much "Dude, your mom is hot!" did Clark have to tolerate from his classmates?

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[BlackRiders]

JONATHAN KENT

Like his on-screen partner Phyllis Thaxter, Glenn Ford skewed a little older as Kal-El's Earthling father, to the point where his eventual tragic death via heart attack seemed as inevitable as it was heartbreaking. Our new Jonathan Kent is Kevin Costner, perfectly cast as what could be seen as a 25-years-later version of his character from "Field of Dreams," a man who's in tune with any and all strange and supernatural goings-on 'round his farm.


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[BlackRiders]

URSA/FAORA

Sarah Douglas as Zod's bad lady Ursa in "Superman II" was, in the words of Daily Planet editor-in-chief, Perry White, a "broad who looks like the Queen of the Runway." Meanwhile, Antje Traue as Zod's bad lady Faora (more or less the same character as Ursa in DC continuity) in "Man of Steel" sports a bit of Kryptonian head gear we haven't seen before and looks just as imposing in Kryptonian armor as her mighty General. Both ladies are crazy Robert-Palmer-video-hot as only super-powered super-villainesses can be.


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[BlackRiders]

KRYPTON

There's a reason the Fortress of Solitude is located in the North Pole: it's the area on Earth that most closely resembles the home planet of its single remaining occupant, at least as that planet was imagined by director Richard Donner back in 1978. The clean Arctic look of the original Krypton is traded for a more rugged, mountainous terrain in "Man of Steel," one that's being ravaged by spaceships firing blue lasers all over the place.


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