[8][9] Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill as Superman in the title role along with Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, and Russell Crowe.

Just before the planet explodes, Krypton's top scientist, Jor-El, steals and infuses the genetics codex into his new-born son, Kal-El, the first naturally born Kryptonian in centuries.

As he grows older, due to his Kryptonian physiology and Earth's yellow sun, he develops superhuman powers that Jonathan urges him to keep hidden, even refusing Clark's help years later during a tornado storm where he loses his life.

[62] Jadin Gould, Rowen Kahn, and Jack Foley, respectively, play Lana Lang, Kenny Braverman, and Pete Ross, classmates of Clark Kent in high school.

[66] Richard Cetrone, Samantha Jo, Revard Dufresne and Apollonia Vanova, respectively, play Tor-An, Car-Vex, Dev-Em II and Nadira, Kryptonian soldiers that follow General Zod.

[72] Comic book writers Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, Geoff Johns and Brad Meltzer were among those who pitched their ideas for a reboot: "I told them, it's not that bad.

[73] Mark Millar, teaming with director Matthew Vaughn, also planned an epic eight-hour Superman trilogy, each installment released a year apart, similar to The Lord of the Rings.

[78] In August 2008, Warner Bros. suggested that the planned sequel to Superman Returns, subtitled Man of Steel by director Bryan Singer, would now be a reboot of the film series.

I only know the way that has worked for us that's what I know how to do", emphasizing the idea that Batman exists in a world where he is the only superhero and a similar approach to the Man of Steel would assure the integrity needed for the film.

[85] Robinov spoke to Entertainment Weekly, and allowed a peek over the wall of secrecy surrounding their DC Comics plans: "It's setting the tone for what the movies are going to be like going forward.

[86] Guillermo del Toro, with whom Goyer worked on Blade II, turned down the director's position on the reboot because of his commitment on a film adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness,[88] while Robert Zemeckis was also approached.

[89] Ben Affleck, Darren Aronofsky, Duncan Jones, Jonathan Liebesman, Matt Reeves (who would direct a Batman reboot), and Tony Scott were considered as potential directors,[90] before Zack Snyder was hired in October 2010.

[95] In the original script Zod was going to getting sucked into the Phantom Zone, but Snyder and Goyer felt it was unsatisfying so they asked DC Comics if Superman would kill someone if he didn't have a choice.

[99] The Chicago shoot was a unit project, meaning that filming would partake numerous establishing shots as well as cutaways and might not necessarily include principal cast members.

"[123] Craig also states that there is an allegory to the Trinity within Man of Steel: "Jor-El returns to Kal-El on Earth as a ghost, guiding his budding superhero son on his journey to salvation.

'"[123] Paul Asay of The Washington Post writes that "Superman floats in space with his arms splayed out as if nailed to an invisible cross," a fact that Craig also mentioned in his assessment of the film.

"[126] The sequence where a young Clark's powers overwhelm him in grade school, leading to him shutting himself in a closet, has led many to speculate that DC Extended Universe Superman is either autistic or meant to represent the struggles of autism.

[125][139] Warner Bros. also asked Professor Craig Detweiler of Pepperdine University to "create a Superman-centric sermon outline for pastors titled Jesus: The Original Superhero.

"[124] Man of Steel held a red carpet premiere at the Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in New York City on June 10, 2013,[140] which featured the attendance of the principal cast members.

[164] For The Denver Post's Lisa Kennedy, the chief problem with Man of Steel is the "rhythm and balance in the storytelling and directing" which resulted in a film that swings "between destructive overstatement and flat-footed homilies.

[167] Jim Vejvoda of IGN gave Man of Steel a 9 out of 10 while praising the action sequences and the performances of Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon.

On the other hand, barring Lois Lane's own knowledge of the dual nature of Clark and Superman (thus depriving one of fiction's greatest reveals), the hero we see in the final moments of Man of Steel is nothing if not the character Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created ... with just a bit more in the 'imperfections' column.

"[173] Steve Persall of the Tampa Bay Times stated that, "Man of Steel is more than just Avengers-sized escapism; it's an artistic introduction to a movie superhero we only thought we knew.

"[174] Time magazine's Richard Corliss said, "The movie finds its true, lofty footing not when it displays Kal-El's extraordinary powers, but when it dramatizes Clark Kent's roiling humanity.

"[175] In a review on Roger Ebert's website, Matt Zoller Seitz awarded the film three out of four stars, calling it an "astonishing movie" and praising the conflict between Clark and Zod.

[198] Zack Snyder revealed at San Diego Comic-Con the following month that Superman and Batman would appear in the sequel to Man of Steel, with Cavill, Adams, Lane and Fishburne set to reprise their roles.

[204] Zack Snyder contemplated the inclusion of Brainiac, the Kryptonians, and even Metallo as possible antagonists for the sequel, but they were ultimately scrapped by April 2013 in favor of a plot with Batman as the villain.

[213] The troubled production and lackluster box office earnings of Justice League (2017) led to a shake-up at Warner Bros., as the studio chose to rethink its approach to future DC projects.

[215] In July 2018, prior to the release of Mission: Impossible – Fallout, director Christopher McQuarrie and co-star Cavill pitched their take on a new Superman film, but Warner Bros. did not pursue the idea.

Gunn emphasized that the movie would focus on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing, portraying him as the embodiment of "truth, justice, and the American way" in a world that sometimes sees kindness as outdated.