It seems like every Wednesday when I sit down to do my Bad Super Costume post, a new set of stills from the latest comics set is released instead, so I find myself talking about that.
Sure enough, more photos from "The Man of Steel" filming are out, and I have to say a lot of my big concerns from last time have been allayed. I'll just post them all and then comment afterwards:
My big beef with the costume originally was the lack of separation between the upper and lower portions. But in these shots you can see they have a fair bit of what I'm calling "Kryptonian flair" going on that really helps. I like the way they've made the tunic taper down into a belt buckle/fastener -- the edging along the bottom of that serves as a de facto belt and does provide some separation, particularly when you consider how it'll look all big and juicy on the screen.
Speaking of looking big and juicy on the screen, I am betting the explanation for the super crotchetorial region is an integrated cup. Which is actually a pretty good idea. Or would be, if you didn't have Nuts of Steel.
In the second shot, from the side, you can see more of the Kryptonian flair wrapping around to reinforce the whole faux belt notion. I also like the wraparound leg piping, that provides some needed relief in the lower body. The wrist cuffs do the same for the arms.
In the last shot, where they're debuffing his head, I think you get a good sense for some of the subtle muscle modeling they've done in the costume. Cavill's already pretty buff, but this definitely enhances the necessary super beefiness you expect out of the character. The built-in hex texture also works pretty well in my opinion.
Ultimately I actually find myself liking this. I'd still prefer a bit more color in the belt area, but that's a fairly minor nit. Overall I think this is a good compromise between the classic primary color spandex and the necessities of showing a real human being on the big screen.
What are your thoughts?
(Images via Project Rooftop. Which is the best super costume redesign site on the Net, if you don't have it bookmarked already, get busy!)
@Jeff: Is that other character Captain Domino? Since you had mentioned Bad Super Costume post, I thought you were going to rip on that hideous thing.
I had the exact opposite reaction. These stills made me hate it more. I just commented on last weeks post, before you posted this one, so I won’t repeat myself.
There seems to be something missing from Superman’s outfit. Something red. And flowy. Can’t put my finger on it, but it’s missing.
@Wulf, remeber, it’s a Zach Snyder film. It’ll probably be CGI’d in.
I gotta admit that it is looking pretty cool. I like the alien flair of the costume (sorry Martha Kent but your sowing skills couldn’t come up with this). I still think it needs a little red thrown in, maybe in the side paneling around the belt and I am not a big fan of his cuffs but it is good looking suit. Now lets just see him punch something in this movie and I will be happy 🙂
Frankie, the other dude is Stand-In Guy, whose power is looking completely different on screen than he does in person. At least I hope so.
@Wulf They have the same shots at Superherohype.com and in one shot he is in the cape, this may have been during a rehearsal and they didn’t want to get the cape ruined.
Wulf (3): Watson’s right, in other shots he has the cape on. My guess is that this is a fight scene, during which at some point his cape gets torn off/destroyed.
I REALLY want to be objective here, but after looking the suit over a few times and trying to understand why certain changes were made, it still doesn’t appeal to me. I couldn’t tell you if it’s more the color scheme (…Bizarro tones) or the lack of trunks (…which, to be fair, I could do without them if there were hints of a red pattern around that general area.) I have to say I really dig the shield; it’s prominent and harkens to a classic 30s/40s design.
I want this movie to work, believe me. What’s more, may it revitalize Superman for the general public and the more skeptical fanboys out there. There is no character that deserves to be more beloved than Superman (…*ahem*, get over it, Batman). I grew up with him, rapt in wide-eyed euphoria over the Christopher Reeve movies with my father; that was our bonding link. Do not let us down, Snyder.
Supes bores the crap outta me no matter what suit he’s wearing. Still waiting for the live action Stripperella movie!
Oh, did I type that out loud?
Overall, I think it looks pretty good. I do think more red is needed but the separations between the upper and bottom half serves the same purpose. And we have seen the cape in other screenshots so I would bet it will be there. Can’t wait for this movie…
Looks better now. I hope it looks even better with the cape. I do wish there was some red at the waist, though. But I like the slight alien-ness of the decoration.
See, I’m seeing a lot of the piping at his hips and whatnot as being a little extraneous. Yes, it needs to be there, but there’s so much of it. Although ultimately, if the piping was red, or even in the space between was, maybe I wouldn’t dislike it so much.
I like the piping, and I think it adds the necicary seperation, but I mostly love how it just looks so Kryptonian! I am not a Superman fan normally (as you probably know by now), but because of some of the Supergirl comics I have read, the style seems to match up to what the Kandorians wore once they got to New Krypton. And I’m not so sure about adding red piping, it would look oddly out of place.
@Joshua (9): I respectfully disagree. I thing Batman can be a better influence than Supes because he worked hard for his abilities when Supes was just given them. At least that’s what I think, but I also think it is so cute that you watched all of the old movies with your father. My dad and I always watch a combination of LotR, Star Wars (yes, the PREQUELS), and the Nolan Batman movies. 🙂
Color me underwhelmed. And color Supes red in the crotchetorial region, please. Yes, I know it’s a bit ridiculous for a man to wear his undies on the outside, but to me there’s still not enough of a border between the upper and lower halves of the body. My eyes expect that splash of contrasting color around the midsection. Plus, this is Superman we’re talking about, folks–Super Freakin’ Man, the most recognizable superhero in the world, probably the one superhero that even people who don’t know anything about comics or superheroes can name. Why would you want to mess with that brand? Didn’t DC already try redesigning Supes’s costume in the ’80s and ’90s when they split him into Red and Blue Superman? As I recall, they got so much negative feedback from fans that they brought back the classic costume. It was nearly as big a marketing and PR disaster as the introduction of “new Coke,” if you’re old enough to remember that. In short, I’m a firm believer in the old saying, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” and I don’t think there’s any compelling reason to fix Superman’s costume.
And yes, I am a fan, as you may have guessed by now.
I think this Costume is trying to go more for the rebooted DCU Supes looks:
http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmjde4VOyq1ql960ko1_500.jpg
But even the new Superman in the Comics has some red at his waist.
red in the groin would break up jumpsuit look (and is it me or does it look like the actor can’t stand straight)
I think the cup should be there (no one wants to see if supes is Jewish or not) :O
Attack of The Show take (also shows cape/no cape)
http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/blog/post/715944/superman-man-of-steel-close-ups-of-new-outfit/?cmpid=sn-110418-facebook-28-fbfantrack
Still think that top image looks like a bad action figure paint job of the character, but it is better than the first shots I saw posted here. aT least it looks like a person. I agree about needing more red in the costume. But the think I like is right there by the neck on the left and right shoulders. It looks like clasp points for a cape, so Supes could have the cape taken off or could take it off himself so it doesn’t cause a problem. Something a smart costume designer would do vs one only intersted in looking fashionable (yep, that’s a jibe at Edna Mode, never did care for her capes comments in the movie)
The costume is so-so. It looks too much like the Spiderman costume from the recent movies (not the reboot they’re making), without the web pattern. Why are costume designers so fascinated by the carbon fiber pattern?? The actor they’ve chosen for the role of Supe’s looks like he might pull it off, however, I’ve never seen anything he’s been in. Has anyone bothered to look at the rest of the cast, though? Here’s what IMDB has: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0770828/ It’s like they aren’t even trying to make the cast fit the characters! They might as well get Jet Lee to play the role of Jimmy Olsen, and while they’re making such fantastic cast choices, I think they could get Tony Cox for the role of Lex Luthor. At least with Superman Returns the cast matched what we’ve come to see as the original characters. Even Brandon Routh, who, admittedly, didn’t look like much of a Superman/Clark Kent, looked like he studied the portrayal of Christopher Reeve’s Superman and brought that to the screen. They even used Marlon Brando’s Jor-el sound clips from the original movies. I’m not saying to make it like it was. A new style used to be a good thing. I just don’t have much expectations for this new movie.
Well, this does look a little better (and still superior to Jim Lee’s redesign), but I’m kind of annoyed at this fake belt he’s sporting.
As for why he doesn’t have a cape in these shots… I can’t help but shake the feeling that his cape will be all CGI in certain scenes, and this might be one of them.
@Frankie(1): That’s probably a motion-capture suit that guy is wearing, for Snydering, I mean CGI-ing later.
For the record, I was never a fan of Superman. Norman Rockwell on steroids.
If there’s a scene with Henry Cavill beating the snot out of Martin Campbell and Ryan Reynolds for their putrid potrayal of Green Lantern, I’ll definitely see it.
These shots pretty well illustrate the point I was trying to make in the last post on this topic. The red shorts were there for a reason. Without them, you have this unsightly crotch bulge that I guarantee will make this movie and this costume the butt of many jokes.
Ritori Bushi (19)
I’m told it’s a series tradition that whenever they recast Superman for the movies or tv they pick a previously unknown actor for the role.
Whether he’ll still be unknown when the movie opens depends on how well Immortals does–he’s Theseus.
@X-stacy(25): I never heard of “Immortals.” I just watched the trailer. I give it a “meh.”
I couldn’t avoid hearing of Immortals–the trailer has run in the previews for every movie I’ve seen in the theater for the last three months or more. It looks all right to me, but then again, I also liked the new Conan.