Thor is the new, fun Superman
I don’t really care about Superman and YOU don’t really care about Superman, so why did last summer’s modern reboot, Man of Steel, upset me and others?
There’s a public fondness for Christopher Reeve’s classic “aw-shucksspandex” portrayal from 1978, but most people would agree that our modern tastes wouldn’t be too accepting of the old-fashioned flawless farmer Superman.
So he needed an update. But the resulting nihilistic dud, last summer’s Man of Steel, was filled with destruction and sadness burning away any goodwill brought in through nostalgia.
The relentlessly bleak movie culminates with wild disregard for human life in a grim, destructive finale that went on forever and ended with Superman slaughtering his adversary, crying and screaming to an unjust god amid a city he helped destroy.
Maybe I’ve just outgrown superhero spectacles. But then, a few months later, I saw the Thor sequel.
Thor always seemed like a third-rate hard-sell, but after Chris Hemsworth’s surprisingly fun turn as the blond thunder god in two Thor movies and The Avengers, it’s now pretty clear to me that Thor is the new Superman.
Thor battles the bad guys with a sense of fun, even though he’s a warrior who surely kills people.
So why is it OK for fictional alien do-gooder No. 1 to kill people and not the other guy?
Well, it’s all in the execution, so to speak. Superman unleashed holy hell in a dark, painfully contrived, no-win scenario, culminating in a disturbing snapping of a person’s neck.
Thor threw his super-hammer at a rock monster in a daylight battle, smashing it to pieces, and then delivering a fun quip.
Thor is fun, the way Superman should be. His cape is a bright, hopeful red and you want to hang out with him.
They’re both immigrants to Earth, but even though the Man of Steel Superman was raised here, Thor feels more connected to humans in his movies, more their champion. More their Superman.