"Man of Steel" comes out this Friday and there is already talk of a sequel as director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David Goyer are already signed on for the follow-up. "Man of Steel" leaves a tremendous amount of questions that could be utilized for the follow-up. Here are some ideas for where the story could go.
PLOT SPOILERS For "Man of Steel" Ahead. Read with Discretion.
At the end of the first film, Superman (played by Henry Cavill) kills off General Zod, the last of the Kryptonians aside from himself; he also destroyed the ship that harvested the other Kryptonians, essentially destroying his entire species. The film does reveal that Superman is the key to the codec that could potentially restore Krypton's race, but the likelihood of that occurring is unlikely.
The fact that Superman is the only remaining Kryptonian creates an essential question for the hero. The first film emphasizes Kal-El's inability to adapt to his foreign planet; however by the end of the film he must choose between salvaging earth or recreating Krypton. He chooses the former and essentially leaves himself as a target. The world now knows about him and it is likely that many will continue to fear him and seek to get rid of him.
Setting up parallels with Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise is a good way to analyze where this story could go since Nolan was the producer for "Man of Steel" and had a hand in the story. In the Batman films, Bruce Wayne utilizes his alter-ego to imbue fear in those who have harmed him in the past. However, in doing so he creates an uncontrollable chain of events that leads to copycats and other lunatics who want to play his game of masks and deception. In "The Dark Knight," Nolan introduces the Joker, Batman's greatest antagonist, and his foil. Whereas Batman has moral boundaries, the Joker has none. Where Batman seeks to create order and justice, the Joker wants chaos.
With this framework (and the obvious influences that Nolan had on "Man of Steel"), it is possible that the central dramatic question that dominates a sequel to "Man of Steel" would be how Superman deals with being rejected by the very people he attempted save. Not only is he still an alien to the human race, but Superman is undoubtedly the strongest person on earth and could destroy the entire human population if he so pleased. There are likely to be some people that fear this side of Superman (after all who is to say he won't become another Zod) and could seek out new technologies to take him down. In "Man of Steel" it is obvious that the current weapons employed by the US military are no match for Kryptonians.
The military would likely turn to some sort of scientist or mogul with financial resources to create more weapons to keep Superman in check. And this is where Lex Luthor would enter. There was a passing reference to LexCorp near the end of the film that was impossible to miss; at the end of "Batman Begins," commissioner Gordon gives Batman a Joker card. There is no way that this is a coincidence.
Why does Luthor work so well? First of all, he is Superman's greatest nemesis and is bound to make an appearance sooner or later in this franchise. His appearance would also follow with Nolan's choice to include the Joker in the second installment of the "Batman" franchise. With the world established, the conflict between Luthor and Superman can take flight. In the comics, Luthor appears in a number of iterations. He is a mad scientist, a corporate mogul, and even a politician. As a scientist he could seek out the means of weakening Superman by researching the "unknown element" that is referenced in "Man of Steel." That would probably lead to the creation of Kryptonite. Luthor could also appear as a politician and look to take down Superman. In any case, Luthor seems like the ideal villain for the film.
One obvious plot thread that will gain traction in the next installment is the romance between Lois Lane and Clark. They give one another a kiss at the end of "Man of Steel" and Clark shows up as a new reporter for the Daily Planet. There can be no doubt that their relationship will be of vital importance in the next installment.
Read Latinos Post's review of Man of Steel HERE.
Sequel To Come out in 2014? Read More HERE.