Why Superman's Most Powerful Villain Will Never Be In The Movies
DC Studios
With James Gunn's "Superman" proving to be a hit, the door is wide open for Gunn to expand the movie's universe. One of the best aspects of the film was its portrayal of a vast world where superheroes battle extradimensional imps and kaijus as a regular occurrence. This allows Gunn and future directors to imagine a DC Universe that doesn't require constant explanation, where the focus can be on the characters and their adventures, rather than the weirdness of the setting.
Gunn and Peter Safran have successfully made the DC Universe distinct from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, embracing unique and bizarre concepts and characters. The upcoming "Superman" sequel hints at Brainiac as the villain, suggesting a shift towards more unconventional, comic book-y characters in DC movies.
However, there are still characters that might never grace the big screen. One such character is Superboy-Prime, Superman's most powerful and complex villain. His origin story is a meta commentary on fandom, blending reality and fiction in a way that challenges the boundaries of the comic book world.
Superboy-Prime's journey began in 1985 during the crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths." In this story, Earth-Prime, the 'real world' of the DC multiverse, is introduced. Here, Superman is a fictional hero, and DC Comics is just a comic book company. Superboy-Prime, a 15-year-old fanboy, discovers he's from Krypton and possesses superpowers, mirroring his favorite hero, Clark Kent. This character is both powerful and meta, capable of altering reality and breaking the fourth wall, much like Deadpool.
A commentary on fandom
Initially, Superboy-Prime was a hero who survived the Crisis alongside Superman and Lois Lane from Earth-2 and Alexander Luthor from Earth-3. However, this seemingly happy ending took a dark turn. The dimension they entered was a torturous prison, driving Superboy-Prime mad and transforming him into a villain. He orchestrated the events of "Infinite Crisis," becoming a representation of toxic fandom. This interpretation is not inherently negative, and in the right hands, it could be intriguing.
The issue arises when considering a movie adaptation. To make Superboy-Prime work, the movie would need to oversimplify his complex motivation and backstory, erasing the tragedy that makes him unique. Originally, Superboy-Prime was meant to be the opposite of a toxic fan, representing the original Superboy and paying homage to the era of the character as DC moved away from Superboy post-Crisis. He also symbolized the fans' connection to their beloved heroes, allowing them to become heroes themselves.
A Superboy-Prime movie needs to go beyond Syndrome from "The Incredibles." It should start as a pure fan service, a power fantasy that eventually turns sour, giving birth to a supervillain unlike any other. While it could make for an intriguing villain, it would require significant changes and simplifications to be digestible for general audiences in a single movie.
