Why Superman's Most Powerful Villain Will Probably 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 threats, a regular occurrence in the DC multiverse. This setting allows Gunn and future directors to create a DC Universe that feels familiar without needing constant explanations or jokes about its absurdity. So far, Gunn and Peter Safran have successfully differentiated the DC Universe from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, embracing unique and quirky concepts and characters like the Creature Commandos and Mister Mxyzptlk in Peacemaker season 2.
The sequel to "Superman" seems to confirm Brainiac as the villain, marking a shift towards more unconventional, comic book-inspired characters in DC movies. However, there's a character who might never grace the big screen: Superboy-Prime, Superman's most formidable villain with a complex origin story.
Superboy-Prime's introduction in DC Comics Presents in 1985 during the 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' crossover event marked the arrival of Earth-Prime, the 'real world' of the DC multiverse. Here, Superman is a fictional hero, and DC Comics is just a comic book company. We meet a 15-year-old Clark Kent, who discovers he's from Krypton and possesses superpowers. This character becomes one of the strongest and most meta in mainstream comics, capable of manipulating reality and time, and breaking the fourth wall with a less-than-friendly attitude, similar to Deadpool.
A commentary on fandom
In the aftermath of 'Crisis on Infinite Earths,' Superboy-Prime, alongside Superman and Lois Lane of Earth-2 and Alexander Luthor of Earth-3, survives and goes to another dimension, seemingly living happily. However, this dimension turns out to be a torturous prison, driving Superboy-Prime mad and transforming him into a villain who orchestrates 'Infinite Crisis.' As a villain, Superboy-Prime embodies toxic fandom, becoming angry and resentful over changes to the DC heroes he adored, ultimately becoming a sadistic figure who commits genocides and joins the Sinestro Corps.
The idea of a Superman villain being a meta commentary on toxic fandom isn't inherently flawed, and in the hands of a skilled director like Gunn, it could be intriguing. However, the challenge lies in maintaining the character's complexity. A movie adaptation would need to oversimplify his motivation and backstory, potentially erasing the tragedy that makes him so compelling. Originally, Superboy-Prime was meant to be the opposite of a toxic fan, representing the original Superboy concept and serving as a send-off to that era of the character, much like Kal-L in 'Crisis on Infinite Earths.'
Superboy-Prime also symbolized the readers, the fans' desire to have one last adventure with their beloved heroes, jumping into the pages of a comic book and becoming heroes like Superman. His survival and departure with Kal-L acknowledged the fans' significance.
A Superboy-Prime movie needs to go beyond Syndrome from 'The Incredibles.' It should start as a pure fan service, a literal fan power fantasy that eventually turns sour, giving birth to a supervillain unlike any other. While it could make for an excellent movie villain, significant changes and simplifications would be required to make the character digestible and understandable to general audiences in a single film.
