Director Zack Snyder dishes on what to expect from "Man of Steel"

     While my favorite superhero has always been and will always be Batman, Superman definitely is my number two.  I have fond childhood memories of watching Christopher Reeve play the Last Son of Krypton in the 80s.  I also have bad memories of the derivative and boring Superman Returns. 
     That being said, I have high hopes for next year's Man of Steel.  With actors like Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Henry Cavill, and Michael Shannon involved I find it hard to believe that this film will disappoint.  Couple that with the fact that Dark Knight guru Christopher Nolan is involved and you've got a recipe for success. 
     Up until now we've heard virtually zero about what to expect from Man of Steel.  However, recently director Zack Synder sat down with the New York Times to dish about the upcoming reboot of the franchise and what he had to say was interesting.  Snyder says he approached this film "as though there's never been a Superman film before" while still "respecting the canon and mythology" of the hero.  Snyder also reveals that Superman is extremely grounded in reality, as much as a movie about an alien who has super powers can be, and he attributes that mostly to Christopher Nolan.  "There's a logic and concreteness that has to exist with Chris.  You can't just do stuff because it's cool.  He demands that there be story and character behind all of it, which I'm a big fan of."  Snyder goes on to state that he approached this film as if it is just one film without any lead in for sequels.  However, he does hedge his bets regarding the Justice League movie (scheduled for 2015) and implies that this version of Superman will fly his way into the DC version of The Avengers. 
     I have to say I'm bolstered by Snyder's comments.  I'm all about grounding superhero films in reality and making them grittier, if only because it appeals to a wider audience.  There's only so much suspension of disbelief one can engage in after all.  I also like the approach of acting like there's never been a Superman movie made before.  If you get too caught up in the past, you end up chasing ghosts and creating pale imitations such as Superman Returns.  I respect that Snyder wants this story to stand on its own merit and be his movie, whether it's good or bad.  Although I will admit I had hoped that they'd include John Williams score again.  Oh well.
     Hopefully, the full trailer that debuts before The Hobbit in a few weeks will give us some more plot details.
     Man of Steel opens June 14, 2013.