For all its flaws, both real and perceived, Man of Steel did bring something interesting to the world of Superman movies in its depiction of Krypton. Its opening sequence, set in the final hours of Kal-El’s home world, offered a visually fascinating look at the alien world in ways we had never seen on film. For many, this was the most interesting aspect of the film, which has been endlessly criticized for its bleak depiction of the DC universe as well as the wanton violence that mired the film’s climax.
Late last year, Man of Steel screenwriter David S. Goyer hinted at the development of a prequel series called Krypton, set on the doomed planet and told from the perspective of Kal-el’s grandfather. Despite early buzz and excitement over the series, which was being developed for Syfy, there’s been little to no information released on the show’s progress since the initial announcement last December. Until now, that is.
In a recent interview with Collider to discuss the last season of his Starz series Da Vinci’s Demons, Goyer opened up somewhat about Krypton’s development, which is apparently still very much ongoing. While the screenwriter noted that we can expect something more official in the coming months, he did give some hints about what the series would bring to the table.
“Part of the fun of doing Man of Steel—and I was so insistent on setting that opening on Krypton and really seeing it, was pulling back the curtain. The first draft, the first forty pages were on Krypton, so we compressed that all down to fifteen minutes and there were a lot of ideas that I wanted to use in the film that didn’t ultimately make it into the film.”
Goyer notes that a lot of these ideas may not make it into the final production, given the fact that it’s set 200 years before Kal-el’s fateful birth, but it does provide him with a sandbox to play around in. Even with the short amount of time we got to see the planet in Man of Steel, it looked and felt so richly developed that it left audiences wanting even more. Of course, the transition from film to television can be difficult, especially given the fact that budgetary constraints can negatively affect production quality in extreme ways. Goyer also addressed this, stating:
“In terms of production value, you have to pick your moments. Should we make the show there will definitely be some big moments. It won’t be wall to wall visual effects every single moment, spectacle, in the way that the film will be, but we’ll also be digging into the characters and the culture a lot more.”
While DC is no stranger to bringing their properties to the small screen, should Krypton get picked up, it would be the first time that their television and movie properties have crossed over in this way. Unlike their competitor Marvel, DC has always maintained a firm line between their competing universes, letting their most successful TV outings, Arrow and The Flash, stay totally separated from the world established by Man of Steel.
This approach could be a game changer for DC. Since its set so far in the past, it would never have the sort of interconnectedness of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Avengers. What it would do, however, is allow a long term universe enrichment that could only benefit their movie universe on the whole, effectively increasing the already huge sandbox they’ve got to play with. Used creatively, they could even introduce ideas and concepts that can be explored in later chapters of their movie universe, increasing the depth immensely. For now, though, DC’s official stance is still that its movies and TV shows exist separately.
We’ll bring you more information on Krypton when it becomes available.
Header image artwork by JPRart @ DeviantArt
