Years ago, there were intriguing rumors that Warner Bros was considering hiring Christopher McQuarrie, who had just enjoyed success with his Mission: Impossible sequels, to direct Man of Steel 2. This project would have presented an exciting opportunity for Henry Cavill to reprise his iconic role as Superman. During his appearance on the HappySadConfused podcast, McQuarrie shared that the film was intended to center around a thrilling conflict involving Green Lantern, and he confidently remarked, “boy, it was f**king good.”
Delving deeper into his vision, McQuarrie explained that the key to making Green Lantern captivating was to introduce a significant flaw in his powers. He elaborated, “The whole concept of Green Lantern is that the ring has to be recharged. Yes, you have infinite power, but you only have so much battery life, which can run out at inconvenient times. That, for me, solved the whole Green Lantern problem,” adding humorously, “the costume is another thing.”
Regarding Superman, McQuarrie mentioned, “Henry (Cavill) had a take on that, and the two characters had amazing similarities that would have allowed for amazing conflict.” He also revealed that he crafted an “epic” opening sequence that would draw inspiration from Pixar’s beloved film Up, aiming to set a grand tone for the film.
McQuarrie envisioned that “The first five minutes of the movie were a setup after which you knew exactly what made Superman tick, what he was most afraid of, and why Superman made the choices that he made, and it would have been epic. In five minutes, the scale of the movie would have been extraordinary.” This ambitious approach highlighted the emotional depth and complexity he wanted to explore in Superman’s character.
Despite the project’s cancellation, McQuarrie expressed that he aimed to leave audiences with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning feeling the same sense of hope he intended to evoke in his Superman film. He praised Richard Donner‘s Superman movies, emphasizing that they uniquely recognized the profound truth that at the end of the day, Superman’s greatest adversary is himself.
It’s unfortunate that fans never got to experience McQuarrie’s vision for Superman, as it raises the question of how different the DC Universe might have been had this film come to fruition.
