Amy Adams had just as hard a job on “Man Of Steel” as Henry Cavill did. Both of them were stepping into iconic roles, although I would argue that Superman has been written better as a character in the films so far than Lois Lane has.
The biggest problem I’ve always had with Lois goes to the very heart of the character. She is supposed to be a great reporter, smart and capable and constantly breaking stories. If that’s the case, how does she manage to work next to someone every day and not recognize him when he takes his glasses off? That bothered me as a little kid, and over time, I’ve come to just accept it as part of the price of buying into Superman stories.
One thing that I didn’t expect when I sat down to see “Man Of Steel” was that they would finally give me a Lois Lane who addresses all of my issues, making her into a character I can finally respect. Her Lois is smart and capable and unafraid to get herself mixed up in trouble in pursuit of a story.
While I don’t think we spell everything out, our conversation at the press day this past Sunday did focus on the ways that Lois has been re-imagined, and we cover some of the choices that were made. I have to think that part of the way she’s been written this time around was due to the influence of Deborah Snyder and Emma Thomas, the wives and creative partners of Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan. Both couples strike me as great examples of how two partners can both augment and enhance each other’s strengths, and it feels to me like Zack wouldn’t be the filmmaker he is today without Deborah by his side, while the same is true of Nolan and Thomas. These are men who benefit from having strong and capable women as part of their lives, and that is clearly reflected in this new Lois Lane.
I really can’t wait to review the film, and then to have the larger conversations about it for the rest of the summer. For now, enjoy Adams, who always seems game for a great conversation.
“Man Of Steel” arrives in theaters June 14.