I”ll say this about DC Entertainment. Going with a loosely connected multiverse has made it way easier for them to explore different aspects of their comics” long history. Case in point: Syfy just gave prequel series Krypton the green light for a pilot episode, saving it from development purgatory.
As reported yesterday by Deadline, the show has picked up several key players. Damien Kindler (Stargate: SG-1, Sleepy Hollow) is now on board as showrunner/executive producer. Peaky Blinders director Colm McCarthy has been tapped to direct the pilot.
Krypton is a prequel to the Superman lore audiences are familiar with. Set two generations before the destruction of the Kryptonian home world, the show will focus on Superman”s grandfather. Cast out from Kryptonian society and the House of El, he will fight to redeem both his family”s honor and save Krypton from doom. Spoiler: He”s gonna fail on the latter.
This all sounds well and good. There”s only one small hiccup. Krypton is being helmed by executive producer David S. Goyer. If that name sounds familiar, it”s because Goyer has had his hands in the DCEU pie for years. He helped write Nolan”s Batman trilogy as either a screenwriter or with a “Story” credit. He wrote Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before Chris Terrio and Ben Affleck got their hands on the script. He also appears to hate superheroes.*
*Superheroes that aren”t Constantine. Goyer loves gritty characters living in the moral grey morass of humanity, making Constantine a perfect fit. Superman? Not so much.
A brief refresher on why having Goyer attached to this project is giving me pause. Back in 2014 – when he was still attached to Wonder Woman – Goyer went on a podcast and said things that would make any comic fan”s toes curl. The kicker? That Martian Manhunter was lame and only virgin losers knew who he was.
“How many people in the audience have heard of Martian Manhunter?” Cheers and applause. “How many people that raised their hands have ever been laid? He can”t be fucking called the Martian Manhunter because that”s goofy. He can be called Manhunter[…] I would set it up like 'The Day After Tomorrow.' We discover one of those Earth-like planets… So maybe like… we get the DNA code from that planet and then grow him in a petri dish here… He”s like in Area 51 or something and we”re just basically… doing biopsies on him.
Luckily Supergirl proved Goyer wrong and his grimdark retelling of J”onn J”onzz didn”t stick. Goyer”s knee-jerk reaction to to throw a superficial concept of “adult themes” onto any superhero property he comes in contact with. However, Syfy has really been bringing their A-game lately with shows like The Magicians and Wynonna Earp. If we”re lucky, they can temper the darkness with some light.