Some fans are worried Tyler Hoechlin's Superman will overshadow Melissa Benoist's Supergirl when the show premieres on The CW this fall but at least we know he's got good sense of who the Man of Steel is.
Depending on what version of a character they were first introduced to, fans can have differening opinions on how they should be characterized in other media. But when it comes to characters like Superman and Batman, there's a fairly widely-held opinion that Superman is the hopeful hero who inspires others while Batman works in the shadows and has a very strict code.
Considering Zack Snyder's DC universe has altered both characters a bit from that generally held belief, it's sparked many a discussion. Famous Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy recently went on record to say Batman shouldn't kill people, for instance. Now, our newest Superman, Hoechlin, has weighed in on the Man of Steel. And by that I mean the character's nickname, not the movie, although…
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly the actor, who had his new Superman look revealed not too long ago, said:
“It”s Superman as I think he was intended to be,” Hoechlin says of his version of the Supes, “which is just an incredible symbol of hope to kids that they can do anything, that they can be good people, and that good people can triumph over evil. You don”t have to be dark and brooding and always in this state of masculine toughness. He sits in that very hopeful and optimistic place that Kara tends to be in.”
It's not hard to see where he's pulling those other characteristics from. If you follow me you know I much prefer a lighter, and more optimistic depiction of the character and hope the Warner Bros. universe course corrects when they resurrect Superman for Justice League. But regardless, a dark and brooding Superman would feel incredibly out of place on the more upbeat Supergirl.
Going back to first introductions, the actor told EW his first experience with Clark/Superman was from the '90s television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. That Superman, Dean Cain, plays a different role on The CW's Supergirl along with original Supergirl, Helen Slater. The second season of the show starts Monday, October 10th and EW debuted a new shot from the two-part opener featuring Hoechlin.
The CW also recently debuted this new poster.
