Iconic. Original. Epic.Supermanis a character that is so well known that the S symbol on his chest is the most recognizable next to Coca-Cola. He has appeared in all forms of media and endures through every generation. But something interesting has been happening lately, and it has become a bit of a head-scratcher.
Superman’s alter ego is Clark Kent. He’s the goofy farmboy-turned-reporter meant to be the opposite of the Man of Steel. People see him and would never fathom that he is actually the most famous superhero on the planet. But recently, movies and TV have started to blur the line between the personalities.
Why Clark Is So Important
The thing about Superman is that he is meant to be so god-like that he is unrelatable. He is a shining example of all the things we want to be but can never attain. Strength, charisma, and courage are just a few of the overwhelmingly fascinating parts of the character.
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To even this out, writers have endeavored to make use of the Clark Kent side of his personality. In fact, many play heavily into the fact that he is Clark first and Superman second. Though born inan alien society, he was raised by the Kents in Smallville. They showed him what it was like to be human, regardless of his powers. Then, having taught him the lessons of life, they sent him off to Metropolis, where he found a career as a reporter for the Daily Planet. This role allows him to live undercover among regular people.
Clark is important, not to the superhero himself, but to audiences. We love the idea that someone sitting beside us on the train could actually be something spectacular. Or that someone on the train sees us in the same way. Clark is the one who shows us that we all have hidden strengths.
However, in recent movies and television shows, the line between Clark Kent and Superman has been blurring. This is far more apparent on the Clark side, with the character showing overtsigns of being Supermanand dropping the more nuanced, nerdy persona from past decades. So what happened?
Examples of This Blur
One of the more glaring examples is the now-defunct DCEU.Henry Cavill’s Clark Kentwas hardly a nerdy kid from Smallville. They may have told him to dress that way, but there is no mistaking Cavill’s frame for that of anyone other than his alter-ego. In the case of Cavill, a pair of glasses isn’t even close to a decent disguise. Whereas past Superman actors have even taken to carrying themselves differently, Cavill’s Kent is just as handsomely charismatic in both personalities. It may be the most glaring look at the glasses-don’t-hide-Superman mentality.
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We also see this in the show Superman & Lois. Tyler Hoechlin portrays Clark/Superman and is played further along in his superhero career. He is now married to Lois, and they have two sons. This may be why he is far more confident in his demeanor, ready to outwardly show strength to protect his family in a way that Christopher Reeves’ Superman may have shied away from. Hoechlin is far less of a beefcake than Cavill, but he has the same issue of being everything to everyone. The fact that he is further in his career also means that others are aware of his identity, but that doesn’t mean the line should be as blurred as it is.
A Sign of the Times
The fact that this is happening presents an interesting case of superheroes matching the times they are in. We are in a world where we want our heroes grounded. We want to know that ourTony Stark’s have PTSDand that our Hawkeye’s are going deaf. The MCU, with all of its big bangs and crazy colors, should not be mistaken for a world of masked heroes. In fact, almost every Avenger is known by name to the public. These are people who walk down the street as themselves and cannot avoid being in the public eye. In the Marvel universe, superhero means celebrity.
But the DCU is different. DC has always been a world of secret identities. Yet now, they are swinging the other way. Superman was always a mystery. Who is this man? He’s the nerdy guy beside you. Wow! But it turns out that what we need right now is accessible superheroes.
There has been a theory floating around nerd-dom that Superman should not necessarily be portrayed as the Cavill-esque muscle guy. He is an alien with unimaginable power, so why must he look bulky to be strong? But we don’t want that. We don’t want to hear that the small guy is muscular. We want our Bruce Banners to only be strong when they explode into giant green rage. If they want to be strong, they must always be Hulk (see: Smart Hulk fromAvengers: Endgame). So we take our Cavill’s because that’s how Superman should look.
But theproblem is that Clark Kenthas never been a shape-shifter. He’s not a Bruce Banner/Hulk transformer. He is always Superman, regardless of the Kent getup. And so we have always tolerated the change of hair, stooped posture, and goofy mannerisms. But now we see them as silly. Superman, as far as we are concerned, doesn’t need to protect himself or his identity from anyone. He’s just Kenting it up to get away from the Paparazzi aspect of his life. But we want all access. So, for now, Kent will continue to be far more Superman than his story would let us believe.
