Matthew Vaughn Takes Shot At DC Films, Wants To Make A “Proper Superman Film”

John F. Trent |

Dec 22, 2021

Director Matthew Vaughn, known for directing X-Men: First Class, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and Layer Cake, recently fired a shot across the bow at DC Films declaring he wants to make a “proper Superman film.”

While promoting his upcoming King’s Man prequel film set in World War I, Vaughn spoke with TheWrap about the pitch he gave DC Films for a Superman movie.

“I was desperate to do a Superman film. Desperate,” he told the outlet. “I pitched a big Superman movie before they made ‘Man of Steel.’”

Vaughn then went on to detail he still wants to make a Superman film, but it needs to be a proper one.

He stated, “I just got to work with Henry Cavill, which was lovely, on ‘Argylle’ and he’s unbelievable in it.”

“I still think there’s room for a new Superman film, but a proper Superman film. A colorful, fun Superman movie. Not a dark one,” Vaughn asserted.

Vaughn didn’t stop there. He also said that DC Films’ decision to do Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice after Man of Steel was a mistake.

“I just thought it was a mistake putting the Batman vibe into the Superman world,” he explained. “I just think they’re two separate — they’re just not relatable in any way, in my mind. It should be fun.”

Vaughn elaborated, “I mean, look, ‘The Dark Knight’ was obviously different, and it made sense and it was brilliant, as a film and as a comic. But Superman was always… I loved the [Richard] Donner ‘Superman’ movie, and I think ‘Wonder Woman’ worked because, I think, ‘Wonder Woman’ was basically remaking [Donner’s] ‘Superman’ in a weird way. Yeah, I love Superman.”

Vaughn did assert that if DC Films comes calling he and Cavill could “go off and make a great Superman movie.”

Vaughn’s idea about a fun and colorful Superman are something he’s been saying for awhile.

Back in 2010, he told MTV, “I think that’s the one thing not to do with Superman, trying to do the serious The Dark Knight version. Superman is about color and fun, or it should be, for me.”

The director previously shared his ideas for a Superman trilogy he pitched to Warner Bros. As noted by Polygon, Vaughn’s trilogy would begin with the first film taking place on Krypton and Jor-El attempting to deal with the planet’s impending doom.

Interestingly, Vaughn detailed that Superman would actually grow up on the planet before it was destroyed, and he was sent to Earth. It would see Superman’s origin almost become Supergirl’s origin.

After arriving on Earth and becoming an adult on the planet, he would then be forced to deal with his loyalties to Krypton and Earth.

Cavill has repeatedly expressed his interest in returning to the role of Superman. He even revealed a soft pitch to ET Online back in December 2019 while he was promoting The Witcher.

Cavill told the outlet, “I’d like to delve more into the aspect of Superman [that] we traditionally know, coupled with where we left him with Man of Steel.”

“It’s the hero who is trying to exist in a world where people may say he’s not relevant anymore — where, actually, he’s extraordinarily relevant and it’s him coming to terms with that and becoming that relevance and showing people that hope does exist without it being too chocolate box,” he explained.