Why Superman's Most Powerful Villain Will Probably Never Be In The Movies
DC Studios
With James Gunn's "Superman" proving to be a hit, the door is wide open for Gunn to expand the movie's universe. One of the best aspects of the film was its portrayal of a vast world where superheroes battle extradimensional imps and kaijus as a regular occurrence. This allows Gunn and future directors to imagine a DC Universe that doesn't require constant explanation, where the weirdness of comic book movies is embraced without the need for constant jokes. So far, Gunn and Peter Safran have successfully made the DC Universe distinct from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, embracing bizarre concepts and characters like the Creature Commandos and Mister Mxyzptlk in Peacemaker season 2.
The sequel to "Superman" seems to confirm Brainiac as the villain, indicating that Gunn is ready to let DC movies explore more eccentric, comic book-y characters beyond mere punching bags. However, there's a character who might never grace the big screen: Superboy-Prime, Superman's most formidable villain with a complex and intriguing origin story.
Superboy-Prime made his debut in DC Comics Presents in 1985 during the final stages of the massive crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths." In this story, Earth-Prime, the "real world" of the DC multiverse, is introduced, where Superman is a fictional hero in comic books and DC Comics is just a publisher. Here, we meet a 15-year-old Clark Kent, who discovers he's from Krypton and possesses superpowers. He becomes one of the strongest and most meta characters in mainstream comics, capable of punching holes in reality and the time stream, and breaking the fourth wall with a less-than-friendly attitude, similar to Deadpool.
A commentary on fandom
Superboy-Prime began as a hero, surviving "Crisis on Infinite Earths" alongside Superman, Lois Lane, and Alexander Luthor from Earth-3. However, this seemingly happy ending took a dark turn as the dimension turned into a torturous prison, driving Superboy-Prime mad and transforming him into a villain who orchestrated the events of "Infinite Crisis." As a villain, Superboy-Prime embodies toxic fandom, becoming angry and resentful over changes to the DC heroes he adored, ultimately becoming a sadistic villain who commits genocides and joins the Sinestro Corps.
The idea of a Superman villain being a meta commentary on toxic fandom isn't inherently bad, and in the right hands, it could be fascinating. However, the challenge lies in making the character work on the big screen. A movie would need to oversimplify his motivation and backstory, erasing the tragedy that makes Superboy-Prime so compelling. Originally, Superboy-Prime was meant to be the opposite of a toxic fan, representing the original Superboy and serving as a send-off to that era of the character, much like Kal-L from Earth-2 in "Crisis on Infinite Earths." He also symbolized the fans' last adventure with their beloved heroes, allowing them to become heroes themselves.
A Superboy-Prime story on the big screen must go beyond Syndrome from "The Incredibles." It should start as a pure fan service, a literal fan power fantasy that eventually turns sour, giving birth to a supervillain unlike any other. While it could make for an intriguing movie villain, it would require significant changes and simplifications to be digestible and understandable to general audiences in a single film.
