‘Supergirl’: New Superman Tyler Hoechlin Takes Shot At Zack Snyder


There’s a new Man of Steel in town, and he’d like you to forget Zack Snyder’s version as quickly as possible.

As reported by Entertainment Weekly, Supergirl actor Tyler Hoechlin took an indirect shot at Henry Cavill’s version of Superman in a new interview describing his intentions for the role on the CW show.

“It’s Superman as I think he was intended to be,” Hoechlin said of his portrayal of Superman, “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.”

He then went further, taking obvious digs at the big screen interpretations of late that have drawn the ire of fans and critics alike toward director Zack Snyder.

“You don’t have to be dark and brooding and always in this state of masculine toughness. [My Superman] sits in that very hopeful and optimistic place that Kara tends to be in.”

Hoechlin also made it a point to state that he is looking to honor previous incarnations who’ve donned the red cape and blue tights in the past without actually using them for inspiration.

“Obviously [we want to] honor the tradition that is the character without really emulating anything that somebody else has done before,” Hoechlin says, noting he avoided watching old Superman films after being cast. “I didn’t want to have any temptation to imitate.”

Supergirl EP Andrew Kreisberg echoed Hoechlin’s sentiments in a recent interview with Collider, calling his Superman a more “Aw Shucks” variety than we’ve seen from Zack Snyder.

“I think our take on him is probably something a little bit more traditional,” Kreisberg said.

“We cherry pick the best parts and things that we love. So, there’s a little bit of the Christopher Reeve Superman in there, a healthy dose of the Superman animated series, which we’re huge fans of, a little bit of Lois & Clark, a little George Reeves, and a little Super Friends.”

Given the vitriol aimed at the Zack Snyder/Henry Cavill version of Superman in both Man of Steel and Batman V Superman, it’s no surprise the CW is going back to a more traditional representation of the character. Along with Flash and Arrow, many DC fans argue that TV is the best place to find the characters they love rather than on the big screen these days.

[Image via Comic Legion

The Laser Time Podcast recently broke down seven reasons why the DC TV universe is far superior. And while some of their reasons simply showcase the advantages TV has over films, such as the ability to tell stories across a longer stretch of air time, they do point out how the TV universe, to date, simply does a better job with overall tone and character development.

Dawn of Justice leaves you with a literal funeral to deal with, as you’ve watched hope die and heroes glumly march toward a Justice League while some bad guy or something is coming or whatever. Nothing will ever be fun again. Meanwhile, shows like The Flash know how to balance the light with the dark, giving you a chance to smile along with the leads of the show, while also dealing with tragedy and death in equal measure.”

In fact, the recent Justice League and Wonder Woman trailers seem to be taking a page from shows like Flash, introducing more levity and less brood in their scenes. Suicide Squad, DC’s only summer hit to date, even marketed themselves as more Deadpool than Batman V Superman in an attempt to woo audiences back who may have been left with a bitter taste in their mouth following the Zack Snyder Dawn of Justice debacle.

What do you think? Can Tyler Hoechlin pull off a more convincing Superman when he appears this fall on Supergirl?

[Supergirl image via CW/Superman Image via Warner Bros]

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