The ‘Superman dilemma' lamented by both writers of the comics and the big screen does, in fact, exist. Superman, unlike Batman, The X-Men or Spider-Man, is a difficult character to write. The things that make those characters relatable are a little more obvious than they are for Kal-El – the tragedy that informs his character isn’t of the same breed. He’s a space alien that not only looks human, but is the embodiment of what our planet considers to be classically handsome. He also happens to possess all the powers needed to effectively eliminate any threat, be they cosmic world-ender's or jewel-nabbing thugs in alleyways. Still a superhero who is difficult to write doesn't mean it is impossible.
Instead of confronting the Superman dilemma head on, like Max Landis did in American Alien for example, writers much prefer to substitute characterization with “deconstruction diegesis.” The Superman established in DC Films isn’t so much a character as he is a thesis on morality, vigilantism, deism etc. Lately, the comics have fallen victim to a similar approach. Superman has become an excuse for whosoever is penning him to wax poetic and, more times than not, show contempt for the antiquated hero they feel burdens them.
While it’s true Superman functions best in the time period that birthed him, the elements that make him the archetypal superhero still hold relevance today. Beyond being the first, and incidentally best, version of the “adolescent power fantasy” (you can’t make me eat my vegetables mom, I can fly and have laser beams and uhm-uhm super strength!), Superman is inspirational in that his motives to be a hero are completely of his own design. The dichotomy at work there I think is quite refreshing: The most powerful being on Earth is also a well-to-do cornball, understood so masterfully by Donner and Reeves. I miss that Superman.
After BvS, I’ve had my fill of alternate universe versions of Superman from The New 52 and most recently Injustice 2 (projects I enjoyed to varying degrees). Pseudo-discerning commentaries on the character, having him die or fight doomsdays, are a bid to make him edgy or contemporary. Superman is from another world, both to us and to the characters around him. He’s supposed to feel unfamiliar in some respects. He’s incorruptible, he’s cheesy, he’s the red and blue boy scout. Not because of tragedy or circumstance, but because he’s an everyman from Kansas.
That's the key element absent from so many adaptations of Krypton's last son. Not that he shouldn't ever be stifled by misfortune of hangups, but at the end of the day, he’ll always overcome them. Superman is great because he’s an alien that reduces the intricacies of the human experience down to right and wrong. That’s what escapism is all about, making our real world problems seem elementary and nothing says elementary like a guy in a red cape fighting aliens and saving cats from trees all the while spouting quips even your dad would cringe at.
