Krypto pulling the Man of Steel across the ice by his cape; Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific gearing up for a fight, Lex Luthor raging out, the titular hero punching a Kaiju in the face? Just a handful of moments in the Superman trailers that, if you take a peek online, seem to be delighting fans. My favorite shot, however, is a little different: Lois Lane smiling into her kiss with the Metropolis Marvel as the pair of them float up into the air.
You see, to say that I've been sorely missing romance in my comic book movies is an understatement. We've had varying degrees of the good stuff over the last 15 years or so, from Steve Trevor and Wonder Woman to Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers, Jane Foster and Thor, and more. But a lot of it has been pretty surface level; more of an afterthought than the driving force of a plot or character's motivation, and quite obviously secondary to CGI-heavy, big-screen spectacle or meme-making quips. The less we say about Eternals' sizzleless sex scene, which was supposed to reinject some much-needed tenderness into the MCU, the better.
Not that I think we need explicitness to explore such themes – pfft, we'd never reach the head-spinningly sensual heights of that upside-down kiss in the rain. As someone who grew up on Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (and subsequently, the angsty, swoon-worthy relationship between Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker and Kirsten Dunst's Mary-Jane Watson), both DC and Marvel's cinematic universes have been disappointingly loveless of late. For me, it's just as heart-racing to watch Peter's catastrophically ill-timed proposal fall through in Spider-Man 3 as it is the bloodied webslinger getting his butt kicked by Doc Ock in the previous flick. After all, a lot of the drama in these characters' original stories is grounded in them trying (and often failing) to juggle their dual lives.
You wait ages for a bus, and then two come along at once
Superman is sure to promise just that, as we meet a younger Kal-El/Clark Kent (played by David Corenswet) than we've seen on-screen before as his self-imposed pressure to save the world complicates his evolving situationship with his Daily Planet co-star Lois Lane. "He's in love with her. She's the one that needs convincing in the relationship," writer-director James Gunn previously told ABC, teasing how the dynamic will differ from previous movies in which the superhero abandons their hopes of a well-rounded personal life. "It's not him. You really see where he needs her in his life." I couldn't be more excited for the will-they-won't-they drama.
On the flip side, The Fantastic Four: The First Steps is set to focus on a very different, less turbulent stage of coupledom as married, superpowered duo Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) face off against an intergalactic threat while preparing to become parents. Sure, a shimmery silver alien has descended from the skies and told them that their Earth is soon to be devoured by the planet-gobbling Galactus, but what if Baby Franklin is negatively affected by the radiation that gave them their abilities? In the eyes of Reed and Sue, both issues are equally important. What would be the value in a world without Franklin anyway?
As in Superman, fictional do-gooders typically feel the need to protect strangers regardless, but the stakes are upped exponentially when we know they've personally got skin in the game; something to fight for. Innate duty can only account for so much. By robbing heroes of their human connections, it forces them into less emotionally accessible boxes, rendering them little more than a multicoloured figurine with a catchphrase.
To be loved (or hated) is to be seen
In my opinion, there's no more effective way to connect to a character than through the eyes of another. If a character is loved openly onscreen, if someone's eyes light up whenever they see them, it's infectious. It's almost like a shortcut to making us feel that warmly towards them, too. The same goes for the reverse, when they've hurt someone close to them. It also makes them more vulnerable and the movie they're in, therefore, a far more interesting watch.
Small-screen superhero titles have proven more willing to dive into romance than their big-screen counterparts. Marvel's WandaVision was a heartwrenching examination of the Scarlet Witch's grief over losing Vision, while its follow-up, Agatha All Along, pulled a large part of its tension from the centuries-old bond between the titular witch and Aubrey Plaza's Rio Vidal. DC's Superman & Lois put their money where its mouth is with that title, centering Clark Kent's other half just as much as Big Blue. Hell, even The Penguin was bold enough to depict Oz Cobb's toxic treatment of his girlfriend Eve.
I realize that TV shows are awarded the luxury of time, but with all these comic book movies being a part of big franchises now, there's no excuse not to dig into all things amour, be it thorny, charming, fleeting or long-lasting. Fisticuffs are fun, but they don't say 'love conquers all' for nothing – and I'm hopeful both Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps will prove we need more of it in our superhero movies.
Superman releases on July 11, while The Fantastic Four: The First Steps lands in theaters on July 25. In the meantime, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming superhero movies heading our way.
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