Man of Steel, the newest in the series of Superman films is certainly one of the most anticipated movies of this summer. But besides all the cutting edge special effects and other modern changes to the story of this classic superhero, there is one other big change to the Man of Steel Superman. In this movie the Superman costume does not include the red briefs he always wore over his blue tights. One could almost claim that he goes commando. And who can blame him? That’s a very tight costume he wears.
What brought on the decision to strip Superman of his signature red briefs? Apparently it was a pretty tough call for the film’s director, Zack Snyder and his wife Deborah, the movie’s co-producer. Snyder was shown numerous versions of the costume with the briefs, but somehow none of them worked for him. The main reason for his decision to ditch the red briefs from the costume was that the briefs just aren’t modern enough, or in keeping with the world they set out to create in the movie.
The Man of Steel Superman is a new millennium superhero and they wanted to make him more appealing to today’s public. As Snyder put it, the red undies are a “leftover from Victorian-era strongmen" costumes and have no place in today’s ideas on what superheroes should wear.
To make the new costume fit the overall story and world created in the film, Superman’s modern new costume is actually what everyone on Superman’s home planet of Krypton wears. And don’t worry, they didn’t take away his red cape of the big “S” on his chest. He still has those.
In case you were wondering, that is all actor Henry Cavill under that skintight Superman costume. Here’s hoping all the modern changes they’re making to Superman’s image will lead to parts two and three of the movie. And let’s also hope that the Superman curse--the belief that misfortune will befall actors who play Superman--is nothing more than empty superstition.
Just because Superman no longer has his red undies doesn’t mean that red is not the perfect color when it comes to your own briefs.
