What "Man of Steel" needs to get right

I am a huge Superman fan and have generally loved all the previous Superman films, including the less than stellar Superman Returns.

Since Man of Steel is rebooting the franchise and reiterating the origin, it is my sincere hope that this film deals with an aspect of Superman that has never before been dealt with: the crux of the character lies in the choice to become Superman. It is not an obvious or predestined choice. Too often, Clark’s “destiny” is treated like something that is clear and distinct; it is a problematic telos where the story is concerned. Superman’s heroism derives first and foremost from the fact that he chooses to believe in and protect a people that are not his own. He sacrifices his own happiness and well-being toward a society he knows is incredibly flawed. Moreover, he wouldn’t necessarily need to dress up in red and blue and be a hero and adopt an incredibly public persona to be a “good person,” and yet he foregoes most of his self-interests and does so anyway. It is not an obvious choice.

Too often, the drama of this decision is glossed over. It would be cool if Man of Steel can get at the heart of why Superman is such a great hero. I'm encouraged so far, as the military-against-Superman line of storytelling should open Clark to having to think through and deal with the ramifications of being a public hero.