The Pitch - Last Son of Krypton

In the last entry, we made an extended explanation of why Superman doesn't kill and is more interesting because of it disguised as a film pitch. This time, we're diving into what Superman "means" in a cultural context and why the character is still important nearly 100 years after his creation. For inspiration, we'll be drawing almost exclusively from the works of Richard Donner; notably Superman The Movie, Superman II and his comic run "Last Son of Krypton". For those familiar with the above, you'll likely understand why we laid in stuff like the Phantom Zone and Lex Luthor last time. 

Last Son of Krypton 
Our action begins with a crystalline alien craft screaming through the atmosphere, punching through clouds and trailing smoke as it begins to crash. Just as the audience expects a landing in a Kansas field, the craft is scooped up in the hands of Superman and the camera zooms out to show the soaring towers of Metropolis. Titles roll. 
Much as I tend to not be a fan of this device, the clock rolls back a little for the first act, to Lois and Clark spending intimate time together in the Fortress of Solitude, talking about their relationship, the importance of maintaining Clark's secret identity and taking a bit of a look around, much as depicted in All Star Superman. The big takeaway point for the audience will be that the pair can't conceive a child naturally, because Human and Kryptonian DNA aren't compatible. This is interrupted by a call for help, probably from Jimmy Olsen's signal watch or maybe the Watchtower if we're feeling like fan service; a spaceship is crashing in Metropolis and Superman has to rush back to meet the start of the film. The pod contains a small child, who, it is quickly discovered, speaks Kryptonese and is superhumanly strong. After a misunderstanding with Checkmate trying to take the child, Superman abducts him and works with Lois and Ma and Pa Kent to forge adoption papers (Batman helps from off-screen) and Chris Kent is the new child to Lois and Clark. 
Before long, the happy spell is broken when it is revealed that Chris Kent escaped the Phantom Zone and is the son of Zod and Ursa! Zod leads the escape of an army of Kryptonian Criminals, trapping Superman in the process and shortly overwhelming the Earth. Superman wanders the Phantom Zone briefly, leaning about the history of the place and the inhabitants before he is rescued by Professor Quintum, who has built his own Phantom Zone viewer.
Free from the Phantom Zone, Superman discovers that many of the other heroes have been captured by Zod's forces, so the only person he can turn to for help is Lex Luthor! Working together, Supes and Luthor fight their way though to Zod's headquarters, rescue the trapped heroes, and reverse the machine keeping the prisoners free of the Phantom Zone. Sadly, Chris Kent is also sucked back to the Phantom Zone, but Luthor is caught thanks to some quick action from Lois. 

What are we doing here? 
So all that above seems like a lot happening all at once, and it really is, but, as with the previous film, we're setting stuff up here and making a statement about Superman. Superman as an agnostic messianic figure may feel "overdone", but it's a core element of his character and can really be explored better than the heavy-handed metaphor of Man of Steel. There is a tragedy underscoring Lois and Clark's relationship, in that they can't have a family, even if that's something Lois has never really wanted, not having the option can be devastating. Chris Kent gives our leads a chance to explore the possibility of family, before having it turned on its head and losing it forever. We're taking Supes and, by extension, the audience, on a journey about loss and identity, and, as the second in the trilogy, Last Son of Krypton should leave the audience grieving and wanting closure. Of course, they'll have to wait for the next film for that. 

Fan Service 
Ok, so I've covered some of the world-building elements and fun little nods to the broader DCU above, but here's the other stuff I'd be dropping in along the way. The post-credit sting (yes, there would be one, people love them) would be the beginning of Lex Luthor's trial, which will be a plot-point in the next film. If we have to cut to the Watchtower in Act 1, someone like Mister Terrific or Metamorpho is going to be passing on the message, no one who's been in a DC film to date. Similarly, we'll mention Batman, but won't see him, as that will be all everyone talks about. Other stuff will get sprinkled in, like Kandor in the Fortress of Solitude, Professor Quintum's super-science and Jimmy Olsen, as those will be important in the final film. 

Next Time: The end of Superman!