Zack Snyder's Man of Steel' has already recouped more than two-thirds of its budget before it hits theaters this Friday. However, is it at the cost of true artistry?
Casual film fans, comic nerds and even cinephiles will soon storm movie theaters across the country to see Man of Steel, Zack Snyder's take on Superman, which hits theaters this Friday. While some critics remain skeptical of Snyder's skills as a director (see: Watchman, Sucker Punch), expectations are generally high for Man of Steel.
In addition to marking the return of the archetypal comic book hero to big screen, the sure-to-be blockbuster has all the ingredients of a hit summer film: a great cast and mind-boggling special effects, made possible by a massive budget of 225 million dollars. Given their extraplanetary investment in the project, you'd think there must be a few executives over at Warner Brothers who are sweating a little bit. But theyre not.
Man of Steel is more of a marketable product than a cinematic work.
Why no studio anxiety? Man of Steel has already recaptured $170 million of its budget and the movie has not had even one paying screening. How so? Companies like Wal-Mart, Kellogg's, Nokia, and Converse have paid big bucks to be part of the Man of Steel juggernaut. Factor in the toy manufacturing rights, which have been purchased by the likes of Mattel, Fisher Price and Lego, and you are talking megadollars. Whether the film is well reviewed or well received by the movie-going public is immaterial at this point. Like most blockbusters, Man of Steel is more of a marketable product than a cinematic work.
Case in point, those of you who are NYC commuters may have noticed the giant Man Of Steel themed Gillette advertisements that are plastered all over the subway cars, unless you have confused them with ads for the actual movie. The campaign is centered around a question: How Does The Man of Steel Shave? With this pretty brilliant marketing ploy, Gillette is engaging consumers, but at the same time, enraging fans.
From the comic books, it's clear that he uses a mirror to blast heat rays from his eyes to his stubble. Yes, you read that right. However, Gillette has enlisted filmmaker Kevin Smith and others for a series of YouTube videos in which they share their own theories (and viewers can vote on their favorites) of how the Man of Steel gets rid of that five o'clock shadow.
Is this all in good fun or another instance of corporate shills using the icon to sell products? While Kevin Smith loves to talk comics for hours (and I love Kevin Smith), did he just sell a little piece of his soul to Gillette? The answer depends on your perspective.
Another campaign using the visage of the superhero is targeted at real American heroes: The National Guard. If you visit Soldier of Steel, you'll see the tagline: National Guard and the MAN OF STEEL . Two American icons who put on the uniform when duty calls. Okay, we get that the National Guard needs to find creative ways to target new recruits, but is exploiting the image of an iconic but, more importantly, fictional American figure the way to go?
Check out the video game that incorporates elements from Man of Steel in a design that has players piloting experimental helicopters and using prototype weaponry to blast targets. Everyone is grabbing a piece of the action, and the marketing profits continue to soar.
Everything and everyone has a price even Superman. And who is to complain? Certainly not the advertisers who are using the film and its images so effectively to sell their products, or the studio executives who are raking in the dough. Somewhere buried in all of this hoopla, however, is a motion picture made for audiences that want to be engaged, not sold. If Man of Steel fails that essential test, let's be the one to complain!
--
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Zack Snyder's Man of Steel' has already recouped more than two-thirds of its budget before it hits theaters this Friday. However, is it at the cost of true artistry? 
