“He’s just been around for so damn long”: Bruce Timm’s Vocal Dislike for Superman Made The Animated Series Much More Better in Hindsight
Both Marvel and DC superheroes have evolved and transformed from one medium to another. From Superman to Iron Man, they all started off as characters in comics, eventually being featured in movies, on TV, and even in video games in the 21st century. Along with the changing medium, many showrunners including Bruce Timm prefer to make some changes to the heroes and villains from the comics to mold their characters as per the format.
Did Bruce Timm Dislike Superman?
Bruce Timm is heralded as an iconic showrunner for making the successful Batman: The Animated Series. Inspired by the same, he wanted to bring Superman into the fold with his solo animated series as well. The character had already had various movies and shows made on his life, but Timm set out to do something different and present Superman in a brand new light. Premiering in 1996, Superman: The Animated Series brought the superhero to the forefront and introduced the fans to a slightly different persona.
Away from the usual old-fashioned Clark Kent, the show sheds light on Superman’s ability to modernize and be a serious peer to Batman’s brooding character. However, some fans saw it as creating Superman along the lines of Batman and eliminating their intrinsic personalities. This made people believe Timm dislikes Superman as a character. In an interview with Comicology, he expressed,
“Superman’s just not as intrinsically cool as Batman. The DC guys’ll tell you the same thing — they have a very hard time making [Superman] seem fresh and exciting. He’s just been around for so damn long.”
However, Timm soon saw his words getting out of context and he set the record straight, he commented on forums to let everyone know that he adores the Man of Steel even though he’d pick Batman over Superman if given a choice. While we certainly see his love for Batman shine brighter in the Caped Crusader’s animated series, it is not to say he did not do justice to Superman. The fresh spin on Superman’s story was a much-needed respite for fans since they were tired of seeing him fight the same old villains and narrating the same origin story repeatedly.
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Bruce Timm Made Superman a Believable Hero
One important change that Bruce Timm brought to Superman: The Animated Series was humanizing the hero. Everyone agreed that he is a superhero with insane abilities, but he is also capable of struggling and fighting his way through adversity. In scenes where the Man of Steel is fighting villains or lifting objects, he grunts and pants, showing his vulnerable side to the fans.
Even while drawing a brand new Superman, Timm wanted to take some inspiration from the Great Hercules who is said to be the primary inspiration behind the Man of Steel’s character. The animated series presents the hero with a square build and a sharp jawline, both aspects taken from Hercule’s appearance. Timm’s initial dislike of Superman must have been regarding the overdone trope of his story. Once the showrunner got a chance to play with the character and craft something unseen, he was able to present a much better version of the superhero.
