Talk:Superman (DC Extended Universe)

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Possible renaming[edit]

Why is the article titled "Clark Kent"? Why are we not naming it "Superman"? That's how people know the character as and how they like him best. Leader Vladimir (talk) 15:44, 31 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Requested move 10 February 2022[edit]

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: moved. (As per Colin) the majority of reliable sources establish "Superman" as the WP:COMMONNAME. WP:CONSISTENT also applies here but – as it describes itself – it is more of a goal than a rule; anyone is free to to open a multi-RM for the remaining DCEU characters. (non-admin closure) Colonestarrice (talk) 18:51, 14 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Clark Kent (DC Extended Universe) → Superman (DC Extended Universe) – Why is the article titled "Clark Kent"? Why are we not naming it "Superman"? That's how people know the character as and how they like him best. I just don't see why do we need to use the civilian names for characters that are better known for their superhero code-names. For example, people know Anakin Skywalker as Darth Vader and Orion Pax as Optimus Prime. I don't see why should Superman be the exception to that rule. Leader Vladimir (talk) 23:13, 10 February 2022 (UTC) — Relisting. Colonestarrice (talk) 20:32, 20 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

  • Why Arrowverse? Neocorelight (Talk) 23:48, 10 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comment. Maybe you should also move Batman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman. Oppose. Their civilian names are fine enough as it is. Showiecz (talk) 23:57, 10 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
    • Whoops! I dun goofed! I'm sorry. Well, you know what I mean. Leader Vladimir (talk) 00:00, 11 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Okay, support. This trend of using civilian names must've been started at MCU character articles. But this shouldn't automatically become a standard for all movie character articles. He's most known as Superman. Neocorelight (Talk) 00:05, 11 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Oppose. The DC Extended Universe is not the same as the Arrowverse, and echoing Showiecz's comment. It would also be more appropriate to name these characters' pages by their civilian names especially with how Zack Snyder developed them, using their alter egos first rather than their public superhero personas so that the audience can "see them as people", according to this interview: --WuTang94 (talk) 06:30, 11 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
    WuTang94, it was a mistake. You may want to reread the proposal. Neocorelight (Talk) 06:39, 11 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
    Neocorelight Fair enough. But I'm still going to keep my vote as is for the other reason.--WuTang94 (talk) 06:41, 11 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support Per common name. The trend of using the civilian names started with MCU character articles, but it made sense there because they don't use the superhero names as much in the MCU. However, Superman is extremely frequently used in the DCEU films. JDDJS (talk to me • see what I've done) 21:39, 11 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Strong oppose - This article should follow the established naming convention for DCEU character articles (see here), all of which use their civilian names. WP:CONSISTENT should apply here. InfiniteNexus (talk) 05:51, 13 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support. Superman is the name he's best known by. And besides, Clark Kent is just an assumed name, his birth name is Kal-El. JIP | Talk 02:22, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comment: You know, I noticed that some of the "opposing" statements merely repeat the same "the MCU does it, so the DCEU should do it, as well", ignoring that these are two completely different universes. The MCU is about regular people becoming gods, while the DCEU is about gods learning to care about regular people. Just a thought. Leader Vladimir (talk) 14:36, 22 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Fair enough, if this is how this will be resolved, but you should also look into renaming some of the other DCEU heroes if that's the case. It may be a case by case thing though. Arthur Curry / Aquaman is commonly called by his moniker in the films, but not Cyborg or Flash, who are still better known by their real names. Wonder Woman is still mostly called Diana and has only been called by her moniker about three times in the films if I can remember. --WuTang94 (talk) 16:14, 23 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • The MCU and DCEU are more serious/realistic than franchises of the 20th century, so we should align with that tone by referring to characters by their "real" names. With that being said, if there is consensus to move this page, all other DCEU character pages should probably be moved as well. InfiniteNexus (talk) 17:11, 23 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • We're not talking about those other characters in the DCEU. We're talking about Superman. BTW, "Clark Kent" is merely a name written on adoption papers. Technially, his biological name is "Kal-El" and very few people refer to him as such. Only his closest friends and loved ones call him Clark. As far as the entire world is concerned, the character is known as Superman. Leader Vladimir (talk) 18:08, 23 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comment: What do the DCEU films show in the end credits for Henry Cavill's character? As well as the other DCEU characters? Some consistency would make sense, but it may need to be offset by how reliable sources address them too. It does seem like MCU characters are more on a first-name last-name basis. Erik (talk | contrib) (ping me) 18:43, 23 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • This. I think we should go off of that to avoid ruining the consistency of the current naming system for DCEU characters. If Cavill's Supes is indeed credited more consistently as simply "Superman" we should roll off of that, but if he's credited more as "Superman / Clark Kent" I'm more inclined to use his civilian name. I think this is the case for the other DCEU heroes as well, but will have to double-check on that.--WuTang94 (talk) 19:33, 23 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Considering that Clark is consistently referred to as "Superman" by the common people of the the DCEU and his identity is secret, I think that's a valid reason for the name change. Also, can we please stop talking about consistency and focus on the task at hand? Leader Vladimir (talk) 20:18, 23 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Alright, here's your answer. Man of Steel: Clark Kent / Kal-El. Batman v Superman: Clark Kent / Superman. Justice League: Superman / Clark Kent. Zack Snyder's Justice League: Superman / Clark Kent. InfiniteNexus (talk) 20:33, 23 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Thanks! That does not resolve anything for me, unfortunately. I could see arguments either way. In general, I feel like "Superman (DC Extended Universe)" would be more readily understood by the layperson. It's possible that MCU is being too consistent with the first-name last-name basis. Then again, person-specific article titles help in case a different person takes up the mantle, like the MCU Steve Rogers and the MCU Sam Wilson articles both being able to cover versions of the MCU Captain America. (See! Arguments either way!) I see that Superman (DC Extended Universe) already exists as a redirect, so if this is not moved, maybe make sure Superman (disambiguation) includes it? Erik (talk | contrib) (ping me) 21:11, 23 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comic book characters like Hal Jordan and Dick Grayson have articles titled after their given names, not their superhero names. In the DCEU, the only superheroes consistently referred by their given names are Wonder Woman, the Flash, Shazam and Cyborg. No, Aquaman doesn't count because news outlets use the code-name. Also, stop bringing the MCU into the discussion. The MCU means nothing here. Leader Vladimir (talk) 23:18, 23 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • The MCU is perfectly relevant to bring up as an example for comparison. Your saying that it "means nothing here" is not a fact but your opinion. All these articles are film characters based on their comic book characters. We can also use any other articles outside MCU and DCEU for comparison, like Blade (New Line Blade franchise character). At the end of the day, neither titling approach here is detrimental to Wikipedia. Erik (talk | contrib) (ping me) 16:53, 24 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Getting a little personal here, I just don't like the MCU because that universe indulges in self-parody and irreverent humor while the DCEU tries to be as serious and dramatic as possible. The MCU is hellbent in breaking the illusion of storytelling the DCEU, Star Wars and the MonsterVerse are trying so hard to reinforce. The superheroes in the MCU spend more time fighting each other than fighting the bad guys, refer to each other by their given names than their superhero names, and spend more time with their masks or helmets removed (looking at you, Spider-Man). I want the article to be called "Superman" because that way, we can reinforce the illusion of storytelling and we can make viewers forget about the man behind the curtain and lose themselves in the story. Leader Vladimir (talk) 00:16, 25 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Leader Vladimir, I mean this in the nicest way possible, but your personal opinions are irrelevant to this discussion and possibly violate WP:NOTFORUM. I also don't understand why you say we should stop bringing the MCU into the discussion and stop talking about consistency, those two points are crucial in helping us determine what the title of this page should be. InfiniteNexus (talk) 00:34, 25 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Fine, sorry for that rant. It's just that I'm tired of the MCU barging into everything. Besides, for DC to succeed, it has to be the anti-Marvel, not Marvel 2.0. Leader Vladimir (talk) 04:05, 25 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • That's something that's out of Wikipedia's control and up to the creative heads at Warner Bros. --WuTang94 (talk) 18:15, 25 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Question: (channeling my inner Dwight Schrute here lol) What is the threshold needed to change the article's name? And if this article changes should we also change the other DCEU characters? As I see it now, there are arguments for both cases but I think the decision will be based on majority vote or whatever the threshold is. --WuTang94 (talk) 04:10, 24 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Agreed. That's a big factor in why I oppose as well. WuTang94 (talk) 18:15, 25 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support: Leader Vladimir makes sense, and it has been 18 days since this was proposed and eight days since it was relisted by Colonestarrice. This discussion should already have long been closed and the page moved. Poindextero (talk) 14:24, 28 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Fair enough. We should move the other DCEU superheroes then, to maintain consistency. It will be a bit tricky as their superhero identities all exist as redirects. WuTang94 (talk) 16:26, 28 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Please see Talk:DC Extended Universe#Naming superheroes to discuss naming the other superheroes and antiheroes. WuTang94 (talk) 16:54, 28 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Poindextero, it's not about the popular vote, Wikipedia is not a democracy. It will be up to whoever closes this discussion whether there is a consensus to move, a consensus not to move, or no consensus. InfiniteNexus (talk) 19:12, 28 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comment: Not to drag this conversation any longer, but I have one more hypothetical: what if a future Jon Kent takes over being Superman from his father, Clark, in a future DCEU film? Bringing back up Erik's point with two characters in the MCU being Captain America. --WuTang94 (talk) 20:43, 28 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support I think consideration of WP:COMMONNAME has been lacking here. What do RS refer to the character as? Here's a simple way to test that. According to RS, who does Cavill play in the DC extended universe movies? I picked a few high-quality RS, and did a search for "[publication name] Henry Cavill DC", and clicked the first relevant result:
  • BBC: Who could replace Cavill as Superman, if he really has hung up his cape?
  • New York Times: The last time he fronted a movie, Superman (Henry Cavill) seemed to die,
  • The Guardian: Henry Cavill to stop playing Superman, reports suggest
  • Chicago Tribune: Henry Cavill wants to keep playing Superman for years
My impression is that sources overwhelmingly refer to the character as 'Superman', not 'Clark Kent'. And thus I think 'Superman' will translate to better recognizability and naturalness, as WP:COMMONNAMEs usually do. Colin M (talk) 22:04, 28 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Requested move 1 March 2022[edit]

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: Procedural close. The bot involved in processing RMs fails to process them when multiple RMs are opened in a single page. See Bot considerations. Consider starting a new RM in one of the involved pages or wait until the above RM is closed. (closed by non-admin page mover) ---CX Zoom(he/him) (let's talk|contribs) 14:47, 3 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

– See Talk:DC_Extended_Universe#Naming_superheroes. Placing this multi-move request here due to WP:COMMONNAME, which is the same reason for the request for moving this page. WuTang94 (talk) 00:11, 1 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

@WuTang94: The requested move is closed because of procedural error. Please read the closing summary I left. Feel free to start a new RM as per the summary, if you wish to. ---CX Zoom(he/him) (let's talk|contribs) 14:51, 3 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

WuTang94, I see that this article was moved. Do you plan to request moves for the other articles? Erik (talk | contrib) (ping me) 22:54, 14 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Erik: I can send a group request for the other five later tonight. Thanks for the heads up! -WuTang94 (talk) 00:37, 15 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

And done. WuTang94 (talk) 01:38, 15 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Requested move 22 March 2022[edit]

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: Not moved. Additionally the nom should be WP:TROUTed for initiating another RM 8 days after the previous one was closed. (non-admin closure) Natg 19 (talk) 20:05, 8 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Superman (DC Extended Universe) → Clark Kent (DC Extended Universe) – I'm not very convinced about this. I know he's better recognized as superman, but I believe that this article should be named Clark Kent because I the alter-ego names fit better. Superhero or not, he should be recognized as a person with his alter-ego name, besides it's not like Superman is his real persona. WP:CONSISTENT is not even applied here, which I believe it's a violation. It would be like changing the title of the Peter Parkers articles to Spider-Man. I'm also asking to cancel the change request for the other like Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen, Diana Prince, Arthur Curry and Victor Stone. I also request to change Peacemaker article name to Christopher Smith. I'm not doing anything until we reach a conceseus, but hope you understand. — Ulises 1126 (talk) 08:18, 22 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

  • Oppose since we just had a RM discussion earlier this month. Erik (talk | contrib) (ping me) 12:14, 22 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comment I am questioning whether it is appropriate to start a new RM discussion just 8 days after the previous one was closed. WP:MOVEREVIEW seems to be the proper venue? InfiniteNexus (talk) 16:26, 22 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Oppose per previous RM comment and procedural close because the same RM just closed a week ago without any new rational. Gonnym (talk) 16:54, 22 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comment: Another thing to consider for DCEU Superman vs. Donnerverse/Salkind films/1980s Superman is that in the DCEU, Clark Kent is the dominant personality, using Superman as a guise to help people with his superpowers, whereas Christopher Reeve's version of the character had Superman as the dominant personality while the socially awkward "reporter Clark Kent" guise is used to fit in with society. Either way, I don't really have a strong preference for either name, though a move review may be the better avenue if we are to revert back to the "Clark Kent" name so soon after the previous move discussion, as previously mentioned by InfiniteNexus. --WuTang94 (talk) 21:22, 27 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Oppose: "Superman" is better known among fans and casual audiences than "Clark Kent" and "Kal-El." That's how people know the character as and how they like him best. I just don't see why do we need to use the civilian names for characters that are better known for their superhero code-names. For example, people know Anakin Skywalker as Darth Vader and Orion Pax as Optimus Prime. I don't see why should Superman be the exception to that rule. Leader Vladimir (talk) 23:52, 27 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support per WP:CONSISTENT and per WP:COMMONNAME. WP:COMMONNAME as the character in the film series, which this article is, is known by a few names, the least common of them is "Superman". The characters refer to him by his adopted name or by his birth name. WP:CONSISTENT as all the other articles in the DCEU set are all titled by their real names and not by their comic book alter egos. Gonnym (talk) 14:43, 28 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • @Gonnym: You previously "voted" Oppose above, are you changing your vote? InfiniteNexus (talk) 16:09, 28 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
    Wow! Thanks. I'm trying to remember why I wrote my original comment and cannot remember. I might have confused the RM or the proposal. Anyways, thanks! Gonnym (talk) 22:37, 28 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • Oppose per WP:COMMONNAME, and Superman (1978 film series character). Hamzabdul (talk) 08:45, 29 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • First of all, if the nom believed that my close was in violation of policy, guideline or consensus they should have addressed this on my talk (WP:IMR). Secondly and frankly, I’m a bit at a loss for words. RMs are supposed to ascertain what reliable sources say, within the framework of policy and guidelines. This discussion – on the other hand – appears to be a laid-back continuation of the previous RM, where participants engage in speculation and explain their extraneous preferences instead of discussing sources; with one even going so far as to elaborate why they believe DC is better than Marvel. Thus far, the only person that bothered to bring up and discuss sources was User:Colin M. So I suggest that this be procedurally closed and not re-initiated until a person is able to provide a reasonable amount of RS that back a specific, alternate title (e.g. Clark Kent). Colonestarrice (talk) 10:39, 7 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Non-free images[edit]

This page currently has five non-free files, all screenshots from DCEU films. That number may be too high to satisfy the "minimal usage" criterion of WP:NFC, so I would advise reducing the number of those. For instance, is it really necessary to include a picture of young Clark Kent or a picture of him at the Daily Planet? InfiniteNexus (talk) 04:19, 3 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Good point. Maybe the "young Clark" one can stay as it shows another actor playing him, hence more behind-the-scenes detail, but the Daily Planet one is a better candidate for deletion as that one might be redundant. I'd keep the "erased mustache" and "black suit" ones though, as they show two key differences between the two versions of Justice League. WuTang94 (talk) 04:35, 21 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Update: Just sent a CSD request for the "Daily Planet" picture. WuTang94 (talk) 04:41, 21 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
That's a good start, and I can see arguments for keeping the stache and black suit screenshots. But I still don't think kid Clark is needed, just because he's played by a different actor doesn't mean a picture of him is justified. Did the child actor receive any praise or accolades for his performance? If not, there isn't a good reason to keep it. The body doubles in Shazam and Peacemaker are also technically "other actors", by the way. InfiniteNexus (talk) 06:05, 23 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
I would also delete the kid Clark pic. Redjedi23 (talk) 17:40, 18 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Requested move 18 December 2022[edit]

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: Speedily closed. For starters, this request was improperly formatted and thus failed to be processed by the RM bot. Secondly, let's not waste any time, there were already two failed RMs earlier this year with the exact same arguments. There is no indication that the consensus has changed, and the nominator failed to present any new evidence for their position. InfiniteNexus (talk) 22:12, 18 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]


Superman (DC Extended Universe) → Clark Kent (DC Extended Universe) – Per WP:CONSISTENT and per WP:COMMONNAME. The character is known by three names, and Superman is probably the less used of them. Also, we have Bruce Wayne (DC Extended Universe), Diana Prince (DC Extended Universe), Barry Allen (DC Extended Universe), ecc... So it would be natural to have Clark Kent (DC Extended Universe) instead of Superman (DC Extended Universe). Redjedi23 (talk) 15:02, 18 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Superman's "mustache" isn't "ridiculous"[edit]

I can understand that in some frames someone says "it could have been done better" and/or may not like it. But "ridiculous" is decidedly subjective as a term. Except that it didn't bother me at all, it's barely noticeable. - D.C. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.36.88.55 (talk) 17:26, 24 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I Ctrl+Fed the article and found no instances of the word "ridiculous". InfiniteNexus (talk) 22:11, 24 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
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