Oooh, this is interesting.

One assumes that the future of Superman onscreen will proceed through the fairly predictable confines of the DC Extended Universe, with some kind of revival in the upcoming Justice League movie, then another sequel or spinoff featuring Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel. But Superman’s comic-book history is so much more interesting than that. On alternate worlds, in different timelines and universes, he’s had some pretty exciting variations that we’ve never seen onscreen.

Take, for example, Superman: Red Son, a 2003 miniseries written by Mark Millar (the co-creator of Kick-Ass and Kingsman) and illustrated by Dave Johnson. The premise was simple but brilliant: What if Superman’s rocket ship from Krypton landed in the middle of the Soviet Union instead of a cornfield in Kansas? How would growing up in the U.S.S.R. shape his values and his life? It was a great concept, and a really smartly executed story. I was working in a comic shop when that book came out, and it was every employee’s favorite book.

Still, given the subject matter and the tone, a Superman: Red Son movie seems like the longest of longshots. And yet! First, observe this tweet exchange between Millar and Kong: Skull Island filmmaker Jordan Vogt-Roberts:

Den of Geek went further, claiming that the idea for the Red Son film “is coming from Warner Bros itself.” When they reached out to Millar for further comment, here’s what he said:

Is this something they're genuinely planning? I have no idea. I've got pals at Warner Bros but never discussed it with them. I think they're just going through their back catalogue of big books and hoping to lure in good directors as opposed to any particular interest in developing Red Son.

This still sounds like it’s not going to happen. How could it? Warner Bros. icon of American heroism covered in the hammer and sickle? Not likely. But if reading this drives some folks to check out the Red Son trade paperback, that’s a good thing.

More From Lite 96.9 WFPG