Superman OR Clark Kent? Who Is The True Personality? How Should Film Adapt Superman? (A Video Essay)

[@kellybacon579]

Superman Said it himself,Superman is What I do,Clark Kent is Who I Am.

[@Film1000Channel]

Some adaptations have different ideas on who the true person really is but I agree with what Superman said about himself in Lois and Clark. I believe that Clark is his true self and I like it better when adaptations of the character have it be that way

[@44excalibur]

The real Clark Kent is the farm boy we saw in Smallville. In many ways, both the Clark Kent from the Daily Planet and Superman are the disguises.

[@Arnsteel634]

Or for that matter dean cain played a great Clark Kent

[@44excalibur]

@@Arnsteel634 Dean and Tom both did.

[@cobtheconqueror]

Superman is his work self. Or work personality. Great way of describing it. 👍

[@Film1000Channel]

Thank you!

[@adriangriffith42]

The best way I can make sense of it is... Kal-El is the real persona. Kal was raised as Clark Kent by his earth family but taught not to use his abilities in public. Therefore, John and Martha got to know Kal while Clarke was his earth persona shown to the world. Kal is being himself while using his abilities, whereas Superman is the persona given to him by the public because he chose to hide his life as Kal to protect his family. In summary, both Clarke Kent and Superman became disguises for Kal-El's double life.

[@Film1000Channel]

Thats a interesting way of looking at Superman!

[@StareachValcin]

The way I see it, Clark Kent is the true persona, while Superman is the ideal that Clark lives by, and his bumbling mild manner reporter persona is merely a disguise so that people can't discover that Clark is Superman.

[@Film1000Channel]

Thats a great way of seeing the character. I feel reporter Clark can be a disguise especially with the clumsiness but I feel like Clarks true self is a dork and a bit awkward like his reporter self but still has a big heart. The adaptations when the character is portrayed like that are my favorites

[@alexandrefrauches132]

I think Superman is who he truly is. As the Man of Steel, Clark can show his confidence, bravery and use his power to help as many people as he can. However, because of his role as super hero, he has to endure all the pressure from the public (which is basically the whole world if not universe) and their expectations. He needs his life as Clark Kent in order to find some balance. But, to have Clark's life, Superman needs to hide his abilities from others, often resulting in him acting awkward, clumsy and shy, affecting people's perspective on him. Only those close to him like Lois are able to see the man behind the symbol. One identity needs the other.

[@Film1000Channel]

I hope you all enjoy the video! It took me 2 months to make this video with the help of some friends of mine so I hope the hard work paid off and everyone enjoys the video! Let me know who you guys believe is the true personality of Clark Kent/Superman. Who is the real disguise?

[@BoyKagome]

Depends which version, clearly the Reeves version Clark Kent is the disguise. Smallville, Superman is the disguise.

[@Film1000Channel]

Yeah in the video thats what I was saying. I go over the comics which in Pre Crisis Clark was the disguise and then in Post Crisis Superman was the disguise. Then I go over all the movies and shows take on who Superman truly is. Then I go over what I feel the true character should be which in my opinion is Clark Kent

[@BoyKagome]

@@Film1000Channel I give it to Reeves, I just never seen a Superman like him in his first and second movie. He just encapulates everything that Superman should be. The rooftop scene with Lois is the best exchange between a Superman and Lois I believe...and the freaking sound track, Hans makes a strong John Willaim's attempt.

[@dylanbottom4669]

Really great video you are very underrated.

[@Film1000Channel]

Thank you! I appreciate that

[@jinxie712]

Yeah, I think he should portrayed more like the Superman & Lois one. Smallville Clark, Metropolis Clark and Superman. Smallville Clark is the baseline and how he grew up. That's who he is around family and close friends (Batman, Wonder Woman, Lois after the reveal). Superman is his public face. Everyone sees this face. Justice League might get a little bit of Smallville Clark. Metropolis Clark should be at least a little clumsy so he could use his powers as Clark and stay secret.

[@Film1000Channel]

Agreed! I like the idea of the Justice League getting a little bit of Smallville Clark

[@kamalalsb7292]

It's Clark. It's Clark. The only reason there is any confusion against this is because Quentin Tarantino was very confidently wrong about it in one of his movies but the reality is there is no version of Superman where it makes sense for Superman/Kal El to be who he fundamentally is as a person. What happened to Krypton is context that HE LEARNS MUCH LATER, usually after already being an adult. It's not like Batman, say, who watched his parents die. Clark finds out as an adult he's an Alien from a world that is gone now - but he was RAISED by humans, among humans, AS A HUMAN. The entire point of Superman is that despite being biologically an alien he represents the absolute best of humanity - because he is fundamentally a good person who HAPPENS to have the powers of a god. The Zac Snyder take of "he's disaffected Space Jesus and Clark Kent doesn't matter" is a fucking braindead take made by people who think Superman is boring because they don't know anything about the character. It's why any effort to make Superman "Dark" or "Edgy" fundamentally does not work - that's not who he is. It's not WHAT he is. He's Clark Kent, and he's a good person. End of.

[@Film1000Channel]

I mean Superman was the real identity in Pre Crisis comics and Christopher Reeves who is a lot of peoples favorite Superman had Superman be the real identity as well. I do agree that I believe Supermans true self is Clark Kent and I like it when they portray Clark as a nerdy shy person. Thats why my favorite Superman/Clark Kents are Smallvile, DCAU Superman and Superman & Lois

[@DrFranklynAnderson]

"I thought he was kind of cheesy at first. But, he turned out to be totally sweet. Sometimes people are layered like that. There's something totally different underneath than what's on the surface. And sometimes there's a third, even deeper level, and that one is the same as the top surface one. Like with pie."

[@Film1000Channel]

That quote sums up Superman/Clark Kent perfectly! Wheres the quote from?

[@DrFranklynAnderson]

​@@Film1000Channel Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. It's accurate for a lot of superheroes. Reporter Clark is an exagerated version of Farmboy Clark. Almost a parody. It reminds me of when House MD had Hugh Laurie's American character put on an over-the-top English accent--the joke being that Laurie himself IS English. Batman is similar, but we don't see the "top layer" of Bruce the Extravagent Playboy very often. If we did it'd be easier to understand why no one thinks he's Batman--it'd be like if pre-Megan "Party Price" Harry turned out to be Banksy. It doesn't fit for all secret identities. Spider-Man is different, since there's not much change between private and public Peter personas, and characters like Wonder Woman and Thor were raised as their superhero selves and only adopt civilian identities to blend in.

[@MSigurdHall]

You missed the newest TV show that's been made. It has taken away a lot of the aesthetic looks of what people know about Superman but kept in the complexity of the question of "Who is Superman?", as he is even trying to figure that out himself

[@Film1000Channel]

If you're talking about Superman and Lois then I did talk about that show in the video. Thats the latest live action Superman show unless you are talking about the latest animated Superman show My Adventures With Superman which I did not talk about in this video cause I was mainly focusing on live action Supermen and if I talked about every animated Supermen then the video would be 2 hours long so I just talked about the most popular animated Superman of all time which is DCAU Superman

[@josegar30]

I always see him as both. Unlike Batman where he actively say Bruce is an act. I feel that Superman is Clark permitted to use his power for good. Without Superman Clark won’t be as selfless and helpful because he would have to hide who he is and feeling guilty his whole life like the beginning of man of steel. And without Clark Superman wouldn’t be grounded or human and would something like injustice where he see himself as god. Superman is raise on earth. He a friend, family, a hero. The personality need to be separate for him to have a life but he is all of them depending on the situation. Superman and Louis persona might be the weakest I think with that multiverse episode and he getting beat all the time, but he is my favorite Superman by far.

[@Film1000Channel]

Thats a great way at looking at it!

[@therealgamingfire]

Amazing video🎉❤

[@Film1000Channel]

Thank you so much!

[@NathanWubs]

Superman is normally is no debate. In most writer visions of the character Clark has wanted to be human so bad. But he is not, that is why he has a responsibility to be superman. In the times that he is not written that way I most of the time do not like him. Making him more removed from humans is never a boon.

[@Film1000Channel]

If I am reading your comment correctly I think you are saying Superman is the disguise. If so I agree. I see it as Clark is who he truly is and Superman is the person he needs to be to save people. It's kinda the opposite of Batman where Batman's true self is when he's in the mask as Batman then Bruce Wayne is the disguise and act that he needs to uphold

[@PetyrC90]

The real one has always been Clark. Superman is just a facade. But what makes superman exist is Clark. Wonderwoman is a good example of the opposite. She is the hero version first. And the civilian alter ego is the fake one.

[@krichard_]

Clark isn’t a mental patient like Batman is. They’re the different sides of the same coin

[@arnaudgerard1971]

Hmmmm Batman and Bruce both are probably not themselves except maybe with Alfred. The others: Flash, Arrow, ...; I couldn't probably really say. So Kal El was adopted and the adopted kid is Clark. Yeah; probably Clark is who he is: the adopted Kid.

[@kianpfannenstiel]

I really hate the "which is the true person and which is the disguise" discussion about these heroes. It takes away all the depth of the double-identity to think of one as just a disguise. They are both the real person and both a disguise for the other. They just emphasize different ideals the hero wants to live up to.

[@crashedfilms5720]

i agree with the same argument with a lot of others. like batman especially. the video still definitely raises some interesting and entertaining discussion tho.