It’s an odd time in the DC Extended Universe. Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman has made a huge amount of money, and became an example of how to bring a hero to the screen with style and substance. We’re awaiting Aquaman’s first movie and the new Justice League film, a long-held dream for DC fans, with a sense of quiet anticipation. The sequel to Suicide Squad is being fast-tracked, and there’s a Martin Scorsese-produced Joker movie on the way… Strange things are afoot at the circle DC…

Yet with a roster of the most recognisable (and profitable) comic book characters on its books DC appear to be having trouble finding their feet. We’re post-Logan, post-Deadpool and each new direction a comic book movie succeeds with could well become a template for all that follow.

So, all eyes are on DC for the foreseeable future. Today we received confirmation that Matthew Vaughn is in talks with DC about the sequel to Man of Steel, and it could be a whole new take on the cinematic Superman.

The Kick-Ass director was in the mix at Warner Bros. when they were looking to bring about the new cinematic DCEU. The studio ultimately went with the Christopher Nolan/David S. Goyer re-invention of Superman and the visually impressive, yet emotionally cold Man of Steel was the first step into a wider franchise.

Commenting on his 2010 pitch, before Man of Steel went into production, Vaughn offered his opinion to MTV on what a new Superman film should be,

“I think that’s the one thing not to do with Superman, trying to do the serious The Dark Knight version. Superman is about color and fun, or it should be, for me.”

Speaking to us at the press junket for Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Vaughn confirmed to Scott Davis,

“I am planning another Kingman, I’ve written the treatment and some of the scenes…I don’t know what I’m going to do next but I have had chats about Superman, I love Superman. “If somebody asks me to do Indiana Jones, most of the superheros or Star Wars the fanboy in me can’t help but be excited.”

See the interview below,

Matthew Vaughn on the new Superman film

Tone has been a very difficult element for the DCEU. Though it came in the shadow of The Avengers, Man of Steel, and the follow-up Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, were cast firmly in the, often mocked, ‘dark and gritty’ mould. At the time it was an understandable decision. Let the tone serve the story, and comparisons to the Marvel films would be moot. However the reaction to Batman v Superman gave the DCEU a stumble on its second step, and the trailers for Suicide Squad subsequently focused heavily on the film’s humour. There were dozens of news stories dedicated to how the Justice League film would be lighter and tone, and funnier.

If Vaughn, and his long time collaborative partner Jane Goldman, are on board for a new Superman film it could be a bold, stabilising step for the ongoing franchise. When the X-Men franchise from Bryan Singer (another Superman director) faltered with the execrable Last Stand, it was Vaughn and Goldman who reinvigorated the series with X-Men: First Class. They could well do the same with Superman.