One of the biggest films set for release in 2013 is undoubtedly director Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot Man of Steel, but the pic is also one of the bigger question marks of next year. Other than one image and a brief teaser trailer, we still know very little about Snyder’s approach to the legendary comic book character. Producer Christopher Nolan’s influence was apparent in that first trailer (and even moreso in the footage that was shown at Comic-Con), and Snyder recently spoke briefly about crafting a serious version of Superman in Man of Steel. Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

Speaking with the L.A. Times, Snyder talked briefly about tackling one of the biggest characters in comic book history:

“It’s a more serious version of Superman. It’s not like a heart attack. We took the mythology seriously. We take him as a character seriously. I believe the movie would appeal to anyone. I think that you’re going to see a Superman you’ve never seen before. We approached it as though no other films had been made. He’s the king-daddy. Honestly that’s why I wanted to do it. I’m interested in Superman because he’s the father of all superheroes. He’s this amazing ambassador for all superheroes. What was it about him that cracked the code that made pop culture embrace this other mythology? What we‘ve made as a film not only examines that but is also an amazing adventure story. It’s been an honor to work on. As a comic book fan, Superman is like the Rosetta Stone of all superheroes. I wanted to be sure the movie treated it respectfully.”

Snyder is obviously aware of the fact that he’s reinterpreting a pop culture icon, and I’m interested to see how his examination of the allure of Superman plays out in the full film. Hopefully we get a new trailer soon, in front of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey perhaps? Man of Steel opens in 2D, 3D, and IMAX on June 14th, 2013.