Zack Snyder and the Man of Steel team have opened up to Empire magazine about their approach to the character, with screenwriter David Goyer revealing that he doesn't believe the past, idealistic versions with clingy spandex and primary colours would work with today's audience.
"We're approaching Superman as if it weren't a comic book movie, as if it were real," he said. "It just struck me that if Superman really existed in the world, first of all this story would be a story about contact.
"He's an alien. You can easily imagine a scenario in which we'd be doing a film like E.T., as opposed to him running around in tights. If the world found out he existed, it would be the biggest thing that ever happened in human history."
But that's not to say they'll take the 'super' out of the superhero. Director Snyder insisted that realism will make the film more profound, adding: "We're not trying to take the super out of Superman."
"[Superman] is looking for his place in the world," explained Deborah Snyder, who co-produced the film with her husband. "He is a little lost when we find him, trying to figure it out. That makes him very real. You can relate to the humanity in him."
Man of Steel, which stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Russell Crowe, will debut in cinemas on June 14.
