James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ may be packed with superheroes, aliens, battles and world-changing stakes, but some of its most revealing details are surprisingly ordinary. The most prominent example is Clark Kent’s apartment, which subtly reveals more about the Man of Steel than any action scene ever could.
Clark Kent Never Really Built A Life For Himself
Clark’s house is quite plain at first sight. It’s clean, modern, and functional. There are few chairs and an ottoman in his living room, and the walls are largely bare, with few lights. That might seem like a production-design choice, but it actually fits perfectly with where Clark is emotionally.
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Clark has been active as Superman for several years by the time the film starts. However, his personal life seems very undeveloped. He has been dating Lois Lane for a few months, has not been seen with the Justice Gang, and has not really developed much of a social life outside of the Daily Planet.
Even his apartment does not feel like his home, but just a place where he sleeps. That makes Clark’s situation all the more human. One of the strongest people in the world still hasn’t mastered something easy for the rest of us: building a life of his own.
Production designer Beth Mickle has described how Gunn wanted the apartment to be more like a set than anything else, and that someone else had put it together for Clark. “He also liked the idea that Superman has hand weights just to justify that Clark is so big and strong, but he doesn’t realize what pounds he would actually be able to bench press or curl.” It’s a good joke, but it also reveals something about him.
The Apartment Is Slowly Becoming A Home
The most impactful information might be in the end. At the end of ‘Supergirl‘, Clark’s apartment is slightly different. The area is lighter, and there’s another lamp by his chair. It’s a small change, but it’s big in the emotional sense. Clark is beginning to settle.
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He’s getting closer to Lois, making friends with other heroes, and learning about the importance of having people who care about him. That’s why his talk with Supergirl has even more significance. Clark fears that if Kara keeps running away from Earth, she will never find her own people, and he might be right.
He has been protecting Metropolis for years, but he hasn’t felt at home there. But little by little, that is changing. And if ‘Man of Tomorrow’ shows an apartment with a couch, photographs, decorations and maybe even a little more clutter, it could quietly confirm that Superman isn’t just saving a city anymore. He is now making a home.
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