Superman’s Hair Choices Sell Us on How He’ll Hide His Secret Identity

One challenging aspect when transferring comic book lore to live-action has consistently been maintaining Superman’s secret identity as Clark Kent. This idea that a simple pair of glasses could conceal such an athletic man, leaving everyone unaware of the powerful Superman hiding behind the modest journalist, seems almost believable with Christopher Reeve’s hat and clumsy demeanor in 1978. However, no other on-screen Supermen have managed to replicate this illusion effectively. But David Corenswet could potentially pull it off – it’s not just the glasses, but primarily his hairstyle that makes a difference. In essence, primarily, it’s about the hair.

In the preview for James Gunn’s Superman, it is evident that Corenswet’s Clark Kent sports a voluminous, curly black mane, concealing much of his forehead. This hairstyle is quite popular among young men today. Due to his glasses and altered stance, he appears almost unrecognizable from his Superman alter ego. As the Steel Man, he sports a sleeked-back hairstyle with merely a single small “S” curl peeking out. When we observe him stumbling clumsily through Metropolis’s streets like a bungling oaf? It’s challenging to discern any trace of the Last Son of Krypton in that scene.

In this movie, it’s not immediately obvious that the actor portraying Clark and Superman are one and the same, even though they are. This is because, in the story, Clark and Superman have distinct interactions with their Daily Planet colleagues. However, considering the differences between them, it seems plausible that ordinary people might not recognize Clark walking down the street due to his altered hairstyle, which plays a significant role in convincing us of this dual identity.

It’s surprising that nobody in TV or film history seemed to notice the similarity between Clark Kent and Superman’s hairstyles, particularly in the portrayals of Dean Cain, Brandon Routh, and Henry Cavill. This oversight was especially glaring. In fact, none of these actors made any effort to alter their appearance (hair, voice, or posture) when switching between the two roles, which only served to make the idea that they were different people even more far-fetched. However, the messy, Gen Z-style hair on Clark Kent in recent portrayals reveals a simple solution that could have been implemented all along.

Indeed, it remains to be seen how different Tyler Hoechlin’s voice will sound as both Clark Kent and Superman. This could play a significant role in convincing audiences that they perceive these characters as distinct individuals. However, the altered hairstyle for Superman appears to be a change that future adaptations might adopt. It’s a subtle alteration that carries a lot of impact. Unless, of course, they decide to adhere to the old DC Comics concept where Superman’s glasses emitted a hypnotic signal, preventing people from recognizing Clark and Superman as one. We believe a hairstyle change is just as effective, if not slightly less absurd.

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2025-01-03 02:05