DC announces Superman: Red Son animated film adaptation as Soviet endorsement

It's a quote known to comic book and superhero fans around the world: Superman fights for "truth, justice, and the American way." But what if baby Kal-El's ship had left Krypton a little earlier and ended up crashing not in Kansas but in 1950s Russia?

That’s the intriguing idea behind Superman: Red Son, the seminal graphic novel by Mark Millar, Dave Johnson and Killian Plunkett that’s the inspiration for the first DC Universe film in 2020. Red Son is part of a trio of films set to hit theaters next year, which will also include an original Superman and a sequel to a 2017 animated film from DC Comics.

Superman: Red Son will likely continue the success of the recent DC Universe films while also introducing new fans to one of Superman's most memorable storylines. Originally launched in 2003, Red Son is considered one of the most iconic parallel universe plots in the DC Comics franchise, placing familiar heroes like Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern in completely different contexts and scenarios. Set during the height of the Cold War, Red Son introduces us to a Superman who travels to the Soviet Union in the 1950s and grows up to become a symbol of the Soviet Union, fighting to preserve Stalin's communism. Other popular characters also play key roles, especially Lex Luthor, who can be seen as the hero of the story from an American perspective.

The 2020 DC movie slate will end with a standalone feature film called Superman: The Man of Tomorrow, marking the first time that DC Comics has released two Superman-centric movies in the same year. Unlike Red Son, The Man of Tomorrow will be a completely original story about a young Superman early in his career. We still need to wait for more information and plot revelations about this work, including who the villain of this work is and what other interesting characters will appear.

Finally, in addition to the release of three full-length animated films, 2020 will also see several DC Showcase animated shorts that will appear as bonus content during the films. Announced earlier this year, these shorts will feature appearances by Sgt. Locke, Adam Strange, Death, The Phantom Stranger, and an adaptation of Batman: A Death in the Family.