Great shads of Caprica! It looks like Syfy is serious about jumping into the superhero TV realm with its Superman prequel, Krypton. As rumored last month, the long-simmering project now has a pilot episode order from Syfy. But are comic book fans up for a show in which the Man of Steel literally doesn’t exist yet?
Syfy has confirmed the earlier rumor and announced that Krypton will follow the adventures of Superman’s grandfather on their homeworld decades before Krypton exploded. In DC’s Post-Crisis comic book universe, Superman’s grandfather was named Seyg-El, but that name could be changed for the TV series. Krypton will reportedly follow Superman’s grandfather as he attempts to redeem the House of El’s good name and save their world from destruction. Spoiler alert: the planet still blows up at the end.
Man of Steel and The Dark Knight co-writer David S. Goyer co-wrote the script for Krypton with Ian Goldberg (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), while Colm McCarthy direct the pilot episode and executive produce the potential series. Sleepy Hollow veteran Damian Kindler is also on board as an executive producer and the showrunner.
Related: Syfy Charts a Course For ‘Krypton’
In a statement, NBCUniveral’s Bill McGoldrick said “Krypton is one of the most iconic stories in the comic book universe. In the talented hands of David S. Goyer and the DC Entertainment/Warner Horizon Television team, this exciting Syfy project will take viewers back to Superman’s home to show how the timeless legend began.”
Well, Krypton is actually not “one of the most iconic stories in the comic book universe.” It’s the destruction of Krypton that people remember, and that was only important because of Superman’s emergence as one of the greatest superheroes of all time. Can a Superman prequel really function without him? Even Gotham has Bruce Wayne as a boy. Krypton may not even have Jor-El, Superman’s birth father.
Do you think that Krypton can work as a series? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!