A Good Villain

I walked into the room at Midas headquarters, holding two cups of coffee and a box of cupcakes I had brought back from New York.

Scott Snyder was waiting for me there. We were on the clock, working to finalize the Superman script, and both of us had a clear goal: to get it done by September. It was already early summer, and deadlines were approaching fast. The Wonder Woman script was finally wrapped up, casting was underway, and pre-production was set to start soon. Batman Begins was in the last leg of its principal photography.

So far, everything was going according to schedule.

As I entered, I saw Scott sitting comfortably on the couch, his eyes glued to the TV screen. He was watching the Conan show—the one I'd appeared on.

I put down the coffees and cupcakes, catching a bit of the conversation on-screen.

[Conan Talk Show Segment]

"So, Daniel, you are now the CCO of the newly created DC Studios. It's created quite a bit of buzz—new superhero movies coming our way. Batman is to be the first. Tell us about Batman—what can people expect?"

"Honestly, it's been a dream come true for me working with DC…. We're really trying to bring something fresh to the table—different from the old movies, definitely."

"Ah, so no suit nipples then?" Conan joked.

[Audience laughs]

"No, no, let's not remind everyone of that," I said.

"I'm pretty sure somewhere George Clooney had a sudden urge to apologize," Conan said.

[Audience laughs]

"So, new Batman," Conan continued. "I've got to make a pitch here—can I get a part in the movie? You know, a tall, pale, redheaded Irish guy like me?"

"Oh, oh! I could be the Joker! I mean, I've already got the jokes down, right?"

I smiled. "I don't know, Conan... You could be... the Chuckler." I had immediately cringed at the bad joke.

Of course, Conan did what Conan does—he took the bad joke and ran with it.

"The Chuckler?! Oh no, everybody, it's the Chuckler!" Conan said, standing and acting it out dramatically. "He's going to tell a bad joke—brace yourselves!"

[Audience laughs as Conan makes his typical exaggerated expressions, pulling the joke further.]

The segment ended soon after, with Conan plugging my new book.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Daniel Adler! Don't forget—his new book Elden Ring is out this week. Get your copy!"

[Audience applauds]

[Segment ends]

Scott looked over from the TV to me and grinned. "You were everywhere last month, man."

"Yeah, it was a bit too much," I said, sitting down beside him and dropping the box of cupcakes onto the table, which was already cluttered with papers and a laptop.

I handed one of the coffees to Scott. He accepted it gratefully, taking a sip. "Thanks," he said.

"No problem. So, let's get to it." I placed my own coffee on the table, looking at the draft we had. "We need to nail this script. I want it finalized by September."

Scott nodded. He looked a bit tired, like he'd been through a lot of brainstorming already.

I pushed the cupcake box toward him and said, "I bought these from Brooklyn. Try one; they're great."

Scott picked one up, taking a bite. He nodded in appreciation. "You're right, this is good. What shop is this from?" he asked.

"I found it at a cupcake shop run by two girls. Really surprised by how good they are," I replied.

Scott nodded and grabbed another cupcake.

"Alright, let's get back to getting this done," I said determinedly.

Scott nodded as he licked the frosting off his fingers. "Let's do it."

We had already settled on most of the plot. The story was going to focus on Superman's move to Metropolis, his early days at the Daily Planet, and, of course, his journey to becoming Superman. I wanted the emphasis to be on Clark—his investigative journalist side, his relationship with Lois, and how he adjusted to life away from Smallville. It was essential to show the human side of him: the small-town boy raised by loving parents who believed in the good in everyone—a hopeful, optimistic Superman.

We had decided on Metallo as the primary antagonist, with Lex in the background.

Scott leaned back in his chair. "Alright, since we have Metallo and Lex Luthor in the background, we really need to flesh out Corben's motives."

I nodded. "Right, and I've got some ideas on that." I leaned forward, laying out my thoughts.

"We take the comic origins of John Corben 'Metallo' and expand on it, not big changes, just try to make him more of a tragic villain" I began.

"John Corben starts as a rough-around-the-edges mercenary, maybe a former soldier. He's someone who's always struggled with finding a real purpose, someone who's felt overlooked and undervalued. He sees himself as a guy who puts his life on the line for causes he doesn't necessarily believe in—he's doing it because he's just trying to find his place in the world. Plus, there's a chip on his shoulder. He feels underappreciated, maybe even abandoned by society."

Scott nodded slowly, taking it in. "That's a solid starting point for his character."

"Similar to the comic," I continued. 

"So, here's how I see it: Clark starts his Superman journey—he's saving people, gaining fame, like after that plane crash scene we planned for early in the movie. Lex, of course, hates Superman for his own reasons. But Corben, he sees Superman differently. Corben's thought process is pure resentment."

Scott tilted his head, listening intently.

"To Corben, Superman represents someone who can just swoop in and 'fix everything' without a care. Meanwhile, guys like Corben are out there in the dirt, struggling. Superman's godlike abilities make Corben feel even more insignificant, like he's irrelevant. That plants the seeds of resentment—it starts personal. Superman isn't just a hero; he's a reminder to Corben of everything he can't be."

Scott nodded, leaning forward now, clearly invested.

"So, we set up Lex's dislike for Superman," I said, leaning back in my chair. "We could have Superman disrupting his business—a project Lex has a vested interest in, something major and public. Or maybe it's just an ego thing, where he feels like people should be in awe of him, not Superman."

Scott nodded, rubbing his chin. "Yeah, typical Lex—he hates being second to anyone."

"We could also add Clark to Lex's hit list," I continued, "by giving Clark a storyline where he investigates Luthor's activities as a journalist. Clark digs a little too deep, starts to uncover things Lex doesn't want exposed. But we can flesh out that angle later."

Scott nodded again, scribbling some notes. "Yeah, we can weave that in. It would add a nice layer of tension with Clark using his reporting skills to challenge Lex's empire."

"Exactly," I said. "But now, back to Corben."

Scott put down his pen, giving me his full attention.

"So, Corben starts working for Lex. He's already got that lingering resentment for Superman, but then their paths cross directly. We could have it happen during an event that Superman is trying to stop. Corben gets caught in the crossfire and is injured badly. This accident pushes Corben into Lex's hands."

Scott leaned in, considering the idea. "So Corben's at his lowest point."

"Yeah, and that's when Lex steps in as a 'savior' figure. He plays the hero for Corben and uses the opportunity to transform him into Metallo. To Corben, Lex seems like a benevolent guy who saved his life. But we know the truth—Lex is just using him as part of his plan to get rid of Superman."

Scott nodded, clearly seeing where I was going with it. "Right kryptonite is introduced here."

"Yes," I confirmed.

"So far, so good," Scott said. "We'll need to make some tweaks to smooth out the pacing, but the core idea is solid."

I continued "Lex manipulates Corben's insecurities, exploiting his trauma from the accident. He frames Superman as the one responsible for what happened. Lex tells Corben, 'Superman makes people like you irrelevant.' He really drives that message home, using Corben's frustration to fuel hatred."

"Corben becomes convinced that Superman is the cause of everything wrong in his life—not just the accident, but his insignificance. He sees Superman as the reason society doesn't value guys like him. This blame grows into intense hatred, and Corben's identity starts centering on that hatred. The more he becomes this machine, the more that hatred defines who he is. He's losing his humanity, and all that's left is his desire to destroy Superman."

Scott exhaled slowly, letting the idea settle in. "Good plan from Lex, too. In Lex's mind, it's a "win-win." If Metallo takes out Superman, Lex's goal is achieved. If Metallo fails, then he's just a pawn—a disposable weapon Lex can easily discard."

I nodded.

"I like it," Scott said, a grin forming on his face.

"We're setting Lex up as the real threat—the formidable opponent that Superman will face not just physically, but intellectually as well. We want to establish early on that Lex is a very dangerous man, making him a believable foil to Superman like in the comics."

Scott scribbled notes.

"I think we can add more depth to Metallo's character," I said, pacing the room, deep in thought. "We should show the contrast between Metallo and Superman, emphasizing how their perspectives diverge."

I continued, "Metallo's hatred for Superman is more than just resentment. It becomes his coping mechanism—a way to avoid confronting the more terrifying questions: 'Am I still human?' 'What am I now?' 'If I'm mostly machine, then what's left of me?'"

Scott scribbled down notes, nodding along.

I leaned in, building on the idea. "For Corben, that hatred becomes his anchor. The only way he can still feel connected to his former self is through his hatred for Superman. And if he ever lets go of that hatred, he'll have to face what he's truly become—a machine with only fragments of his humanity left."

"You know fans like to over analyze these things" I said.

Scott looked up, intrigued.

"Throughout the movie," I continued, "we'll juxtapose Metallo's rage with Superman's empathy. Clark sees Corben's anger for what it really is—fear, loss, confusion. He's not just a villain; he's a person who's gone through something traumatic. And Clark's compassion pushes him to try to help Corben, even when the guy is trying to kill him. Superman tries to get through to him, to suggest that Corben still has a choice."

Scott was nodding, deeply immersed in the concept.

"Now, for the final battle, we already have the MacGuffin—that is, kryptonite, which powers Metallo. That forces Superman to face Metallo without relying solely on his raw power," I said, tapping on the table to emphasize the point. "It forces him to rely on his intelligence and strategy. Maybe he tries to reason with Corben again, or maybe he uses some other creative method to disable him—something that's not just about brute strength."

Scott looked up from his notes. "So we need to showcase his power before this, with other challenges?"

"Yes, we'll need to," I agreed.

Scott grinned, sitting back and letting out a satisfied sigh. "I think we have something special here, Danny. It still needs a lot of work, but this... this is good."

We discussed more, made some changes, and adjusted the story to fit into a movie format. After hours of work, we took a small break.

Scott leaned back in his chair, tapping his pen thoughtfully against the table. "Are we too early to think about casting?" he asked.

I grinned. "Actually, I already have someone in mind. I'm pretty adamant about getting him for the role."

Scott raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Who?"

"Have you heard of the TV show The Tudors?" I asked, a knowing smile playing on my lips.

Scott frowned slightly, thinking it over before shaking his head. "No, can't say I have."

I grabbed my laptop, pulling it closer and typing away for a few moments. Then I found what I was looking for—a picture of the man I wanted. I turned the screen toward Scott, showing him the image.

Scott looked at the screen and then back at me, his eyes widening with surprise. He took in the broad shoulders, the strong jawline, the intense yet kind eyes. After a moment, he shook his head, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Yeah, that guy... he definitely needs to be Superman," Scott said, nodding in agreement.