Clark Joseph Kent (né Kal-El), best known by his superhero persona Superman, is a superhero in the DC Extended Universe series of films, based on the DC Comics character of the same name created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. In the films, he is a refugee from the planet Krypton who lands on Earth and develops superhuman abilities. A lengthy conflict with a faction of surviving Kryptonians led by General Zod results in extensive damage to Metropolis, creates a moral divide amongst humanity, and draws the attention of Bruce Wayne / Batman, who would confront Kent for his actions. The two would eventually reconcile their differences to prevent Doomsday, with the latter giving his life to kill the creature with the assistance of Wayne. Kent eventually gets resurrected and allies himself with the Justice League to prevent the Unity of the three Mother Boxes and the stop conquest of Earth under Darkseid. First appearing as the main protagonist of the film Man of Steel (2013), the character is portrayed by Henry Cavill, who is the first non-American actor to portray Superman in film. This version of Superman has also appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017) (and its 2021 director's cut), and an uncredited cameo appearance in Black Adam (2022), serving as one of the central characters in the DC Extended Universe. Cavill was slated to reprise the character in future projects as of November 2022, including a planned sequel to Man of Steel, with Cavill initially confirming his involvement before announcing weeks later that those plans had been abandoned by new management at DC Studios under James Gunn. Director Zack Snyder's films in the DCEU have aimed to portray Superman in a more flawed and human light as compared to the previous film series by Warner Bros., which has received polarized reviews from critics. Character concept and development As one of the most prominent superheroes for DC Comics, Superman had previously been portrayed in film several times in film serials and most prominently in the 1978–1987 Superman film series, with Christopher Reeve taking on the role of Superman. While Reeve's performance was widely regarded as one of the greatest in film history, the series was placed in jeopardy following the critical and commercial failure of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Following Superman Returns, a 2006 homage sequel to the film series' first