The Big Picture
The history of the superhero adaptation is chock full of genre-defining exploits. The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 helped cement the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a pop culture sensation. Logan provided a swan song for Hugh Jackman’s tenure as Wolverine (or at least until Deadpool 3 finally comes out). Aquaman became a financial success and proved that a DC character not named Batman or Superman could appeal to mass audiences (as well as the fact that Aquaman is way, way more than a guy who can talk to fish.) These films succeeded not only because of the casting choices and the directors’ various visions but also because the filmmakers were able to translate the spirits of their comic book characters onto the screen effectively.
Consequently, there are comic book adaptions that serve as a roadmap of what not to do when bringing beloved characters to the silver screen. While articles have been devoted to the major missteps of Fan4stic or Joel Schumacher’s Batman films, there is one film that often gets overlooked: Steel. The 1997 film took one of DC Comics’ most underrated heroes and attempted to bring him into the modern day – to disastrous results. Steel not only turned out to be a massive box office bomb but was also considered to be “the death of the comic book movie” alongside Batman & Robin until films like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man were released.
How Is Steel Connected to Superman?
Steel, aka John Henry Irons, first appeared in The Adventures of Superman #500 by Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove. He was a top engineer at AmerTek, a company that specialized in creating cutting-edge weaponry. When one of Irons’ weapons fell into the wrong hands, he left AmerTek and set up residence in Metropolis. Taking up construction work, he was saved from a fatal accident by Superman, who asked him to “live a life worth saving.” Irons would get his chance during The Death of Superman; when the Man of Steel perished at the hands of Doomsday, Irons donned a suit of powered armor to keep the peace in Metropolis – complete with a massive warhammer.
Superman eventually returned to life, and Irons moved to Washington, D.C. There he encountered a number of threats, including AmerTek – who wanted to utilize his powered armor for its own sinister purposes. Irons eventually became a fixture in the DC Universe proper, serving as Superman’s ally/tech consultant and even joining the Justice League. Recently, he and his niece Natasha – who briefly took up the mantle of Steel herself – have formed the Steelworks company to support Metropolis whenever it undergoes superhuman attack. Such a character was ripe for potential, yet writer/director Kenneth Johnson chose to ignore that potential for an approach that felt less like a big blockbuster movie and more like a made-for-TV film.
Shaquille O’Neal Doesn’t Do ‘Steel’ Any Favors
One common criticism of Steel is its lead, Shaquille O-Neal. Though O’Neal was plenty charismatic when it came to interviews on the basketball court or the various commercials he did (and continues to do), his screen presence was lacking. Take this chase scene; due to O’Neal’s lackluster delivery as well as his slow pace, this comes off less like an adrenaline-packed chase and more like a stroll in the park. There was also the matter of O’Neal participating in the 1996 Summer Olympics; this meant that Johnson only had a total of five weeks to film with his lead star. Despite the presence of other great actors including Irma Hall and Richard Roundtree, Steel never quite knew what to do with its cast. Ironically, Johnson had considered Wesley Snipes as a potential choice for Irons, per Vice, before O’Neal boarded the role; one year later, Snipes would star in Blade and help rehabilitate the comic book movie.
How Is ‘Steel’ Different From Its Source Material?
Another thing that hobbled Steel was its divergence from the source material. While the core of the film – Irons becoming a hero because his inventions were being utilized for war – was still intact, Johnson chose to remove the references to Superman. “I said that if I could lose the comic book cape, then maybe I could make it work,” he said during production. Johnson also chose to create a new villain in Nathaniel Burke (Judd Nelson) rather than utilize any villains from the comic book. While the grounded approach would have worked with Steel, stripping away his connection to one of DC’s more iconic heroes severely limited the film’s story. Even more baffling was that O’Neal was an avid Superman fan – he even has a Superman symbol tattoo which can be seen in the scene where he forges his Steel suit.
Steel Has His Chance To Shine in Other Adaptations
Though his silver screen debut was a colossal letdown, Steel has had the chance to shine in other adaptations. Superman: The Animated Series featured an entire episode dedicated to the armored hero, played by Michael Dorn, as he battled Metallo (Malcolm McDowell). Steel would also make appearances in Justice League Unlimited, forming a close bond with Supergirl. Superman and Lois initially had Irons as an antagonist, as he came from an alternate universe where Superman had turned evil; he’d soon become an ally to the Man of Steel. Finally, Reign of the Superman hewed fairly close to its comic book adaptation and featured Cress Williams – himself a DC veteran thanks to his lead role on Black Lightning – as the voice of Irons.
Over the years, Johnson has expressed some regret over Steel, especially in regards to the casting. “Maybe I should’ve just walked away when I couldn’t get the cast that I wanted. If I made a mistake, that was the only mistake I made in terms of putting it together,” he said in an aforementioned Vice piece chronicling the film’s 20-year-anniversary. Steel clearly could have used a little more time at the forge.
Watch Steel
